Animal House: Asha, a Manatee Against the Odds
In March 2021, a lone West Indian Manatee calf was found swimming along in Volusia County’s Halifax River amid waters far too cold for even healthy, mature manatees. Rescuers dubbed the year-old calf Asha and pulled her from the frigid waters on March 5. With open wounds, underweight and cold-stressed, Asha was in critical condition. […]
ExZooberation Returns with Wonder
The Jacksonville Zoo’s premier annual fundraiser, ExZooberation, returned Saturday, April 1, from 6-10 p.m. under a tent of wonder and intrigue. The 26th celebration of ExZooberation was themed Cirque Du Zooleil, where supporters immersed themselves in a world of beauty with larger-than-life gardens, interactive Cirque-style entertainment, traditional French cuisine, and a live and silent auction. […]
Women’s Board readies to Flaunt the First Coast
It’s a big year for the Women’s Board of Wolfson Children’s Hospital, one that holds special importance for many reasons, chief among them is 50 Years of service to community during its Golden Jubilee year. This year also happens to be a step in an entirely new direction, with the new branding of the Winter […]
West Riverside students win recycling contest
Ms. Baron’s 5th grade dual language class at West Riverside Elementary recently won a recycling contest sponsored by T-Mobile and the Jacksonville Zoo. The students collected 76 devices, which included both old cell phones and tablets. According to the Zoo, “Coltan is a mineral ore used in the production of small electronics, but mining for […]
Pet reptiles & amphibians: Instant Wow factor
They may not be furry or cuddly, but legal pet herptiles (reptiles and amphibians), are fascinating pets. They have unique skin, scales or shells, odd physical features, unexpected colors and mesmerizing behavior. Their striking appearance or almost-alien, “wow factor”, immediately attracts attention. They include common pet reptiles like lizards, snakes, turtles or tortoises, and amphibian […]
Camera trapping the coolest animal you’ve never heard of
Lakewood resident seeks to save endangered okapi in Africa Okapi. That’s “the coolest animal you never heard of,” according to Lucas Meers, a Lakewood man who hunts the mammal in the Congo. He longs to trap and shoot them—with a camera, that is. The okapi is the cultural symbol of the Democratic Republic of the […]
Horticulturist saves rare orchid from extinction
Thanks to Houston Snead, a Riverside resident and horticulturist at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (JZG), together with Lisa Hassell, an environmental specialist from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, a rare flowering plant, may be saved from extinction. Snead and Hassell did a comprehensive survey in the state of Florida of the […]
Plans resurface for downtown aquarium
A new wave of excitement is rippling across Jacksonville with the resurfacing of plans to build a riverfront aquarium. The impetus for that wave is Scott Grant, the new chairman of the advancement committee for AquaJax, the nonprofit organization that is working to make the Atlantic Aquarium an actuality. AquaJax first began the push for […]
