And of course, Happy Passover. I think it's the third night of Passover coming up. Happy Passover. It's a 707. And look who's your Beth Heidorn from the Racine Zoo. She caught me once she came and said, you said, no, you see what's
matter with you? Have you lost your mind? Are you crazy? Did you have some kind of accident? You hit your head? What's going on with you? Actually, wasn't that bad.
I thought it was nice about it.
Said, hey, stupid.
No, I did it. Beth Heidorn is here from the Racine Zoo. And the reason we bring her in, yeah, they got the animals. I think you have so many fun events at the zoo. It's like
it's like a family event thing. You just the animals are there. The zoo is like a regular zoo, but it's also a fun place with a lot of activities.
And let's get right into them because Saturday, you know, Easter Sundays coming up Saturday, the day before Easter, you've got the egg Stravaganza. Let's talk about that.
Yes, that is one of our wonderful tried and true events that we have. It's what I love about it is that it's multi generational groups that are coming out because people are visiting to see family. It's a holiday weekend. It's from ten until four.
The entire zoo is open. So we have clock clock doors, our version of an egg hunt. So we have six of those scattered throughout the zoo that the kids can go knock on the door, see a friendly volunteer that will hand them candy.
We've got a couple of little games for them as well. That will be handing out. We have 20 different business boosts and they'll be handing out either candy or pencils or something for the children. And of course they want the parents to
see what they offer as well. So it's a good marketing.
Candy and you know what we all got a market ourselves, right?
I know. And then we've got cookie decorating. We've got egg decorating. We've got excellent crafts for the kids. Of course, our wonderful zoo and word has it that the Easter Bunny is going to be making appearance again. He loves the Racine Zoo.
He's going to be taking photos for five bucks. Our train will be operating. We are getting into high season. This weather is fabulous.
It's just a great day. And we've got special pricing that day. Everybody gets in for the kid price of nine dollars. Two and younger is always free.
Of course, you'd be like me and just have a pass. Well, you could also do get. We membership are going out the door too as we speak because everyone's getting ready for summer and they all like to come to extra
nice easy pathway for folks to walk around. We get a lot of we have a lot of walkers every day. Yeah, and it is and people see walk outside walk inside. Yeah.
But it's very nice. And so that's why we got the past to stay alive. Stay healthy. And it's nice. And you can set your own track or whatever you want mine is the complete circle.
I think you said a six or seven tenths of a mile. Yeah. Six months of a mile. Yep. Okay. That's not that's not my phone. That's your computer. That's all right. That's all right. We allow for that.
We allow for people saying the walk is you by accident. We allow for things like this. Okay. So Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the eggs.
Stravaganza. Everybody gets in for how much again? Nine dollars. Nine dollars for that. Only lots of candy. Lots of booths. Lots of fun. Now the eggs are not going to be real eggs.
No, there's more candy that's going out. I mean, we've got some things that we've got candy inside some plastic eggs. We've got games inside plastic.
Wow. And I don't never know what the vendors are going to bring those business booths. Sometimes they have eggs. Sometimes it's just a.
Put your hand in here and grab some candy out. Everyone's a little different. We were at an event once where a helicopter came as dropping eggs out of the helicopter.
Hard boiled eggs. I've heard that before. But it's dangerous. Yeah. Not a head with a hard boiled egg. That's going to hurt. That does not sound good.
Who brings that lawsuit waiting to happen? Okay. So the eggs. Stravaganza this Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Party for the planet. All right. For the planet. Yeah. So we're really happy about the party for the planet.
We were able to secure a grant from A. Z. A. which is a association of zoos and aquariums. And we are one of I think there's 50 zoos that were able to secure some funding.
So we are able to kind of take our party for the planet on steroids. It's really that, you know, Earth Day is coming up on the 22nd.
So we are celebrating on the 26th, which is Saturday the 26th from 10 until 4. There'll be some craft stations. There'll be activities for kids.
We're going to be we've got some purple mountain houses. So we're going to be putting those up. Kids will be able to see just about everything out the zoo. Hang out. It's just a really great opportunity.
We've got a beach cleanup. That's all part of that as well. That's on May 10th. And then we've got our purple nesting boxes that are going to be between May and August.
We're going to be monarch butterfly tagging this year as well. And then we do that well, very carefully.
