Don't Forget the Great Lake Erie Boat Float Saturday!

The Great Lake Erie Boat Float (lakeerieboatfloat.org) will be held on Saturday, October 3, at the Lower Edgewater State Park Beach. The boat launch is scheduled for 9 a.m., rain or shine. Marcus Eriksen, visiting scientist, author and world traveler plans to sail Lake Erie on a raft made entirely of plastic bottles and bags called the COLA-HOGA! Zoo Crew decided to take on the challenge - check out their boat right here.

Read all of Don't Forget the Great Lake Erie Boat Float Saturday!

Sixth Annual Conservation Symposium at CMNH

You can register now for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History's sixth-annual Conservation Symposium, Ecology Underfoot: The Secret Life of Soil. This year's event will be held on Friday, September 11, and will feature morning and afternoon keynote addresses:
  • Jeff Lowenfels, author of Teaming With Microbes: A Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web, will reveal who's down there, who's eating whom and how plants manipulate other organisms' actions for their own benefit
  • Dr. Cindy Hale, author of Earthworms of the Great Lakes and Research Associate at the University of Minnesota, will present her research on exotic earthworm invasions and how these non-native invaders may be affecting other creatures that rely on the forest floor, such as ants, spiders, amphibians, mammals and ground nesting birds.

Registration information, fees and additional activities are listed at http://www.cmnh.org/site/Conservation/ConservationSymposium.aspx

The Great Lake Erie Boat Float is Saturday, October 3 at 9 a.m. Edgewater Park

The Great Lake Erie Boat Float will be held on Saturday, October 3 at the Lower Edgewater State Park Beach. The boat launch is scheduled for 9 a.m. rain or shine.

Marcus Eriksen, visiting scientist, author, and  world traveler, draws attention to the impacts of plastic waste on the world's oceans, lakes and rivers.  On Saturday, Oct. 3, he will set sail Lake Erie on a raft made of plastic bottles and bags called the COLA-HOGA!

The Cleveland Metroparks youth volunteers, the Zoo Crew, and the Sea Scouts have registered their homemade junk rafts too.  Join the fun!

To learn more, visit: lakeerieboatfloat.org
 
Contact Cathi Lehn, Conservation Program Coordinator for Biodiversity Alliance: phone: (216) 707-2826 or email: clehn@cbgarden.org.

The Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA): 'Celebrating a Decade of Primate Conservation and Rehabilitation'

The Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA) will stage the 10th anniversary PASA 2009 Management Workshop for the first time outside of Africa, from May 19-21 in Columbus, Ohio. As part of this historic meeting, the Columbus Zoo will present a public event at the Ohio State University Fawcett Center on May 21, 2009.

Read all of The Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA): 'Celebrating a Decade of Primate Conservation and Rehabilitation'

2009 NEO Environmental Awards: Call for Nominations

Biodiversity Alliance has just announced that nominations are now being accepted for the 2009 Northeast Ohio Environmental Awards. The awards program recognizes and honors the outstanding achievements of organizations, businesses and individuals in a wide range of environmental initiatives throughout the region and pays tribute to those that have demonstrated a commitment to environmental excellence, leadership and accomplishment in their respective fields. The awards are open to any group, program, organization, business or individual located and working in Northeast Ohio.

To learn more about the awards categories, how to nominate an individual or organization and view the awards recipients from 2007 and 2008, please check out their website at BiodiversityAlliance.org

A Rare Look at the Rarest Turtle

You may have heard about the mythically rare turtle that Cleveland Metroparks Zoo helped to rescue last week in Vietnam. Well, The Roar Report has some exclusive photos to share!

Read all of A Rare Look at the Rarest Turtle

2008 Grants Recipients Announced

Recipients of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo/Cleveland Zoological Society 2008 competitive grants program have been announced. The program supports wildlife conservation and research projects in North America (Small Grants), Latin America (Scott Neotropical Fund), Africa (Africa Seed Grants) and Asia (Asia Seed Grants). 2008 is the first year for the Asia Seed Grants program and the second year for the Africa Seed Grants program.

View the 2008 grant recipients:

The Smell of Spring at the Zoo

Once again, the question will be asked: what does the Zoo do with all the poo? We sell it, of course!  With the spring comes the first ZooPoo compost sale. Now is your chance to purchase a bulk scoop. Find out how.

Read all of The Smell of Spring at the Zoo

Start Leaping into Year of the Frog at Great Lakes Brewery

Join Kathy Krynak, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Amphibian Keeper, and Tim Krynak, Cleveland Metroparks Naturalist, on January 14, 2008 for Science Café Cleveland at Great Lakes Brewing Company. Kathy and Tim will be discussing the global amphibian crisis in two sessions, 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (details). Reservations are requested (information on how to reserve a spot). Amphibians all over the world are in grave danger of a mass extinction. Come learn what is thought to be causing the global mass extinction, why we should care about these rapid population declines, and what we all can do to help avert them.

Science Café Cleveland is a lively, informal scientific discussion in an inviting atmosphere of food and drink that takes place on the second Monday of each month at the brewpub downstairs at Great Lakes Brewing Company (2516 Market Ave, Cleveland).

Frog Hunter Discovers New Species

Kathy Krynak, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's amphibian keeper and part-time frog hunter, shared field notes with me from her most recent expedition, during which she traveled to Ecuador with a team of volunteers to conduct an amphibian survey of the land of Reserva Las Grelarias. The survey, sponsored by Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, appears to have uncovered at least three unknown frog species including the "Punk Rocker Frog" shown in the photo to the left. Read about the adventure in her Journal of a Frog Hunter.