What’s New at the Zoo?
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore has had a big year. Recently, in May and June, the zoo welcomed several new baby animals: a sitatunga calf, trumpeter swan cygnets and prairie dog pups. Sitatunga parents Ally and Beau introduced a female calf to the zoo’s herd of 12, located in two habitats along the boardwalk in the zoo’s African Journey. The species of antelope native to Central Africa lives in swamps, marshes and floodplains. Though tiny at birth, the trumpeter
swan hatchlings known as cygnets will soon join the ranks of the largest waterfowl species native to North America and the largest swan in the world, weighing up to 30 pounds! And the zoo’s black-tailed prairie dog pups, after spending up to seven weeks nursing in an underground nesting chamber, are now up and out of their dens.
Also significant for the zoo this summer is its new partnership with CFG Bank, the largest bank headquartered in Baltimore, which will aid conservation and research efforts through sponsorships of some of the zoo’s biggest events. The Maryland Zoo was also named “Employer of the Year” by The Arc Baltimore for hiring three full-time employees with developmental disabilities.
Up Next: Zoo Bop, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 3—a dance party for kids featuring Baltimore’s Beatbox Dads and Alex and the Kaleidoscope. Other fun on the schedule: a bubble show, food trucks, inflatables, photo ops with zoo mascots and animal ambassadors and all-day zoo admission.
Hooray for Henson
The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited, organized by the Museum of the Moving Image in New York, has made its way to Baltimore’s Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC), where it will stay through December 30 of 2023.
Families will no doubt recognize the name Jim Henson as the creator of the “Muppets,” a term he coined as a combination of marionettes and puppets, according to Encyclopedia Brittanica. Some of his most popular characters, including Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, have delighted kids and adults alike for decades.
Through this special exhibit, families can get to know the man behind the Muppets. Henson also shares a special connection to the region, having grown up in Hyattsville and attended the University of Maryland.
Up Next: Families can explore Henson even more through a special event on Sept. 17 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Ebony Sonshine Puppets will dive into the imagination of the Muppets creator through performance, followed by a closer look at the exhibit. The program is best for ages 3-6.
Student Changemakers Lead the Way
This summer, nonprofit Philanthropy Tank Baltimore gave several students the opportunity of a lifetime. Eighth graders from New Song Academy, in Baltimore, (Bmore Fresh), 11th graders from Eastern Technical High School, in Essex, (SparkED), an 11th grader from Wilde Lake High School, in Columbia, (Bmore Youth Notes) and an 11th grader from Roland Park Country School, in Baltimore, (The Environauts) were collectively awarded $37,000 and paired with investor-mentors from local organizations including the Baltimore Orioles and United Way of Central Maryland.
Student project goals ranged from eliminating food deserts to broadening academic opportunities to educating youth about conservation. Koryn Sanders, of Bmore Youth Notes, hopes to connect underprivileged youth with instruments and tutors for music programming.
“Music can change people’s lives,” Sanders says. “Music can help with depression and help bond and connect races and age groups.”
Over the course of a year, these students will have the opportunity to work toward their goals in partnership with their mentors. Applications for the next round of student changemakers open this fall. Learn more at philanthropytank.org.