So my staff will they'll they'll get them in a net. And then there's little baby. Believe it or not, little baby trackers so that we can track them.
What do you put them on?
Oh, their legs to their back on their back. They're legs are like little sticky pins.
Yeah. My staff is going to be doing that. They're amazing. So it's all our education. This is all run by education.
I want to track them on a computer. You see where they go. That's fascinating migration. Yeah. And monitoring and see where they're at.
Doesn't the tracker hold them down? I mean, it's not that heavy. No, it's not. It's going to be very exciting. I wouldn't want to track her alive.
We'll talk about it when we get closer to August.
Now, I remember the first earth day. It was done by Wisconsin, Senator Gaylord Nelson.
Gaylord Nelson started it here in Wisconsin. And it was the first first earth day. It was 1970. I think it was the first one.
And I was in high school. He has now people who kind of do my age, let's get moldy. Wow.
And we had class under the trees. It was a nice day. Everybody's had their classes on outside on the grounds.
And we had a big assembly on the inside. People talking about the planet. It was the first one. It was really nice.
And yeah, I brought up their schoolbooks outside and all the classes with the entire school are under different trees.
Yeah. It was kind of nice. It was the first earth in 1970. And luckily we kept the tradition going every April 22nd.
And you on May 11th. Party for the planet. Party for the planet on May 11th is actually Mother's Day.
Mother's Day branch. Party for the planet on the beach clean up as May 10th the day before Mother's Day.
Kind of. We're going to get all we're going to get all the space ready for mom.
You got to work. You got to work a little bit. So you take care of your mom on the 11th.
You know, and during Earth Day, people were doing that. They were cleaning up streets. They were cleaning up the sides of the roads.
Yeah. They were doing all that stuff. And they still do it to some degrees on Earth Day.
Well, it's pretty, I mean, our beach cleanup, I mean, there's, that's national. I'm an international and we'll collect it.
We actually document what things were taking off the beach. You know, what was this many plastic bags? It was this many cigarette butts. It was this many whatever.
It's many dollar bills and coins. And you, that's not what we're finding, unfortunately.
And then that way it's tracked throughout the, you know, country and everything. So people really are seeing what's out there so that we can, you know, prevent that in the future.
We need people to become stewards of this planet. We got one planet that's right. You got one if you screw it up.
There's nothing else close that we can go through yet. At least anyway, that is correct.
Beth Hyder is here from the Racine Zoo. We're talking about all the events coming up.
We've got more to chat about in just a moment.
Beth Hyder from the Racine Zoo is here. We're talking about all the events coming to the zoo this Saturday from 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m. I guess you're just tuning in. The eggs, Stravaganza, nine bucks. Everybody gets in nine bucks a piece and beat that price.
Party for the planet. May 11th, which happens to be Mother's Day, 11 a.m. to 12 30 p.m.
In a celebrating mom and also the planet Earth, which is kind of nice mother earth.
Look at this. We're coming up on May 17th Bloody Mary Fest. Now, I know I think I know what this is. So what you just confirmed.
I think it is. Why don't you tell me what you think? I think it's Bloody Mary drinks. Oh my gosh. You are so smart.
I've never had one. You've never had Bloody Mary. Never had a beer. Never had a cigarette. Never had a cup of coffee.
Oh, well, good thing. I don't have to share my coffee.
No, I have to share me. I love the smell of coffee. Just never tried it.
Yeah. So Bloody Mary Fest is Saturday, May 17th from 11 to 2.
We get local establishments, bars and restaurants that will come out if everyone claims they make the best Bloody Mary.
So put your money where your mouth is. We got buddies vodka is our vodka sponsor.
So the competitors just need to bring their mix and whatever garnish they would like to have on there.
We have celebrity judges, which we're working on securing those.
They get a vote for their favorite Bloody Mary. They get some beer because Midwest has beer backs as part of your Bloody Mary.
You want a little chaser?
So how many Bloody Mary's are people going to drink anywhere from 10 to 12?
There's alcohol.
But there's samples. Yeah, of course, but there's samples. It's not like we're giving a gallon, 10 gallon per person.
So there's samples. It's sample. Yeah, there's sample. 10 to 12.
Like the little stuff at the, when you go to the dancers, the wrist and rinses and spits.
Just a smidge, smidge bigger than that because we're going to make sure there's room for the ice.
