MARCH 2018 Edition
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IN THIS ISSUE
Unexpected visitor from the north
The Longtails have arrived!
Bill Loschert visits the Madagascar exhibit
The Bermuda Education Network comes to BZS
To purchase tickets to this event, click on the below photo.
For more information, click here .
UNEXPECTED VISITOR FROM THE NORTH
The female grey seal, that the staff of the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo rescued in the morning of Tuesday, 19th March is currently being cared for and observed.

This morning the Royal Gazette reported from our staff that "The animal is now eating and has started a course of antibiotics for a suspected upper respiratory infection.The animal is being kept in a quarantine tank with a heater to help conserve its energy."

This seal has been quite the talk of the island, with all of our local news outlets following her rescue and care closely; click on the images below to visit each news story.
Keep a keen eye on our Facebook page and the local news, as our BAMZ Curators will communicate updates as they happen.
THE LONGTAILS HAVE ARRIVED!
On Saturday 16th February, Trevor Rawson, Trunk Island Officer, spotted 4 holes along the coast of Trunk Island occupied with longtails, as well as 6 different longtails courting in the air above the island. These sightings were the first to be spotted by Bermuda Zoological Society (BZS) staff in Harrington Sound this season. 
“I've been anticipating the longtail’s arrival for the past few weeks, so I knew to keep an eye out,” said Trevor. “On Saturday morning, from a distance, I spotted the distinctive longtail flight patterns over Trunk Island. Sure enough when I reached the island, longtails were courting overhead. Upon further observation, I was pleased to see a few sets of white tails sticking out of their nesting sites on Trunk.”
Longtails first arrive in Bermuda between late February and the end of March and pairs of birds can be seen in aerial courtship throughout Spring. At the end of April and beginning of May a single egg is laid in the nest cavity. The egg is incubated in turn by both parents for 42 days with most hatching in June or July. The parents return to the nest over the course of the summer with squid and small fish for the growing chick. The chicks fledge (grow flight feathers) and depart in late August and September.
For the past four summers, 12-13 year old students taking part in the residential conservationist camp on Trunk Island have been installing 2-3 longtail igloos on the island, to provide nesting areas for the returning birds. Many of these students later became BZS Junior Volunteers (JVs). 
Kacey McGowan
Conservationist ‘2018
Current JV
Cedarbridge Academy
 
“Making the Longtail igloos was a lot of fun. It was my first time working with cement and it was interesting putting the igloos together. Knowing the Longtails are starting to live in the igloos makes it all worthwhile. I’m glad that I can contribute, even if it’s a little bit, to Bermuda’s natural habitats.”
Charlotte Slayton Conservationists ’18,
Volunteer this year
Saltus Grammar School
 
“Digging out a place for the igloos to go was the hardest part but after we cemented it down it was really rewarding to know that we’d made a home for protected species.”
Jordan Davies
Conservationists ’16
Junior Volunteer 2016-2017 Junior Staff in the Aquarium since then
Saltus Grammar School.

The experience of installing igloos was phenomenal and I enjoyed it so much. Especially being able to work with Dr Wingate and getting to be there right next to him helping install these homes for these amazing birds. As amazing as it was, it is even better to go back and see that the longtails are living in the igloos that we installed. It really is a great feeling and I am so happy that I had the opportunity to do help the longtails.
“Our Trunk Island legacy project continues to advance and meet our shared mission of the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo and the Bermuda Zoological Society: ‘To inspire appreciation and care of island environments,’” said Colin Brown, President of the Bermuda Zoological Society. “Our Living Classroom use continues to increase and evolve and is a tremendous asset for the community.”
 
To learn more about Trunk Island, register your children for this year’s Aqua Camps, or to volunteer and get involved, please visit our website at www.bzs.bm .
BILL LOSCHERT VISITS THE MADAGASCAR EXHIBIT
On a recent visit to Bermuda, William (Bill) Loschert was given a tour of the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo by Dr. Walker, Principal Curator.
Included in the tour was some interaction with the free-ranging lemurs in the Madagascar exhibit. The orientation room to Madagascar is dedicated to Bill in appreciation of his generous contribution to our first capital campaign in the mid 90’s.
Bill was a key member of the campaign committee supporting education programs and exhibits for our schools program. He was a founding member of the Friends of the Bermuda Aquarium, now Atlantic Conservation Partnership, a 501 c 3 that supports regional conservation, research and education.
THE BERMUDA EDUCATION NETWORK COMES TO BZS
This year the Bermuda Zoological Society (BZS) was one of the sites used by the Bermuda Education Network (BEN) to provide an expeditionary learning experience for their 5 participating schools. 
BEN is an independent association of organisations offering free supplementary learning opportunities for Bermuda’s public school students. For younger students they provide enrichment programs during school hours and summer camp resources.

In February, we conducted 6 1¾ to 2-hour long classes on Pollination and Seed Dispersal using several hands-on activities. The schools included Somerset Primary School, Heron Bay Primary School, Purvis Primary School, Port Royal Primary School and Northlands Primary School. 
“These classes are a lot of fun for the students but they also cover the relevant key framework points in the Cambridge Curriculum so it’s a win-win for both students and teachers” explains Jamie Bacon, Education Officer at the Bermuda Zoological Society.
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