Conservation

Our Membership in Action conservation focus for 2026 is the lemur. Read on to learn about lemurs!   Kingdom:  Animalia Phylum:  Chordata Subphylum:  Vertebrata Class:  Aves Order:  Sphenisciformes Family:  Spheniscidae Genus:  Spheniscus Species:  S. demersus   Lemurs (Suborder Strepsirrhini) are primates that are found only on the island of Madagascar and the nearby Comoro Islands. […]

In 2024, Essex County Turtle Back Zoo and the Zoological Society of New Jersey created an initiative to bring membership dollars into conservation. Each year, a portion of membership sales is awarded to a conservation organization to help that organization with its conservation efforts in the wild.   In the program’s first year, Essex County

What are 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 including bees, bats, small mammals, and some species of birds. Monarch butterflies are common pollinators native to North America. Every year, monarchs migrate from areas such as

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