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Above: Guided tour at Franklin Mountains State Park.

Takota and El Paso Zoo Education Specialist Valerie Hearn.

Meet Takota, our new Golden Eagle at the Paso Zoo

January 28, 2010. The El Paso Zoo is happy to introduce the newest member of its education department: a four-year-old Golden Eagle named Takota. Originally found on the ground near El Paso and not able to fly, El Paso Zoo was entrusted to care for Takota and helped him through his recovery. Once recovered it was found that Takota’s vision was severely impaired, making it impossible for him to survive in the wild.

To ensure the quality of his long-term care, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department awarded the El Paso Zoological Society a grant in order to fund the construction of an eagle aviary. The El Paso Zoological Society also hired raptor expert John Elmore to help prepare Takota for meet-and-greet encounters with zoo guests early this spring.

Elmore previously developed bird shows and training programs at zoos and animal parks across the country. Elmore also launched Auburn University’s free-flighted bird of prey program culminating in the flight of a Golden Eagle at the school’s home football games and at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Since working with Elmore, Takota has already made tremendous progress. The golden eagle’s rehabilitation reflects the El Paso Zoo’s mission to develop engaging exhibits and educational programs that help people rediscover their connection to nature and encourage behavioral changes that promote conservation.

Look for Takota the Golden Eagle this spring and visit the other exciting animals at El Paso Zoo!

About El Paso Zoo

El Paso Zoo serves as a regional center for family fun, education, and conservation efforts for wildlife and natural resources. Currently the Zoo is home to over 220 species of animals including mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates from North and South America and Asia. The Zoo also has a carousel, as well as food and gift opportunities. Opening in phases beginning in early 2010 will be the new Reptile House and African exhibits featuring lions, zebras, and giraffes. Excitement and discovery can be found at special animal encounters throughout the zoo and everyday at elephants and sea lions.

Visit our web site www.elpasozoo.org for hours and ticket prices. From I-10 West, take exit 23-B, follow the Paisano Drive signs. From I-10 East take US-54 South toward Juárez, stay to the right and exit at the Juarez/Paisano split; follow the Zoo signs to Paisano Avenue. Parking is free. Or take Sun Metro, Routes 21, 22, 23, 24, 65-Paisano 61, 62, 63. For more information call 915-521-1850.

El Paso Zoo launches new Adventure Program

El Paso Zoo Adventure Programs have been created for every age group, from toddlers and schoolchildren to adults and seniors. Each program features an environment rich in discovery opportunities including special animal encounters.

Zoo On Demand Programs include curriculum based animal encounter programs at the Zoo or at local schools designed to help students discover the natural world that we share with the rest of the planet.

Guys and gals on the dating scene looking for a super cool adventure can go on scheduled Night Prowls or Photo Safaris or request a Zoo On Demand Super-deluxe Elephant Experience offering the opportunity to help give our gentle giants their morning bath and breakfast!

Learn More visit www.elpasozoo.org/adventure

New at the Zoo

The El Paso Water Utilities Discovery Education Center opened early in 2009 and features a classroom and exhibits for elementary school groups to learn about our Chihuahuan desert and water conservation. Zoo education specialists and volunteers present a variety of animal encounter programs for school groups on weekdays and zoo visitors and special groups on weekends. The center includes special displays about water conservation and the desert. During the summer of 2010 the center will open a desert spring exhibit featuring small animals that live in the water with a desert panorama background showing animals that come to drink at a desert spring.

The El Paso Electric Kalahari Research Center looks like a real Africa research station in Botswana. A colony of meerkats, the playful mongooses seen on Animal Planet's Meerkat Manor, live in and outside the station. This summer other animals will come to live in this part of the zoo including critically endangered radiated tortoises, giraffes, zebras and various species of antelope. Solar and wind energy displays (summer, 2010) will provide power to the building, while educators and Zoo volunteers help visitors learn about renewable energy and stewardship important to people and wildlife around the world.

Big Bend For Teachers

Big Bend has a wealth of opportunities for teachers, scout and youth leaders. Whether you're planning a park visit for your students, looking for lesson plans or other resources to use in your classroom or home, or hoping to have a ranger visit, we've got it.

