Week 24: Enter Tom and Crow

Holy crap, this is the longest month EVER!! I feel like spring spec should be happening next weekend, but it's still like a month away. The theater is pretty much ready to go. The only thing missing now is a curtain to hide the back stage view that some of the audience has and some cloth to put up behind all the bamboo fencing that you can apparently see right through. We secured the bamboo this week and put up a shade cloth over head for backstage this week. We also acquired our uniforms, which are some red plaid shirts. Our theme is camping, so what says camping better than some plaid? Maybe we'll just come out looking like lumberjacks, but I think it should work.
I suppose the major news front for me this week is I got my rats. I took them from a class mate who had some babies to get rid of. I named them Tom and Crow, after the quirky robots on Mystery Science Theater 3000. Tom looks just like his daddy and I think Crow is going to be kind of Siamese colored. I've also gotten my maze for them and training will commence in a few weeks. Otherwise, no news on panda viewing yet. We will turn in our animal requests next week and then eventually hear back about those. Last week we turned in requests for manager positions. Those are just like they sound. Certain aspects of the zoo need help being run and we fulfill that need. It's some what possible we will hear about those next week. Since I don't have a lot to say this week, I'll leave you with a few animal shots and some of my new ratties! (Tom-rat, Crow-rat, Schmoo II-California sea lion, Forest-Dromedary camel)

Week 23: Committee Craziness

Not much to report in the way of classes or animal events. I am working on getting my rat babies home soon, hopefully for next weeks post! The bigger part of this week was spent working with my spring spec committee and trying to get the theater set up and ready to go for next week. This has turned out to be a point of much hassle and confusion that is driving me up the wall almost literally. We have to put up fencing as a barrier to the back stage area. This fencing has been stolen over the year to be used in/on enclosures. So, we have had to acquire more. We are having trouble finding time to get it up and get the stage clean and working. However, it will all work out in the end and the first show happening on Monday should happen without issue from our end of it at least. Meanwhile, I'm still trying to figure out what animals to ask for, and keeping an eye out for getting my other class assignments done. The really exciting bit is that one of our assignments is to go to another animal housing facility and interview the keepers and see what they do that is different, just to get a feel for how other places could work in the real world. I've teamed up with a friend and we are going to attempt to do this with the giant pandas at the San Diego zoo!! If that doesn't work out, then we'll go to red pandas, which are not related, but also super cute! So, be on the look out for more updates on that very exciting news! And here's your parting shot: Friday the raccoon.

Week 22: Hit the Ground Running

The second semester began this week, so I'll start you off with a synopsis of my class load.
Wildlife Education 2: This class is a continuation of last semester's. This time we are focusing more on working in a group. The main goal of this whole class, and the entire goal of the lab, is to get our large fundraiser, Spring Spectacular, up and running. We as first years are in charge of everything except the show, which the second years put together and perform. We are all divided into committees, and mine is called "Eye to eye". We are putting together all the other shows that will happen during spring spec. that are more like the normal 15min. weekend shows. Since most of my time will be dedicated to this task, you will be hearing several updates about it.
Animal Anatomy/Physiology: This is a class with our vet, Dr. Stringfield. In here we will cover the basic aspects of mammalian anatomy and physiology. That means what parts the body is composed of and what they do. Should be an incredibly easy class for me since I know most of this already.
Animal Behavior: This is the big tough Gary class this semester. I don't think I'll have to hard of a go at it since I also know most of this material already. Just like the name implies, we'll be covering animal behavior, both natural, and how to shape new behaviors. The lab is the more fun part associated with it where we will do a paper on some animal observations, then we will train a rat to run a maze. This class is basically an EATM right of passage, but a much more fun one than diversity was.
Animal Care and Handling 2: This class will cover more topics as a continuation of last semester's class. We will learn more about hands-on techniques, such as animal restraint. This class will also handle our animal assignments and help us with our turn-over requirements. The lab for this is just the same old area schedule as we had last semester, so I'll keep cleaning up the poo on Wednesday-Saturday.
Zoo Skills 2: This is day watch again. Nothing new on that front.
There is a class that is offered as optional that I'm not taking this semester: Primate behavior. I'm not taking it because I'm really not interested in primates at all. It's also saving me a ton of money due to my paying out-of-state tuition.
So besides school starting, nothing big happened this week. I've found out that I really won't have any kind of weekend free time until after spring spec. since I've been booked for weekend shows every weekend through spring spec. So, if you wanted to visit us, you should wait until April! I'll leave you with just one picture this time, since I've given you so much to digest. (Todd-Red fox)

Week 21: Winter Intersession=Over

Yea! The boring tirade of nothing but area and day watch is over! I'll actually have lots of stuff to do (and write about) which is good news for all of us! Next week you can look forward to all kinds of new information about my new semester's schedule and the classes I'm taking. Nothing of any significance happened again this week. The only thing worth mentioning is that my friends were housing their rats together and ended up with babies. I'll be taking two of those super cuties off of their hands when they're ready in a few weeks and we know the genders (I don't want babies at all!). In case you're like "But, Liz, why on earth would you want rats??" I'll tell you in advance. For our animal behavior class, we have to train a rat to run a maze for the lab portion. There, questions answered. More details about all that academic stuff next week! For now, more pictures to appease your animal appetites. (Mazoe-serval, Samantha-northern white-cheeked crested gibbon, Dino-savanah monitor, Sierra-bobcat)

Week 20: New Year, Same School

This week has really been a lot of fun. On Tuesday, my hubby and I took a trip down to San Diego to cheer on our alma mater, OSU, in the Holiday Bowl! It was really fun to see the pokes give it their apparent best against Oregon. Sadly, we lost, but it was close!
After that it was back to the regular grind of area, and it was again during the holidays. This holiday I felt happened a little more since we up-held my family's tradition of having fondue on new years eve. I successfully reproduce my mother's meatball recipe, and we ended the night with a super tasty chocolate fondue as well.
At the end of the week, hubby had some friends from the military come visit us. They were really great and it was nice to entertain some guests for a while! That's all from me, and another boring week ahead! Since this post is a little lacking, here's some pics to tide you over. (Some capuchin [we have 7], Rodan-Green-winged macaw, Laramie-Golden eagle, Ghost-Bald eagle.)