Conservation

Team Birdin’ with Glorious Purpose (see the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Loki for reference – our nerddom covers many genera) 2024 comprised of Tedor Whitman (CHA), Wendi Mulvey (CHA), and Jenna Zimmerman (Turtle Back Zoo). We’re a Level 1 Team competing in the Limited Geographic Area (LGA) category. We bird in Essex County, acknowledged to be […]

On October 11, 2023, Turtle Back Zoo signed the Association of Zoos & Aquarium (AZA)’s declaration to protect 30% of the planet by 2030. AZA is the top accrediting body for zoos and aquariums around North America with a mission to conserve and educate on natural environments and animals around the world. They have partnered

Zoo Team Go partnered with Carmax and Jenkinson’s Aquarium to participate in a beach clean-up at Point Pleasant Beach.  Armed with buckets, gloves, and grabber tools, volunteers scoured the beach looking for trash. The group was able to find many different types of waste with the most prominent being single use plastics. Unfortunately, plastics, such

Essex County Turtle Back Zoo and The Zoological Society of New Jersey are helping to support AZA’s Monarch SAFE and the Monarch Joint Venture in their mission to protect pollinators. Pollinators are animals that carry pollen from one plant to another and allow for growth of new plants. There are many different species of pollinators

On Thursday, January 11th, 2024 Essex County Turtle Back Zoo hosted a talk with Dr. Cortni Borgerson, Associate professor at Montclair State University and IUCN Primate Specialist, where she presented her work in Lemur conservation. Zoo keepers and zoo staff were invited to listen to the lecture and learn about how she is preserving this

Written by Educator Katie F. Recently, Essex County Turtle Back Zoo hosted a fundraiser for Snow Leopard conservation, featuring Gala and Chameli! As ambassadors for their species, many eyes were on them as they showed off their target training skills in exchange for some delicious meatballs. While our Snow leopards are safe here at the

The Zoological Society of New Jersey partnered with L’Oreal, the world’s leading cosmetics brand, to carry out an environmental clean-up around Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex. Over 50 L’Oreal employees volunteered for a day of service with Essex County Turtle Back Zoo. At first glance, many volunteers commented on the pristine condition of the reservoir and the

Turtle Back Zoo gets its name from a distinctive rock formation located on the mountainside just east of the Zoo. The indigenous Lenape people called this formation Turtle Back Rock, because large basaltic crystals created a pattern on the rock formation which make it look like the back of an enormous tortoise. Even in its

In 2021, the Zoological Society of New Jersey donated funds to the Asian Turtle Program (“ATP”), a group dedicated to the protection of Asian tortoises and freshwater turtles. These funds were directed to the ATP’s Mauremys annamensis Project, an initiative which researches and protects the Vietnamese pond turtle, and increases awareness of the species. The

The Zoological Society of New Jersey, Inc. is seeking funding through the State of NJ Green Acres Program for improvements to Turtle Back Zoo located at 560 Northfield Avenue, West Orange, NJ 07052. The Zoological Society of New Jersey, Inc. proposes to make improvements to the Australian Outback Exhibit and Playground. A concept plan showing