And then there's food included. And it's, and that's done by a bucket second round this year.
So it's really great tickets are selling. We have a lot of good followers for that particular event.
We've been doing it for the last several years. And it's just, it's a great day, 11 to 2.
And then people go off and about still have a full day of doing whatever else they want to do.
They do like a weather dance the day before just to make sure the weather's nice.
I do not do a weather dance. I just hope to hope the heck that we're doing good.
And we've learned the right to have great weather. But we do our events rain or shine.
So just remember for everybody who's praying for sunshine is somebody praying for rain for their crops.
That is true. In the rain on it, it can stop raining at 6 a.m. that day.
And it can start back up. Let's see 230. And that'd be fine. There's always someone working against you.
That's true. I give it. I get it. All right. Let's talk about our next one.
Now this one I love summer camp and holiday week camp. This is something I would love to do.
Yes, except I don't like the outdoors. But anyway, other than that, it would work out perfect. Let's talk about this.
Right. So summer camp. But I love about summer camp is we have camp for age three to kids going into seventh grade and everything in between.
So a family that might have a first grader and a fifth grader, they can still come to summer camp the same week.
So it really works out very well for the parents this year.
We did a little bit differently. So we've got morning camp and we've got afternoon camp.
However, a family can sign up for both a morning camp and an afternoon camp.
We watched the kids during lunchtime. The kids just bring a snack lunch and we take care of them the entire day.
We've got early drop off to take care of parents who need to go to work early.
And we've got late pickups so that we can accommodate all the parental schedules or whoever is there.
Whether it's grandparent or somebody picking the kids up.
And there's tons of different topics. Everything matches the local national local state and national science standards.
But it's fun. It's edutainment. So the kids get to learn. They get to go through all the zoo. They get to see all the different animals.
They get to see the animal ambassadors. They are making crafts. They are having a good time with the different keepers.
It's just a really fun. Really great safe place for kids and parents love that about our summer camps.
You know, when I was a little tight, they all the kids in the neighborhood went to day camp, not sleep-boy camp, but day camp.
And the bus had picked them up. My mother once said to me, do you want to go? And I said, no.
Because I'm just not an outdoorsy. At that day, it was about eight and nine years old.
And they used to come back every afternoon at five, six o'clock and talk about their great day.
I was going to sorry I didn't go, but I kind of didn't want to go. And I regret it today.
But I went to summer school, which was at the grammar school. You get to play outdoors, make crafts.
But it wasn't the same as them going up to the mountains for the afternoon for the day every day.
I kind of felt bad that I didn't go. Maybe I'll go to this.
We start June, June 16th after school is out and you come for a week.
It's awesome. And then we have families that will sign their children up for two, three, four weeks coming.
I mean, everyone's got to figure out what to do with their kids if they're working parents and working grandparents and all of those types of things.
So it works out great. Lots of different themes. So we hope everyone comes out, get your registrations in.
We don't want that week to close on you. So now I feel bad that it can go.
You bring it back bad vibes. Well, I'm sorry. That was not my intent today.
Yeah, I kind of felt bad now that it didn't go because I think about all day long I had nothing to do.
And my mother said, you know, you want to go, we want to tack a push or preserve, which was.
It was everything was, you know, in the Native American on where I lived.
And this was the tack of push, you preserve and you went into the museum building that tons of stuff.
And then you took the pathway, which I thought was the wilderness turned at the highway was on the other side of the trees.
But so we used to go to try to keep me busy while the kids were a camp all day.
Right, right. And I felt bad. I should have gone to camp. Now I go to this one.
Okay. So summer camp is begins June 16th goes all the way through mid August.
K through seven and you have ages three through four camps.
Well, that would be fun. We have camps all day long for the different grades.
And then during during holiday week, which is the fourth of July week, not everyone travels that week.
And so we still wanted to have some opportunities. So you could sign up for a day.
You could sign up for a half a day. And clearly we're not going to be operating camp on the fourth of July.
But there are there is holiday camp week as well for people that are still working and are not taking that off as a vacation week.
So the animals react all the fireworks and noise. They get spooked by that stuff.
No, not really. The animals that we have have been at our zoo for several several years.
So they don't think about it. They're all back of house. We put them back of house.
Just like I do for my dog, I'll put some music on. So they the least amount of time that they can hear it.
