Celebrate Wildlife Day Schedule Archive 2008-2011

 

2011 Celebrate Wildlife Day

Celebrate Wildlife Day 2011 was a day filled with family friendly programs and activities. All were encouraged to join in and learn more about Grand Canyon's wildlife and the work of wildlife biologists.

The 2011 event took place on Saturday, May 7, 2011


Celebrate Wildlife Day 2011 included:

Very Special Programs
by Columbus Zoo director Emeritus and wildlife expert, Jack Hanna
3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., Shrine of Ages Auditorium

An Open House
with live Animals from the Adobe Mt Wildlife Center, AZ Game & Fish Dept., as well as poster presentations, exhibits, informal programs, activities, and Grand Canyon Association book sales.
10:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m., Shrine of Ages

Indoor Programs
Illustrated programs and talks on ravens and other fascinating Grand Canyon wildlife.

Outdoor Programs
Learn to identify tracks and scats and how biologists use telemetry to track animals.

Celebrate Wildlife Day is made possible through a partnership between the National Park Service and Grand Canyon Association. Other partners include Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Grand Canyon Unified School District, Leave No Trace, Xanterra Parks and Resorts, Grand Canyon Railway, and Delaware North Companies Parks and Resorts, Inc.

 

2011		Celebrate Wildlife Day Programs	Location
10:00 -10:45 a.m.		Reptiles and Amphibians	Indoors
11:00 -11:30 a.m..		Telemetry Workshop	Outdoors
11:30 -12:15 p.m.		Mountain Lions	Indoors
1:00 -1:45 p.m.		Ravens	Indoors
1:30 -2:00 p.m.		Tracks and Scat	Outdoors
2:00 -2:30 p.m.		Humpback Chub	Indoors
2:15 -2:45 p.m.		Wacky Wildlife	Outdoors

 

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A Recap of the 2009 Celebrate Wildlife Day

The National Park Service celebrated the wonders of wildlife and the work of wildlife biologists on Saturday, May 2, 2009, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. The event was held at the Shrine of the Ages on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Visitors used the Village Route Shuttle Bus to reach the event or park in Lot A.

• In addition to indoor and outdoor programs about wildlife and related wildlife studies, there was an all day open house at the Shrine with exhibits, touch tables, informal activities and Grand Canyon Association book sales.
  
• The Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center of Phoenix, Arizona provided educational demonstrations with live animals between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
  
• 2009's special evening program was presented by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist, Robert Mesta, author of the book Condor: Spirit of the Canyon

 

2009 Indoor Program Schedule (Shrine of Ages)
10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.	Mountain Lions with Ranger Lori Rome
11:30 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.	Tassel Eared Squirrels with Professor Dr. Sylvester Allred (book signing)
12:00 p.m.- 1:00 p.m.	Lunch Break
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.	Reptiles and Amphibians with Ranger Marker Marshall
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.	Bats with Ranger Pam Cox
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.	Condor Kid's Talk with Biologist Robert Mesta
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.	Wildlife Habitat with Science Outreach Coordinator Allyson Mathis
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.	Dinner Break
7:00 p.m. - 7:15 p.m.	Wildlife Skit with the students of Grand Canyon School
7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.	Special Evening Program: The California Condor with Robert Mesta, Biologist with the USFWS.
8:30 p.m.- 9:00 p.m.	Closing and Book Signings.

 

2009 Outdoor Program Schedule (Shrine of Ages)
7:00 a.m. & 9:00 a.m	Morning Bird Programs: Meet Ranger Brian Gatlin outside of the Shrine of the Ages
10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.	Telemetry Workshop with Rangers Ron & Pat Brown
11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.	Tracks and Scat Workshop with Rangers Cassidy Wolf and Nicole Deluca
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.	Lunch Break
12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.	Binoculars, Birds and More with Ranger Graciela Avila
1:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.	Telemetry Workshop with Rangers Ron & Pat Brown
2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.	Tracks and Scat Workshop with Rangers Cassidy Wolf and Nicole Deluca
3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m	Binoculars, Birds and More with Ranger Graciela Avila
Outdoor programs were subject to change due to weather and staffing. Rain or shine, snow or sun, visitors came prepared for the elements.

 

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Celebrate Wildlife Day - November 2008

The National Park Service wishes to share the wonders of Grand Canyon wildlife and the world of wildlife biology while honoring the life of wildlife biologist Eric York.

National Park Service, Grand Canyon Association and Arizona Game and Fish staff will host an open house at The Shrine of the Ages near parking lot A, Saturday, November 1, starting at 10:00 a.m. Displays will highlight canyon wildlife and current research projects with live animals and fun activities.

Researchers and rangers will offer indoor and outdoor programs from the Shrine of the Ages. Check at the Canyon View visitor center, park headquarters, or the Shrine of the Ages for a schedule of events.

At 7:30 p.m., Kevin Hansen, wildlife biologist and author of Bobcat-Master of Survival and The American Lion will present an illustrated evening program at the Shrine of the Ages.

 

The 2008 Celebrate Wildlife Day was a huge success

November 7, 2008

On November 1, 2008, Grand Canyon National Park hosted its first Celebrate Wildlife Day to promote understanding and appreciation of the unique and diverse wildlife that make the spectacular Grand Canyon landscape their home. The event also honored the work of biologist Eric York, who dedicated his life to the study of wildlife in Grand Canyon National Park and around the world.

 

Edwina, a turkey vulture with a volunteer from Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center.

Wildlife Day included a series of special ranger programs on wildlife and wildlife biology, exhibits, touch tables, and children’s programs.

Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center of Phoenix, Arizona provided live animals including raptors, reptiles, and mammals in educational demonstrations for about 650 visitors. Kevin Hansen of New Mexico State Parks and author of Cougar: The American Lion presented the evening program, which nearly 350 people attended.

 

Martha Hahn, Chief of Science and Resource Management said, “Our first Celebrate Wildlife Day was amazing. Members of the park community and visitors from around the world joined us in honoring the park’s wildlife and remembering Eric, whom we tragically lost a year ago. Participants learned a great deal about the park’s wildlife, our wildlife biology program, and wildlife safety. I really want to thank the many park employees and our partners who came together to make this day such a great success.”

 

A touch table

Celebrate Wildlife Day was a collaboration between Grand Canyon’s Divisions of Interpretation and Science and Resource Management. Partners included Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, and the Grand Canyon Association. Students from Grand Canyon Unified School District presented two skits about the park’s wildlife before the evening program.

Eric’s father Tony York and several of his closest friends attended the event. In future years, Celebrate Wildlife Day will be held in early May.

 

Left to right: Ranger Ron Brown shows how to track and locate animals through radio telemetry, Ranger Lori Rome swearing in Junior Rangers, Grand Canyon Elementary School students performing a wildlife skit.