Yeah, when I used to see them in the winter, they were white.
They stood in their little perch looking at me.
And then I saw them last summer and I said, whoa, I didn't realize they changed color.
Yeah.
Kind of adjust to the season.
You give them names.
Echo and Luna.
You do.
That's right.
Echo and Luna.
We talked about them before.
Yeah, you give all your animals names.
All of them have a name.
Oh, that's kind of nice.
Yeah, somebody's got to give them a personality.
They can't have a number.
So Beth, high-dorn executive direct to the recene zoo is here.
The zoo is more than just animals and walking around.
You have a event list coming up.
You have it all year long.
A lot of events.
Who comes up with the ideas, do you?
I do mainly, but I've got a great staff.
We talk about it and sometimes guests say, oh, you should really do this.
Oh, okay.
We hadn't thought about that.
So sometimes those get added in as well.
Let's talk about one coming up this weekend.
Sip, sing, and safari.
Yeah, that's on Saturday.
May 30th.
Very excited about this.
We're partnering with Bucket's pub second round.
It is a sing-along brunch from 10 a.m.
until 130.
You have to sing.
You don't have to.
But I'll tell you.
That most people are going to be so energized that they're going to want to sing.
And it's just a super fun event.
I've been to a couple of them before.
And that's one of those that Buckets and us decided to do it at the zoo.
They do it at Buckets as well.
But we thought we'd do it at the zoo.
And it's going to be super fun.
We've got what's different about ours is everything is included.
It's not going to be an ola cart.
When you get there, it's an open bar.
You get the breakfast.
They're both cold side and a hot side of food.
You get to sing.
We've got a DJ.
We've got a MC.
You're right on Lake Michigan.
This is like a very high energy sort of way to start your Saturday.
So really excited to have it.
It's supposed to be nice weather.
So also very excited to have that.
So it's going to be super fun.
You need to get your tickets by noon tomorrow on Thursday.
Because that way we have time to get the amount of people that are coming.
So the caterer can judge the food and all of that kind of stuff.
And we can make sure it's all set up for the right amount of folks.
Now let's just say it won't.
But what if the weather is not perfect?
How do you handle that?
Go inside?
No, we have a tent.
Oh, you have a tent.
Oh, I know we have a tent.
Is it up there?
Right opposite.
The koan is amphitheater on that hill.
Yeah, well, that's the pavilion.
And then we'll add a tent if we need it.
It all depends on how many people.
But there is a tent that will be up there on Saturday.
See, I'm one of these people that sounds like Barney Fife
when he tried to sing on the end of Griffith's show.
That's that myself.
We do our events.
Rain or shine.
Oh, well, that's good.
Okay.
So that is sip, sing and safari.
Yeah, 30th, 10 to 130.
Get your tickets.
Now, there's another one.
If you missed that, there's another one of August.
There's another one of August on August 15th, huh?
Breakfast at the zoo.
This is coming up June 6th.
Yeah.
So that's going to be a fun one.
That's our great family activity.
We the the breakfastes and the brunches
that we do tends to be that family group.
Multigenerational families are coming out.
And so this way, it's from 9 to 10, 30.
And what's really nice is that you're coming into the zoo
before we open, because the zoo opens at 10,
you're going to hang out.
There's some animal ambassadors.
There'll be some crafts that the kids can,
you know, make and take with them.
And that's a great meal.
It includes your admission into the zoo that day.
So we do both members and nonmembers,
kids and adult prices.
And it's just a great way to start a Saturday by having,
you're going to you may go to breakfast anyway.
You might as well come to the zoo, support the zoo,
because all the dollars we raise comes right back into the zoo.
We reinvest in ourselves every day.
So the animals are watching everybody chow down
this delicious breakfast.
Say, heck on, we got tiger chow.
You kill me, don't kill me.
Okay.
So that's going to be of June 6th.
Yep. June 6th, huh?
And let's keep the Saturdays going.
Zuerific Saturday.
Yeah, that's on June 13th.
That one is a we're focusing on African Penguin Awareness Day.
So what we do with Zuerific Saturdays is we highlight
different animals that we have at the zoo on periodic Saturdays.
And we have keeper talks.
We have education doing activities.
There's crafts.
There's games.
And it's all hiding highlighting certain animals.
And that particular one is highlighting our African penguins,
which is also a safe species and safe stands for
saving animals from extinction.
Yeah.
So we're part of AZA, which is the Associate Association of Zues and Aquariums.
And years ago, they set up the first 10 safe species.
And African penguins was one of those.