Think of your National Parks as off-site classrooms! There are many ways to utilize America's treasures as teaching tools. After all, we have "the real thing," and we love to work with you to teach students the importance of the special places we all work together to preserve and protect for the future. Learn More.

Education Programs Offered by CDEC Members and Affiliates

Teachers, civic organizations and members of the media will find a wealth of Chihuahuan Desert related programs and resources available from CDEC member organizations and individuals. Every year staff and volunteers present a wide variety of Chihuahuan Desert programs, many using live animals and PowerPoint presentations.

Learn more by looking over the information pages below:

Education Programs
Asombro Institute
El Paso Water Utilities
Tech H20
El Paso Zoo
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Need a program not found on one of the pages above? Contact Rick LoBello at lobellorl@elpasotexas.gov

GUIDED TOURS
at Franklin Mountains State Park

First and third weekend of every month at 9 am. For more information call 566-6441. $4 per person, 12 and under free. $60 Annual Pass covers entrance to all Texas State Parks.

In addition to the guided nature hikes, teachers may schedule educational field trips for their classes. Field trips cover topics ranging from water in the desert, animal adaptations to geology. Students will also have an opportunity to hike and experience the Chihuahuan Desert! Contact Kelly to plan your next field trip to Franklin Mountains State Park.

US Fish and Wildlife Department

Endangered Species Resources for Teachers and Kids

Video game takes kids outside

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is launching a new online video game aimed to encourage kids to go outside and learn about the environment. Designed for children ages 8 to 11 years old, Neighborhood Explorers is accessed through the Service’s Let’s Go Outside! website at http://www.fws.gov/letsgooutside/.

The journey through the game begins when you meet three children – Mia, Lucy and Steve – who gather in a tree house as the school year begins and talk about all the fun outdoor environmental activities they did over the summer. They form a Neighborhood Explorers Club, called the NX Club, and share information about planting gardens with native plants, backyard bird watching and urban wildlife. By exploring the tree house with your cursor, you can learn about endangered species, conservation heroes and threats to our natural world. Then you can play a fun jeopardy-style trivia game that tests your newly acquired environmental information in an entertaining and interactive venue.

Other activities include recording nature sightings in your own back yard, a race against time to find a missing praying mantis in the midst of an urban neighborhood, and identifying birds in a variety of habitats. When you finish a game, you can receive a gold, silver, or bronze patch, depending on how many points you score. Every game is a fun challenge as well as a valuable educational experience. You can also receive patches for documenting environmental projects and local wildlife, thus reinforcing the connection between the virtual and natural worlds.

When you’ve earned all five patches, you can receive a free tree from the Arbor Day Foundation! (A free membership to the NX Club is required so a record of your earned patches can be saved). After earning all five patches, you will be directed to the Arbor Day Foundation web site, where you can provide your name and address to get a free tree with directions for planting. There are only 450 trees available, so you should get started winning your patches right away!

Neighborhood Explorers provides an excellent educational opportunity for children and parents. By participating in this game, kids learn about nature and are encouraged to spend more time outside. Steve’s summer activity, for example, is simply exploring and observing nature. Children can also learn about problems that the environment is facing, such as pollution and invasive species, and discover ways to help solve these problems.

Unstructured play and discovery outside is an important part of childhood, and Neighborhood Explorers reinforces this through a medium that kids are familiar with: a video game. This is a great opportunity to show kids how caring about conservation and the environment can make a real-life difference in the world.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

We need you!
Become a CDEC Volunteer

CDEC and member organizations are always looking for new members and volunteers. Don't just sit there. Find out how you can use your talents and resources to help protect and education others about the Chihuahuan Desert. Contact member organizations or a members of the CDEC Board of Directors.

Speakers Bureau

Many members of CDEC are available for public speaking appearances For more information contact each speaker individually. If you are looking for a topic not listed below contact Rick LoBello at lobellorl@elpasotexas.gov.

Need a speaker for your next meeting or event? Contact CDEC members Diane Perez at 915-594-5615, Rick LoBello at 915-521-1881 or John Sproul at 915-747-8663. Members can speak on a variety of Chihuahuan Desert topics. If you would like to be added to this list contact Rick LoBello.

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