News from the Ark

New arrival!

2009-06-15T16:41:00.001-07:00

We have a new arrival at the farm! When the volunteers headed outside to feed this morning, they stumbled upon this baby Patagonian cavy. Hard to believe he's just a few hours old!

Spend Father's Day with us!

2009-05-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

This Father's Day, kids and families can get face-to-face with animals from around the globe without leaving their own backyard!

On June 20-21, Noah's Landing will be hosting a weekend of activities to celebrate Father's Day. Kids can hop in the moonbounce, construct crafts from recycled items, bring stuffed friends to the Teddy Bear Clinic, drop in on a bluegrass jam session, and see how they measure up against the animal kingdom in Zoolympic Stations. Guides will also be stationed throughout the farm to help guests touch and feed animals. Plus, families can see raptors from the Wildlife Resource Center! And dads visit for free!

Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Admission: $8 (Dads with kids are free!)

Registration open for Junior Zookeeper Camp!

2009-05-19T17:51:00.000-07:00

With more than 100 animals on site, the staff and volunteers at Noah’s Landing know how difficult it can be to balance the diets—and needs—of more than 60 species from around the globe.

There are fruit plates to make in the afternoons and habitats to clean in the morning. Volunteers have to remember which animals prefer bananas and which prefer Romaine lettuce. Plus, there are new habitats to construct and toys to make to keep the farm’s monkeys and lemur occupied.

So, this summer, we're inviting area kids to learn just what it takes for themselves during our summer “Junior Zookeeper Program,” a series of Saturday classes and day camps that teach kids how to care for our critters through guided volunteer time.

Each day also includes crafts, games, and classes that teach basic science skills. During an advanced class on insects, for instance, students dissect large grasshoppers to study insect anatomy. During a class on animal adaptations, they make giraffe spit, learn how blubber works, and experience life without opposable thumbs. Guest speakers also visit to share perspectives from their careers.

The Junior Zookeeper program runs throughout the summer and begins on June 14. Themed camp days are held on Saturdays and during two day camps in June and July and students can choose to come for a single day or for multiple days throughout the summer.

Regardless of how many days they choose, campers are invited to a family “induction” on June 14 where they can visit the farm and receive their camp T-shirts and a graduation ceremony at the end of the summer. After graduation, campers will be invited back to the farm for volunteer days and special events.

The program is targeted at students from 9-14 years old and includes two overnight campouts for older campers. Younger kids—from 6-8 years old—can participate in afternoon camp days as part of the “Junior Explorer Program.” Individual class days start at $50 but discounts are available for multiple days. Pre-registration is required and available throughout the summer.

For more information, interested families can visit: http://www.juniorzookeeper.com.

Mother's Day event breaks records

2009-05-12T17:49:00.000-07:00

More than 350 people visited Noah's Landing this weekend to celebrate Mother's Day alongside our critters. Besides tours and opportunities for hands-on interaction, guests had the chance to make recycled crafts, to jump in the moonbounce, to get their face painted, or to get their stuffed critters stitched up in the Teddy Bear Clinic. On Sunday, visitors also had the chance to meet raptors from the Wildlife Resource Center.

The overall attendance sets a new record for events at the farm, which include an annual Halloween Spooktacular and a Father's Day Celebration.

Our next event is June 20-21 so mark your calendars and plan to visit us when dads get in free!

Crown Crane moves into new digs

2009-05-05T17:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our volunteers, we're happy to announce that our East African Crown Crane has moved into new digs!

The crane, which came to Noah's Landing over the winter, quickly outgrew his indoor home. Building an outdoor habitat was not without its challenges. The enclosure had to be completely enclosed in mosquito-proof screen and provide ample room for flying and movement.

The new cage is 20' x 40' and includes a large hut that can be heated in the winter and bushes and trees for landscaping. It's a beautiful addition to the farm and we hope it will anchor a new section of African habitats with spaces for our porcupines and African servals.

New animals on the ark!

2009-04-19T18:09:00.000-07:00

Spring is always a busy time on the farm and we continue to add more animals to our menagerie!

Visit the farm this spring to meet our newest animals: an American alligator, an African crown crane, an adorable baby pot-bellied pig, and a nine-banded armadillo. Later this spring we hope to add baby emu and capybara!

New critters arrive on the ark.....

2008-05-06T10:38:00.000-07:00

Just in time for the Spring Fling, Noah's Landing is expanding its herd. A baby serval kitten (pictured), a striped skunk, short tail opossums, Siberian chipmunks and a baby kinkajou are just a few of the new faces that will greet guests May 17-18.

The new animals are also excellent additions to help fulfill the nature center's educational mission. The striped skunk, for instance, has a distinctive defense mechanism. When threatened, they will actually toss up their tail and hind legs (pulling their body into a U-shape) and spray a pungent liquid at predators. The spray actually comes from two scent glands in their body, which converge into one smelly spray!

The short tail opossum is a unique South American marsupial. While many marsupials raise their young in pouches, baby short tail opossums actually hang on their mother's belly until they are old enough to ride "piggy back." The babies will attach to the mother's teat and the teat enlarges to the point that the baby cannot unhinge their jaw until their jaws grow.

Come see us on the ark soon to meet these new faces!

Celebrate spring at Noah's Landing!

2008-04-15T19:30:00.001-07:00

Mark your calendars -- the Noah's Landing Spring Fling will be May 17-18!

It's a great time to visit the farm. For the usual cost of admission (or less for adults), you can meet the animals and participate in games, crafts, and special activities like face painting and a moon bounce. Dr. Jennifer Hummel, a veterinarian with Wilson Veterinary Clinic, will also be on hand to see any stuffed "patients" in our Teddy Bear Clinic. (Additional fees for this and our Critter Stuffing Activity.)

Plus, you'll get to meet the newest Noah's Landing additions -- our baby serval, our wallaroo and our emu chicks.

Saturday, May 17: 10-5
Sunday, May 18: 1-5
$6/person

Baby emu arrive at Noah's Landing!

2008-04-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the air at the farm and you know what that means -- new babies!

This month, Noah's Landing has welcomed two new critters to our flock, a baby wallaroo and three new emu chicks. When the emu grow up, they'll live on the new pond. (Constructed over the winter months.)

Have an idea for a wallaroo name? Send it to the farm at: carie.windham@gmail.com

Getting started...

2008-03-04T19:16:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Noah's Landing News Blog, an ongoing look at what's happening at the nature center and a sneak peek at new things ahead. We hope you'll check back from time to time to keep in touch with the staff and critters on the farm as we navigate another year in Harnett County.

As spring approaches, things are moving fast at the zoo!

We're awaiting the arrival of our new baby wallaroo, putting the finishing touches on our sloth habitat and "sprucing up" our landscaping to prepare for our re-opening on March 15. It all caps a hectic winter season during which our volunteers logged long hours to complete new enrichment on our indoor habitats (including the serval cat, oppossum, Bengal cats, fennec foxes and tree porcupines) and a complete redesign of our "rainforest room," complete with mural and natural cage enrichment for our small primates and kinkajou. We're indebted to our team for their hard work over the last months!

It looks like even longer days may be ahead. Our weekday calendar is filling fast as schools sign up for field trips and off-site programs through our "Ark on Wheels" program. Could be a very busy spring, indeed!

To keep an eye on things at the farm this spring, you can view our new FlickR account at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/noahslanding/.

We hope to see you on the ark soon!