So we were very, very fortunate to happen to have those animals at our zoo.
We're going to be highlighting that all day.
It is from 10 until five.
Come on out.
It's just value added.
So if you're coming out to the zoo anyway,
you get to learn a little bit more and highlight our African penguins.
The African penguin one is on June 13th.
June 13th.
And then later on, I see a world giraffe day, rhino day.
Yeah.
And what kind of bear is that?
That's an Indian bear.
Indian bear day.
And we just celebrated reptiles and amphibians last week.
Like Saturday.
Big cat day.
I know a big cat.
So yeah, that's going to be our lions and tigers.
Yeah, for sure.
An international orangutan day.
Yeah.
Now, this is one of my pet peeve.
People say, oh, it's a orangutan.
It's not.
I don't see a G in that word.
That's correct.
It's a ring of tan.
You've heard people say that.
I have a ring of tan.
Yes.
You correct them.
I do.
Good.
Good for you.
I do.
Good for you.
Don't let them get away with stuff like that.
Right.
That's zirifix Saturday.
And that goes right through the summer.
It does.
Yep.
Just pick a, there's different Saturdays.
You just have to go to our website,
recenezoo.org.
Do the drop down to get to under events
to get to zirifix Saturday.
And then you can see, you know,
maybe you've got a favorite animal that you want to come out and see
and come on that day that we're highlighting it.
The Arctic foxes.
We don't have an Arctic fox.
I know.
But we will look to do that next year.
When I was walking in the winter,
it was freezing outside and they took a look at them.
And they were just sitting there on their purge.
Yeah.
Look at it.
Me and they're comfortable in that temperature.
I don't know how, but even with penguins,
you see these stories about in the Arctic.
Well, it was 100 degrees below zero today.
The penguins are walking around like it's,
they were at the beach during the summer.
Right.
I don't know how they can stand those temperatures.
They're little birds.
But that was their home to be made for.
I know.
I just don't do it.
Mars are not.
Mars are African penguins.
So ours are do not go in in the winter time.
Most species of penguins are not cold water.
But those penguins up at the down of the Arctic circle.
Yeah, crazy, huh?
I don't know how they do it.
I saw that movie.
Remember the movie penguins?
It was out several years ago.
I do.
I don't know if I saw that though.
Yeah, it's just walking around like it's 120 below zero.
Yeah, I'm looking at the sun.
Yeah, it's a nice day.
I think I'll take a dip in the ice.
I don't know how they do it.
And you know, God made him the way they are and the way he did.
Yep.
Rhinos around for rhinos.
But we talk about that.
They're fast rhinos.
They're not still run.
Yeah.
I saw that movie hitari with John Wayne.
And that rhino was keeping up with their jeep at a high speed.
If you think you're going to walk up and now run those things,
you cannot outrun them.
They they're quick.
You know what they say?
If you were the friend,
just have to be quicker than your friend.
Okay, let's talk about a round for rhinos.
This is golf.
Yeah, so this is our annual golf tournament.
It is a nine hole course.
We tee off at two o'clock in the afternoon.
So most people, what works great is they can work all day.
Get through lunch.
Do their thing.
Come out and start registering at one o'clock in the afternoon.
T off time is two o'clock.
By seven o'clock, you can already be home.
So it's a it's a great golf tournament.
It's a way to sponsor and support the zoo.
But you don't have to go tee off at eight o'clock in the morning
and spend all day golfing,
although most people would like to.
So, you know, come on out.
It's really great.
We got wonderful sponsors.
Great swag bag.
We're at Meadowbrook Country Club.
So it's super fun.
And this is just one of our tried and true events.
We started this in COVID.
And we continue it every year round for rhinos.
Get your four sums scheduled in there.
Or just sign up for yourself or a couple people will
pair you up with some great people and have a wonderful day
on the golf course.
You had to play golf?
I do.
I know.
I tried to hold the golf club.
But we had a golfing event here once.
And I, the way you hold the golf club
is not like a baseball bat.
It's, and I couldn't, I couldn't grasp it.
No, I played putt putt golf.
I was very well.
I could do people.
Yes, I could do the windmill hole.
And I'm very good at that.
Super good.
And when you pull it and the ball goes down
and it all goes into the other floor,
I'm very good at that stuff.
Awesome.
But I can't, I can't hold the golf club
and swing it.
I just never mastered that.
Executive director of the recene zoo,
Beth Heidorn is here.
We're talking about all the events
coming up, not only the summer,
but in the next few weeks through June at the zoo.