The better. So you're a dog Benadrill.
Oh, yeah. He was he was out of it. I mean, he couldn't he would hide. He would cry.
And he would be hiding pushing himself closer to the wall.
And I felt terrible that the vet said, give him a small piece of Benadrill, just a calm death.
Yeah.
So this other dog a pitful we have come over every week just to, you know, because we love dogs.
He has to do the same thing on the fourth of July. He got to give this dog a little Benadrill because the dog starts crying.
And they go crazy and they're trying to hide and there's nowhere to hide.
Yeah.
And they're trying to get on their things and hide. And I feel terrible for them.
Luckily, we don't have a lot that shoot off fireworks right around. And we're we've got neighboring people.
So it's very nice that they are not shooting off fireworks right next to our.
I know your neighbors. They shoot.
I know everybody.
You know the neighbors.
I know your neighbors.
All right, all right.
All right, Beth.
Hi, Dornis here from the Racine Zoo. We're talking about all the events coming up.
In case you're just tuning in, we'll give a recap. Don't worry. We're not going to let you forget about these.
You're going to be able to hear them on the podcast.
Beth, high door is here from the Racine Zoo. And from the category of Donna's and idiot.
I actually made a mistake in the past and last half hour.
Beth won't call me an idiot, so I'll do it.
We had two events party for the planet and Mother's Day.
I kind of combined them by accident.
So party for the planet.
Let's review that.
That is coming up on that is on Saturday, April 26th, which makes sense because Earth days the 20s on the 22nd.
22nd, so it makes sense.
But I didn't do that.
I didn't make sense of it.
So anyway, so okay, so party for the planet.
Let's and we're going to the review of all these in just a minute here.
And then Mother's Day brunch is coming up on actually Mother's Day, which is Sunday, May 11th.
And that is from 11 to 1230.
It is booking really quickly now.
So people, you got to take care of your mom.
So don't forget to book a brunch or do something.
We've got Ivan Ho is doing their the food this year.
Oh my gosh, it was amazing last year.
I know it's going to be amazing again this year.
The kids going to make crafts for their mom.
And we have coffee tea and all of that and unlimited mom moses for the moms so that they can have a little bit of that.
Some bloody Mary's and I know you don't drink a bloody Mary, but some of the people here in the city of Racine do.
So we'll have those as well.
And there's crafts and games for the kids and it's just a really nice way to celebrate your mom.
Mom's get a flower when they walk in a beautiful rose from Miller's Flowers.
So we're excited about it.
It's a great day.
It's always been a great day.
Now we did a story recently about moms keep these Mother's Day crafts their entire life.
They never throw them out.
I made my dad something for Father's Day in kindergarten and there's a long time ago.
And I made him we brought in juice cans.
The concentrated juice cans.
I don't know if they even have many more, but they have the concentrated juice cans.
You brought a juice can in and you wrapped it in felt you glued the felt on and then you cut out other felt in different colors.
I made a picture of I don't know what was, but it was either me or my dad.
I don't know.
I don't know.
He's you know six years old.
What are you doing?
So I made that for my dad and I gave to him for Father's Day.
That was back in nineteen.
I don't know if they had a date, nineteen sixty.
And that stood on his desk at his company.
And he went from building to building to building within the company.
And it was always on his desk until he retired in the seventies.
Now actually the eighties he retired, I think.
And that was on his desk and he brought it home from his office.
And he kept pencils on there.
Now here's a huge desk.
Big clients coming in spending lots of money with the company.
And there was that juice can but the felt sitting on the desk.
After he passed away, my parents moved.
I got ahold of it and it's sitting on my dresser now.
And my dad had that on his desk for his entire from sixty on up to the eighties for twenty some odd years.
And I went and went to visit him once.
I said, Dad, do you still want this on your desk?
He goes, you made it for me, didn't you?
Right.
I said, one guy.
Right.
That was special special that you made it for him and he loved you.
So.
It just looked odd.
Sitting on it.
But anyway, so I'm going to the point is the crafts that kids make for their moms and that they hold onto these.
They do.
They do.
I still have my my daughter and kindergarten made a handprint.
They got a piece of burlap and they made a handprint.
Mm hmm.
Still have it.
Yeah.
Exactly.
Because you love her.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, I love.
