JMG Gone Wild!

  It was an early morning and quiet as our 4-H Jr. Master Gardener Day Campers loaded into the vans and headed to the NC Zoo!  Now of course we expect to see animals at the zoo but there are some other spectacular things that we can see there as well.  Since the NC zoo works with natural type habitat displays they have plants from around the world to make the areas more native looking and safe for the animals.  It also allows us to see plants native to North America and Africa as well as Tropical Rain Forests, Desserts, and more.
  When we got to the zoo we decided instead of splitting into two groups to go on as one and start in North American and move all the way through Africa and ride the tram back.  That means moving quickly but also learning at the same pace.  Could we tackle the challenge?  After all the zoo sits on 2600 wooded acres, what could stop us?
  Our first stop was in the cypress swap where we saw the traditional turtles and gators.  The Cougars were very active and got a lot of attention but what we were really looking for were those carnivorous plants in the swamp, trumpet plants, venus fly traps, and pitcher plants.  On the way out of the swap we were surround by Hibiscus plants, flowering lily pads, and really neat stuff like that.
  From there we travelled into the Arctic and visited puffins and one of the Polar Bears was gracious enough to grace us with his presence for a few minutes in the heat of the day.   A nearby playground gave our 4-Hers a chance to burn off some energy and climb on some JMG inspired structures.  We cant decide if the leaf slide, gourd hideaway, spiderweb, or ginormous grasshopper was their favorite.
  The darkness of the rivers edge was very inviting for our group and they checked out fish, and snakes.  Unfortunately the otter display was being worked on so we did not get to see the groups most favorite river creatures.  On the way the pollinators did not disappoint because we saw all sort of interesting creatures include an array of dirt dauber homes.   We also saw lots of watch out for our friends who live here, the snake signs.  Fortunately we did not see any of these that weren't behind glass.  However Mr. Mack was on the lookout all day and found all sorts of camouflaged bugs, some diseased plants, and really neat things to point out to our JMG's all along the path.
  Our next most favorite stop was probably with the black bears.  Although they were a little hot they did not disappoint as they were nibbling on ears and grooming each other trying to stay cool.  We also got to examine different prairie grasses as we hunted elk and bison with our eyes only.
  Before we could even get to lunch we needed to go to the dessert where the main lesson they learned was the difference between dry heat and humidity and heat.  Before going in and feeling that lesson they stopped and talked to a fantastic zoo volunteer who showed and talked about some of the great animals in the dessert and what makes them unique.  Then we went inside and had a ball looking around every crevice for something new.
  Our last stop before eating?  It was pretty sweet seeing the honey bees.  The zoo has a special display where they bees come into a visible hive and we can see them live and work.  Our campers also did their best to find the queen bee and learn a new fact or two.
  At the junction of North American and Africa we stopped for bathrooms and lunch in air conditioning.  After getting our second wind....we headed off again this time across a bamboo lined bridge to visit the tropical rain forrest.  Here you could see so many neat plants like banana trees, pineapple plants, bromeliads, and cocoa plants.  We have to admit the plants were not what caught everyone's attention.  There were an array of Parrots, Ducks, and Crowned Victoria Pigeons that literally crossed our path.  That up close and personal experience stuck with them all the way home.
  Of course no visit to Africa would be complete without lions lemurs and red river wart hogs.  As one observant camper noted it was sort of like visiting the cast of the Lion King up close and personal.  The gorillas were a surprise for our group and they checked out the habitat and learned who as who and that some of the gorillas were actually (gasp) younger than they are.  Necks were being stretch for the giraffes, zebras, and ostriches.
  It was the next animal that got the biggest stares, and it is not surprising since they are the biggest animals at the zoo.  The elephants put on a show, played with sticks, rolled in the dirt, and had the best learning habitat for our kids.  There was a helicopter to show how elephant herds have been tracked,  a research hut, and even an explorers overnight camp tent.  Very cool stuff.
  After finishing our exploration we took a mini bus back to North America and then took the last hike to our vans.  With fresh water and a snack out campers were out like lights.  It was a quiet ride back after exploring the wilds.  We can't wait to see what they will remember and tell us tomorrow, as we start our last morning of 4-H JMG Day Camp!