I mean, you've got to feed the animals, man.
It's okay.
Yeah.
You know, I, I, I mentioned that to people.
This used to be free zoo years ago.
I think just when I came here,
out of the, how do you support the place
when it's a free zoo?
Well, there was much more financial support
from our landlord.
So then now when we don't have that,
you got to figure out ways to still feed the animals.
And you know, here's what I suggest you do.
Um, we have my wife and I used to get a, um,
a zoo membership.
We use it because we like to walk around the zoo.
We walk around the zoo.
And let's take that we like to.
We have to, I got you.
And it's six tenths of a mile in the path we do.
Do two of them.
You got one point two miles.
And I think it's like $50 or 60.
Well, I don't know what it is.
There's different rates from 60 all the way up to a thousand
depending upon what you want.
It's probably a ship package.
If you don't use it, it's a donation.
You get a nice plastic card.
You show there like, you know,
membership has its privileges and stuff like that.
So I suggest you do that.
And people can do that by showing up at the zoo or just online.
You can buy it online.
You can buy it at the zoo.
Yeah.
We just had member appreciation night last week.
We do that on an annual basis to thank all of our members.
And it was super fun.
I missed it.
I, well, you know, next year, I missed it.
I know you got to sign up for it.
It was a fun night.
I know, but fun.
Always really very chilly night.
We had, um, yep, it's, it was super fun.
Let's talk about our last event.
We're going to chat about chronicles at the zoo.
What's this one about?
So chronicles at the zoo.
So bourbon chronicles is an organization
that does monthly bourbon tastings
around, um, southeastern Wisconsin.
And then they pick a couple of non-profits
that they're going to support on an annual basis.
And we are one of those.
So on Saturday, June 27th from six to 9 p.m.
The guys, Tim, Ryan and Dan, um,
are, are supporters of this.
They will do a bourbon tasting at the zoo.
They'll be silent auctions.
They'll be live auctions.
It's a great fundraiser for us.
Again, it's people want to support the zoo,
but they may not be able to come every day.
They may not be able to golf,
but they would, they want to come and drink bourbon with us.
They may not be able to, uh, do brunch at the zoo,
but they want to come and drink bour-, you know what I mean?
So that's why we have such a diversity of events, um,
at the zoo to support everybody.
It's going to be a really fun event.
Um, a great meal, um, fun bourbon.
There's always some a few cigar smokers that are coming as well.
And it's just a great way.
And we really thank bourbon chronicles, uh,
for their support of, of the Racine Zoo.
And they, you know, when they're doing the auction, um,
Tim is, he's, he knows he's getting in people's wallets
to help raise the money for the zoo.
So it's very supportive.
And these are fundraisers because people don't realize
you have to have somebody there 24-7 to take care of the animals.
You have to have specialized veterinary care,
veterinary care, because the guy who takes care of you,
dog and cat, is not the guy you've got to use.
No, sometimes they are.
Sometimes we call another vets,
but, you know, we have specialty, um,
doctors that are coming in to do our dentistry for our animals.
We have an acupuncturist that does, um,
does one of our penguins really an acupuncture.
Yeah. So they have, we have really high-end,
level animal care, uh, for our animals, for our vet care.
Um, that's all part of AZA,
is which I said we are a member of that.
We're one of only 251 accredited,
organizations for zoos and aquariums in the country.
I am very proud of that, um, for the, you know,
5,000 places that hold animals.
We're 251 out of, for AZA.
And in a small town like we're seeing
to have an accredited zoo, which is super awesome.
There's five accredited zoos in the state of Wisconsin.
Us, Milwaukee County Zoo,
Henry Vilo Zoo out in Madison,
International Crane Foundation,
and the new zoo up in Green Bay.
So we are supported here.
It's fabulous.
I just, I love the fact we're all kindred spirits
within zoos and aquariums.
Let's talk about some of the new residents here.
We got some big horn sheep.
So we had two females come in, um,
Helga and Mantis, and they came in, um,
earlier this year.
I don't, didn't name these ones.
I did not name these ones.
It's all good.
And then, um, they're living on the mountains.
So we were able to modify the mountain,
um, to fit these particular animals.
So we've got big horn sheep.
So they came, they were in quarantine,
which you always have to quarantine an animal
for at least 30 days, uh,
before they go into their, um, new homes.
And, um, low and behold, one of them had a baby.
And that was a little boy.
And he just got named Cosmo, uh, the other day.
And then on the 20th, by the way,
it's the picture of Mondline.
Aren't they so cute?
And then that was Mantis.