She's in her forties now.
I talk to her every day.
Anyway, yeah.
And I I reminder that I still have all your things you made for us.
I never threw them out.
Because it was special.
Yeah.
All right.
So, okay.
So that the correction is party for the planet is on April 26th.
Yep.
And the Mother's Day brunch is on Mother's Day Saturday.
No, Sunday.
May 11th.
Sunday.
I'm looking at the wrong date here already.
Sunday.
Sunday, May 11th.
Sunday, May 11th.
It's okay.
It's a Monday for you.
Okay.
Sunday, May 11th.
Yeah.
Now, one on the note here.
The biggest phone day.
According to the phone company.
Ever is Mother's Day.
I believe it.
Father's Day is like 7th or 8th on the list.
Why is that?
Why is Father's Day?
Way down on the list.
Mother's Day is number one.
Because we always call our fathers every day.
Because something might be wrong in your house when you need some advice.
You know, so it's maybe multiple times.
I don't know.
And you heard this story.
I think a 94 year old and 97.
I think it was 94 year old.
A Galapagos tortoise, which is huge from the Galapagos Islands.
It's huge.
It's been at the Philadelphia Zoo since 1932.
So a long time she's been there.
She's seen generations of people come and go to take care of her and see her.
She became a mother for the first time last week.
At the age of 94 years old.
They had two little baby Galapagos turtles.
Really cute.
She is huge though.
I mean, that person standing next to her.
It's really.
You can get to see how big she is.
But at 94, so there's hope for everybody.
If she can have two babies at 94.
But really got me what she's been at the zoo since 1932.
She can live to 150 years old too.
She's out living generations of people that work there.
They're coming gone and she's still there.
Right.
What she's saying.
Nature's amazing.
Isn't that.
Do you have any old animals at the zoo?
Well, we certainly don't have any that old.
No, but we had Yule who was our white-handed given.
He was 58 when he passed last year.
Well, he outlived his counterparts in the wild by over 20 years.
Whoa, it is.
Yes.
You know, I feel bad for dogs because dogs have a short shelf life.
And when you get a dog, you're talking 12, 13, maybe 14 years.
Rarely it's older, but sometimes it's it's not.
So when you get a dog, you know you're going to have to say goodbye to that dog.
And I've had seven dogs and each one I had to say goodbye to.
So this time we rent a dog.
We have our neighbor's dog.
And she's four years old so she's got a long life ahead of her.
Okay.
Enough with that.
Let's talk about another item on the list here.
It's all in for the animals.
Now, this is a fundraiser.
It is.
It is our spring appeal.
We are very blessed to have rude family foundation as our matching grants.
So up to the first $5,000.
They are matching that gift.
It takes a lot of money to feed our animals, to take care of our animals.
And we always need much needed funds for that.
Not everything is covered.
So we've got to raise funds every year.
And there's there's different ways you can contribute.
Every dollar counts, every nickel counts at the zoo.
So say for 25 bucks that will feed two zebras or two zebras for three days.
$100 feeds our armor tiger for a week.
And everything in between.
So it doesn't really matter how much you give.
It's that you're giving from your heart.
And I know that you have supported the zoo in the past with with donations.
So if we can get that first $5,000, rude family foundation is going to match that.
So it's really great.
And this is a really good time to well, you might not visit the zoo.
We have members of our zoo that don't even live in the state anymore.
But still be members because we we mean that much to them.
And we have reciprocity at other zoos.
So every zoo does spring appeals.
Just happens to be for the month of April.
So get those dollars in.
I will. You know what?
I want to soak root company for a lot of money.
I wanted to match that.
Okay.
Let's get that.
I'm going to make him pay up with the money where their mouth is.
Okay. Good. That's excellent.
No, they're very helpful for us.
And they're just wonderful sponsors.
And we've got some really cool stories on the website at recinesoo.org.
Go to all in for the animals.
And you can just see some of the different things that we're talking about.
So it's every dollar counts, every nickel counts.
Now if somebody wants to get a, I don't think my wife is the one who bought the,
the passes.
I don't know how she did it.
Yes. So how did she do that?
You go online and it says support us.
You can go to membership.
You can either renew your membership, which is what you would be doing now
because you have one or you can buy a new one.
We get a lot of people that give those as gifts for birthdays,
for Christmas, for Easter coming up and put that in there.
