National Zoological Park
Celebrate Earth Day on the National Mall!
Earth Day is over the hill. That's right, the holiday that shakes us into eco-consciousness every April turns 40 this year—so of course some serious celebration is in order! Here is a listing of special events happening on the National Mall through the weekend to help you get in touch with Mother N...
April 22, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
What Are You Doing for Earth Day?
When Sen. Gaylord Nelson organized the first Earth day on April 22, 1970, nearly 20 million Americans joined the cause, holding rallies and planting trees with the hopes their efforts would inspire federal action.It worked: In the year that followed, the government created the Environmental Protect...
April 14, 2010 |
By Erica R. Hendry
We Shall Call Him (or Her) ... Octavius!
The votes in a poll to name the National Zoo's new giant Pacific Octopus are in, and there is a clear leader among them: Octavius.During the past two weeks, the poll drew 7,050 visitors, who voted on a name for the animal from a list of four possible names generated by zoo staff and volunteers.When...
April 07, 2010 |
By Erica R. Hendry
Events: Easter Monday, Guitar Workshop, Earth Day and More!
Monday, April 5: Easter MondayEaster Monday at the Zoo has been a long standing African American family tradition in Washington, DC. The day is rife with food and activities, which include an Easter egg hunt, crafts, live musical entertainment, and of course, lots of opportunities to get to know th...
April 05, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Is the Zoo's Giant Panda Pregnant?
Springtime and our thoughts turn to progesterone. As every panda watcher knows, this is the time of year when we all wait with bated breath to see if the Zoo's female giant panda is pregnant. And the only way to know for certain that she is, would be the birth of panda cub 40 to 50 days from now.To...
April 01, 2010 |
By Beth Py-Lieberman
Spotted: Kiwis Born at the National Zoo
During Tuesday's early morning hours, a kiwi was born at the National Zoo. This kiwi birth is only the fourth in the Zoo's history, but keepers also had another reason to celebrate: the species, the brown kiwi Apteryz mantelli bird, is one of the most endangered animals on earth.Unlike other birds,...
March 31, 2010 |
By Erica R. Hendry
What's in A Name: National Zoo Asks You To Decide
The new giant Pacific octopus at the National Zoo has been causing a stir since it arrived earlier this year. Its growing popularity with Zoo visitors has keepers dubbing the cephalopod as the "giant panda of invertebrates." The only problem is the two-and-a-half-year-old creature, who will grow ...
March 25, 2010 |
By Erica R. Hendry
Clouded Leopard Cubs' First Birthday at the Zoo
It's hard to believe it but the Zoo's clouded leopards turned one year old today. You might recall last year's March video of the little darlings posted here on the Around the Mall blog.The Zoo reports that the pair, Ta Moon, meaning mischievous child, and Sa Moon, brave warrior, were properly fete...
March 24, 2010 |
By Beth Py-Lieberman
Environmental Film Festival Roundup
The D.C. Environmental Film Festival is upon us!The Smithsonian is offering a variety of free movies and events in conjunction with the 2010 Environmental Film Festival. Check out the festival's website and goSmithsonian for full information on dates, times and film synopses. Feel free to downloa...
March 19, 2010 |
By Jamie Simon
Update on the Andean Bear Cubs at the Zoo
Just a few weeks after Andean bear cubs were born at the National Zoo, they are still spending time with mom Billie Jean in the den (much to our dismay, since we won't be able to tell their genders until they come out some time in the next month). But the keepers at the National Zoo have been keepi...
March 15, 2010 |
By Erica R. Hendry
Events: American Indian Food, Jane Austen, Vampires and More!
Monday, March 8: Seasoned with SpiritEnjoy episodes of the public television series Seasoned with Spirit, join host Loretta Barrett Oden as she visits Native communities to learn about their agricultural and culinary traditions. In Food Upon the Water, Oden participates in a wild rice harvest and s...
March 08, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
New Giant Pacific Octopus at the National Zoo
"It got delayed in Memphis, and I had to go pick it up at Dulles Airport at about 7 pm," Alan Peters tells me. But the important thing was that he was there on time, because his January 21st delivery wasn't just any cargo. It was precious cargo—a three-pound, two-and-a-half-year-old giant Pacific o...
March 03, 2010 |
By Megan Gambino
Weekend Events: Black History Month Family Celebration, Glass Artist Karen LaMonte, and the Zoo's Wild Side Stage
Friday, February 26: Artist Talk: Karen LaMonteGlass artist Karen LaMonte—who American Art Museum visitors may know for her cast glass sculpture Reclining Dress Impression with Drapery—will be discussing her work and the unique process she uses to create her sensuous glass garments. Free, American ...
February 26, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
A Mother's Journey: How Strawberry Dart Frogs Are Born at the Smithsonian National Zoo
It took 10 minutes to spot just one strawberry dart frog in the terrarium at the National Zoo, hidden carefully in the folds of a lush green leaf and staring with beady black eyes into the early morning sunlight.Though about 20 of the frogs live there, the tank’s dense vegetation makes it easy for ...
February 26, 2010 |
By Erica R. Hendry
The Aftermath of the Snow at the Smithsonian
It has certainly been an unprecedented winter here in Washington, D.C., where a grand total of 54.9 inches of snow had fallen as of February 10, breaking the previous seasonal snowfall record set in 1898-99.So how has the Smithsonian been affected? Now that the skies and the streets are clear, we h...
February 23, 2010 |
By Megan Gambino
Weekend Events: Celebrate African American Aviation Pioneers and Rock Out at the Zoo's Wild Side Stage
Saturday, February 20: African American Pioneers in AviationIn honor of Black History Month, celebrate the African Americans who shaped modern aviation. In addition to arts and crafts activities, learn about Bessie Coleman, who was known for her daredevil piloting skills, the Tuskegee Airmen, the a...
February 20, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Bon Voyage, Tai Shan!
The dreaded day has come folks—Tai Shan (né Butterstick), the four and a half-year-old panda will depart for Wolong's Bifengxia Base in Ya'an, Sichuan today, February 4, by way of FedEx. (Yes, apparently they have panda-sized envelopes.)Though sad for us, the little guy may not be too despondent o...
February 03, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Weekend Events: Tai Shan's Farewell Party, a Gallery Talk and a Book Signing
Friday, January 29: Drawing on the Right Side of the BrainBetty Edwards' Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain was a mind-blowing book in which she asserted that artistic ability was not a matter of natural gift, but rather, a matter of changing how you perceive the world around you—and how you go...
January 29, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Weekend Events: Elvis Festival, Concert at the Zoo and a Hirshhorn Gallery Talk
Friday, January 22: Hirshhorn Collection: Friday Gallery TalkCome enjoy a tour of Hirshhorn highlights conducted by DC-area sculptor Mary Early. Free. Hirshhorn, 12:30-1:00 PMSaturday, January 23: Elvis is in the Building!Although he's been gone for almost 33 years, we just can't help falling in lo...
January 22, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Mei Xiang is Artificially Inseminated and Now the Wait Begins
With the departure of the panda cub Tai Shan imminent, Zoo officials couldn't have asked for better news this weekend when the female panda Mei Xiang went into early estrus and was artificially inseminated.Mei Xiang typically ovulates in the spring, so why January? Perhaps she was hoping to snuggle...
January 11, 2010 |
By Beth Py-Lieberman