And then Helga delivered her baby on the 20th.
And it is a little girl.
And so they're voting for the names right now.
And that goes through this Sunday.
So you have your chance to have vote for the names
that we have online.
There's three different names that you can choose from.
And then the winner of that,
then that baby will be named as well.
So big horn sheep are the largest sheep native
to North America.
And they're named for that large,
spiraled, um, horns on the males.
But we have two females and now two babies,
uh, one male and one female.
So we're very excited.
Plus we've got to re-energize the mountain,
which is on our south end of the zoo.
And it's not too far from our barnyard safari,
which has goats and our pigs are over there
and that type of stuff.
So the south end is now re-energized.
And the other day, the babies were
out running around, then they get the zoomies.
You know, they run around just like,
you know, the zoomies, I guess, is the new word.
Super cute.
And then they're starting to use the mountain,
which is also very exciting.
We have a pit bull that comes over,
starting April's dog every Friday.
Every Friday afternoon, he comes over
and let him run around the backyard.
Talk about the zoomies.
Yeah, he does.
And she does.
She gets his zoomies,
is running all the kicking up dirt,
because she never gets to go free.
It's the illusion of freedom.
But our backyard's all fenced in.
So she can run, she can't get out.
Yeah.
She tries to jump and try to get the squirrels
on the phone poles, but she ain't going to get them.
Oh, that's awesome.
Yeah, she tries.
She's one of these things I'm going to get them.
I still a quick review here of the events coming up.
We've got
Sipsing and Safari on Saturday, May 30,
10 to 130 tickets go off sale tomorrow at noon.
So please get your tickets.
It's awesome.
It's an open bar.
It's great food from Buckets Pub second round.
There's a DJ.
There's an MC.
It's going to be great, very high energy,
great way to start your Saturday.
Then we go into breakfast at the zoo,
which is much more of a family activity.
That is 9 to 10, 30 on June 6th.
It is also going to be great.
The kids get a great brunch while sort of the parents.
And then you get a hangout at the zoo,
see some animal ambassadors,
get your tickets for that as well.
Everything goes off sale approximately two days before the event
so that we can make sure we can get the right caterer numbers in.
Saturday, June 13th, we have a zirifix Saturday
highlighting African penguins.
And that is going to be going on all day from 10 until five.
Then we've got our golf tournament around for rhinos,
which is super, super fun.
That's at Meadowbrook and that is on Monday, June 22nd.
T off time is at two o'clock.
It is a nine hole scramble.
Super great.
We're getting our four sums.
Please make sure you get your four sum in.
We want to make sure that you can golf with us.
Support us for that.
Everyone always wins a prize.
And there's fun games on the golf course as well.
And last but not least,
we have our chronicles at the zoo,
which is Saturday, June 27th from six to nine p.m.
sponsored in part by bourbon chronicles,
which are taking care of us and doing all of the bourbon tasting.
Silent auction live auction.
Great way to support the zoo with bourbon tasting
and a great way to end the month of June.
Are you the mama of the zoo?
The animals treat you.
Sure.
Mama's coming.
Mama's coming.
I talk to the animals too.
So I would too.
Yeah.
I just thought it comes over.
I have conversations with you.
Look to me.
I don't know where's the tree.
She's listening to your voice.
She knows.
And then, of course, our wonderful new animals
are big horned sheep come and see them on the mountain.
And the babies are going to name them.
And the babies, the two babies.
Yeah, we got Cosmo and we'll know on Sunday
what the name of the little girl's going to be.
Okay.
Everything we talked about is online at
recceenzu.org.
If you want to do the events,
you go to events and do the drop down tab.
If you want to learn about animals and other things
or education or about us,
go to those tabs and do the drop down.
And if nothing else, get a zoo membership.
Get a zoo membership.
You get to support the zoo all year long.
And you can come every day of the year
except Christmas day.
The only day we're closed.
At the animal store.
At the animal store.
We're still working.
We never take a day out.
We are 24, 7, 3, 65.
Are you going to lose again this winter?
We are working on trying to figure out.
Yep, we will do something with them.
But we're going to revitalize a little bit.
So we'll see.
Okay.
I always got to reinvent ourselves.
What the penguins in there with the...
And there are two poll doors of African penguins.
Remember.
Okay.
Thank you, Beth.
Thank you.
Okay, that's recceenzu.org.
Recceenzu.org for everything we talked about today.
Beth, hi to an executive director.
The recceenzu.
It's right there on Main Street.
Stop by and go inside and get that zoo membership, too, right?