It's a really reasonable cost.
It's anything from $50 to a thousand pending upon.
What kind of membership you would like.
And you happen to have a one plus one,
which means you're, you can either bring a person with you.
You could, your wife could bring a person with her or you could both go together.
It's a one plus one.
So that way, maybe she's got a friend in town that she wants to go take a walk around the zoo.
You happen to be working.
She could do that.
Maybe like some boyfriend.
Oh, stop it.
No, you're a dog.
A friend.
Oh, friend.
Okay.
Yeah.
So that's what this is.
Yeah.
And we have different options.
A one plus one.
All the way up to, you know, we've got some businesses that get memberships.
We've got folks that just want to get different perks.
And the perks go up as you change the membership type that you want.
Did you get them in person?
You can get them in person up at the front gate,
or you could get them a person at our admin office,
which is at the corner of Golden Michigan,
or you can do it right online.
If you just want to use it for walking, you know,
just get some exercise, walk around there.
It's a nice walk.
Nice walk.
Not too hilly.
Not too hilly.
And we get, we get stroller moms,
and we get senior groups that come in.
It's just a really, you know, you're safe.
You're inside the zoo,
and you get to see really cool animals.
You know, yesterday I was at the market theater watching the chosen.
And we sit way in the back.
So we get a good view of the screen.
It's getting like you need a Sherpa to help you up those steps now
to get to the top h row.
I'm walking up.
I need like base camp.
You're rocking.
I'm going to start walking.
I'm walking up.
You can come every day.
I'm huffing and puffing.
People look at it.
I mean, I said, I'm just setting up camp here.
I'll be up in a little bit from now.
Beth Hydorn is here.
She is the executive director of the Racine Zoo.
We're talking about all the events.
If you missed any, we're going to go over the list in just a moment
here.
Plus you can check it out at Racine Zoo.org.
Or just listen for the podcast to be up in a few days.
We'll review it there too.
Beth Hydorn, the executive director of the Racine Zoo is here.
Is there somebody in charge of putting all these events together?
It can't be just you.
It's got to be a whole team of people, right?
Well, there's a few of us.
We're not a large.
We're a small, but mighty little zoo.
So my operations manager, Chris,
our marketing and public relations manager, McKenna,
and myself really are the ones that plan all the events.
And pull them off.
And pull them off.
Well, we have to.
Someone's got to do it.
The animal's got to get fed.
So that is just a part of my task.
Yeah, people think, well, you close down for the winter.
No, we don't.
Close down for the winter.
And animals still need to eat in the winter time,
even if guests aren't coming in.
And they need medical care.
And they need medical care, exactly.
They have animal physicals.
They see a dentist.
They everything that we would do.
We take care of our animals to the gold standard
because we are credited by AZA,
the Association of Zoos and Aquariums,
one of 251 Zoos and Aquariums accredited in the country.
Look at that.
Like the sealant were like the good house.
It is.
You know it.
You know it.
You know it.
You know it.
We're very proud of that.
One more event before we do the review.
The spring cleanup days coming up.
Yes, it's actually this Thursday on April 17th
from nine until three.
We partner with Steins Garden Center.
And they bring a group out from their Racine Store.
And from their Racine Store.
Go ahead.
From their Racine Store and their Kenosha Store.
And then we have volunteers that come out and help garden.
They help pick up trash.
That we just kind of get everything ready for spring,
which will be right in time for extravaganza on Saturday.
It's going to be a.
So where if you want to help us out,
you can email us at infoatracineso.org.
If you need any other information,
we already have a couple of corporate groups
that are coming out because almost all corporations now
in the area have community service hours for their staff.
So that will be great.
You're going to get outside.
You're going to hang outside all day.
It's supposed to be about.
Upper 50s, low 60s on Thursday.
So it should be a really great day to help us out.
You may not be able to give us a dollar.
But if you can give us a couple hours of your time,
it's great.
Nine to three.
If you can give us an hour.
Great.
If you can give us all six.
Great.
We'll make sure we take care of you once you get out there.
And it helps beautify the zoo.
If you used to go after the 4th of July on North Beach,
it was a mess there on that hill because people
had just normally pigs and slabs.
But anyway, she used to go the next morning
and clean up the hill with the leaves.
They used to go down there.
It was like a like a wall of people.
Yeah.
Just walk it down.
You bet.
And she used to clean it up.
She used to all that stuff.
Yeah.
And I just never did.
I said, I'm sleeping late.
I'm not going outside.
But anyway, you're right.
This is a good thing to do is you've got to clean it up
because this is our planet.
This is our zoo.
Think about what you're doing to your yardage in the house.
Yeah.
What needs to be done, you got to clean up from winter
and that's what we need to do.
And we're going to do it this Thursday on the 17th.
Not only that is, but we live on Main Street.
And people just throw their garbage all over the street
when they're walking back from the convenience store.
My son wants time that he says,
when you walk back from the convenience store,
you get to our house.
That's when they finish their bag of chips and their soda.
And they just throw them.
So my wife was out there cleaning up the street
in front of our house because they just throw their garbage there.
Right.
People need to be stewards of the planet.
Yeah.
Take care of where you live.
So that's when clean up days.
Not rocket science.
No, it's not.
I don't know why you just throw a bag of your empty bag on my lawn
and mic that out.
Anyway.
So that's coming up Thursday the 17th.
It's from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
So kind of chisel out of an hour or two to bend over.
I think at my motoring, if I do that, I'm going to bend over a lot.
And dress for getting dirty.
And we'll have some garden gloves.
But you're welcome to bring your own garden gloves along as well.
Let's do the review because people are just tuning in and out in the morning.
Sure.
And maybe they're just waking up.
And I was like, what am I talking about?
We got to clean up with those all of that.
I thought this is always fun.
Anyway, it is fun.
It is.
So let's talk about this Saturday again.
We'll just quick review these.
The egg strap again to this Saturday because Easter is April 20th.
Is this late for Easter?
It's usually the latest Easter can be.
Next year, I think it's the last Sunday of March.
So it always happens during Passover.
We're in the middle of Passover.
Obviously it's the last supper.
Yep.
This is always the Saturday before Easter.
It's Saturday the 19th from 10 to 4 extravaganza.
It is for all ages.
It's a special price.
Everyone gets in for the kids price of $9.
Two and younger is always free.
Bring your own Easter basket.
There are clock clock doors.
There's cookie decorating.
There's crafts decorating.
There is egg decorating.
The Easter bunny will be there.
The train is running.
It is spring.
It's bring your family.
Bring your friends.
It's going to be a really great day.
You're right unlike Michigan.
Who doesn't want to come to the zoo and see our amazing animals?
Oh, and by the way, they see the Easter bunny at the same time.
Now, this is not a real bunny.
This is not-
No, it's the actual Easter bunny.
Oh, it's the actual one you got all of.
Yes, we got that.
Oh, he loved it.
Alright.
That's good.
Alright, we got the real one.
That's Saturday.
This Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
$9 per person gets you right in there with all the fun.
If you want to get in, there's no charge.
There's no charge.
There's no charge.
Well, other than you, if you want to fold it with the bunny,
because he is coming early and then the train.
Other than that, come on in.
Now, let's get this right.
The party for the planet is April 26th.
That is correct.
It's just a few days after Earth Day.
It's our celebration of Earth Day.
We were fortunate enough to get a grant from AZA,
which is the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
So we're taking a little bit on steroids.
It's a great opportunity for kids to come out and learn
about how to be stewards of the planet.
As we were talking about earlier, and it's value added.
So once you get into the zoo, what's happening at the zoo
on that day?
You get to participate in everything.
And see our wonderful animals.
Every time somebody says at the zoo,
I was thinking that I'm going to go our fungal song.
You said it three times at the zoo.
And then it's all happening at the zoo.
I do believe it.
I do believe it.
Maybe you can play that song the next time I'm here.
That's right, Ken.
I'm going to.
All right.
I was going to play it this morning,
but we're a little out of it this morning.
Yeah.
Okay, so now we got Mother's Day brunch.
It's coming up on Mother's Day Sunday, May 11th.
Yep, from 11 to 1230.
Get your ticket soon.
People are buying them already.
Moms get greeted with a flower.
The kids get to make crafts for their mom.
As we talked about, every parent keeps the crafts their kids make.
It's great.
Ivan Hoses doing the brunch this year.
Fabulous food.
We have unlimited mom moses.
And some bloody marries for the moms.
It's a great day.
Multiple generations will come out.
And people get to celebrate their mom,
because who doesn't want to celebrate their mom?
And this is a great opportunity at the zoo.
And you're right on Lake Michigan,
so who doesn't want to do that?
And of course, our wonderful animals.
Now, if your mom lives on the other side of the country,
you could fly her in for the event,
which would be nice.
You absolutely could.
Or you can call us at your phone.
Mother food is great.
I wish you were here.
Are you out of taste for mom?
We're eating it.
We're eating your portion too.
This is great.
My wish you could be here.
They could FaceTime mom.
Yeah.
FaceTime mom.
You look at all the stuff you're missing mom.
Exactly.
All right.
Because I was a lousy son.
They didn't fly in.
Okay.
That's what is bloody Mary fest.
Yes.
That Saturday, May 17th from 11 to 2.
People will get to taste anywhere
from 10 to 12 bloody marries.
And if you want to be a competitor,
those people that believe they can make the best bloody Mary,
you are welcome to.
What is that?
What's in a bloody Mary?
I don't know.
Bloody Mary is going to be.
It's a tomato based mix.
With different spices in it.
And then your liquor is vodka.
And then people garnish that.
And you know, you think we're not the ones
that are going to make the bloody Mary
where you've got like a whole chicken hanging out of it.
But sometimes the garnishes get very creative with our group.
Don't they have like a celery stalk?
Yeah.
Okay.
Really a celery stalk?
A pickle maybe?
Something like that.
You know, I've never had a pickle in my life.
I've never had, I've never had to make a juice in my life.
I've never tasted it.
Well, then you're missing out because I love bloody Mary.
Obviously.
That's all good.
I'm just not eating that.
But if you want to be a competitor, you can go to info
at recineso.org.
Send us a note.
We'll put you up.
We've had a lot of people that are don't own bars or restaurants
and they still compete.
It's perfect.
Food competition to the biggest thing going now.
That's true.
People eat 67 hot dogs and Nathan's and Coney Island.
67 hot dogs.
No.
Thank you.
Wow.
What's going on?
Bloody Mary Fest instead.
Here's the one I would do.
I wish I was young where I could take care of it.
Do this summer camp and holiday week camp.
This just sounds like a lot of fun.
Yep.
Camp starts June 16th for kids age three to kids going into seventh grade
and everything in between.
The kids that are three and four year olds,
they usually, they're just go from nine to noon.
But the other kids go all day.
You can sign up for just a morning shift.
Just in case you, your kids in some baseball
or something in the afternoon or you could sign up for just the afternoon
or you could come all day.
We watch your kids program.
It's great.
We've got amazing instructors.
And the kids get to go all around the zoo.
Learn about everything.
Some of the older kids get to meet me and we hang out.
And we talk about running a zoo.
So if I ran a zoo, then I talked about that.
And it's great.
We love those.
Love the kids.
It's a great, safe opportunity.
Edutainment for the kids.
Meeting the state.
Local and national science standards.
You make up that word.
Edutainment.
Edutainment.
Edutainment.
Edutainment.
Edutainment.
Edutainment.
Edutainment.
Edutainment.
Edutainment.
I did not.
I just use it from other people.
I've been in this business for over 40 years.
It's been a long time.
It's a good word.
Edutainment.
I may steal it from you.
Okay.
All in for the animals.
It is our spring fundraiser because it takes money to feed our animals
and take care of our animals.
And that just doesn't come off money tree.
So this is our spring fundraiser.
I wish I had a money tree.
The Drew family foundation is our sponsor this year.
And up to the first $5,000 gets matched by the Root Family Foundation.
We are incredibly grateful for their continued support.
They always support this one here in the spring.
It doesn't matter if it's a nickel.
It's $5, $50, $500.
Every nickel counts at the zoo because we have amazing animals
and we want to take care of them with the gold standards of AZA accreditation.
And it is just a great opportunity to help the zoo.
And so go on to website recinesoo.org and you can find our donate buttons.
And finally coming up April 17th Thursday will be spring cleanup day.
Yep.
This Thursday the 17th from 9 to 3.
We're partnering with Steins Garden Center.
They come out and help us.
We're going to be doing a bunch of gardening from the front entrance all the way through the zoo.
Trash pickup.
We're going to get everything cleaned up.