Bay Area AAZK

In honor of National Volunteer Week, appreciate your volunteers! Post here about the great work your volunteers do and give them a shout out! Tag them or just post about your great volunteers, past and present! Post a photo as long as your social media rules at your facility allow (ie at Oakland no back areas).

https://www.facebook.com/bayareaaazk?fref=nf

Our Art Gallery Fundraiser is TODAY at Oakland Zoo @ 7pm! We can’t wait to see you there!

We are also accepting officer nominations at this time. Please email us your nominations or let us know in person. We will need to know the nominee’s name and position you would like them to run for. Make sure they accept the nomination also! Here are the officer positions that are available:

President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Liaison
Public Relations Officer

Please see our About Us page for officer duty descriptions. We need all officer nominations in by Saturday, November 15th. There will be a week-long anonymous survey for voting and the winners will be announced Saturday, November 22nd at our Mini Conference.

Hello everyone,

For nearly 2 years it has been my honor determining the future and direction of the Bay Area Chapter for the American Association of Zoo Keepers with an incredible team of officers.  Today I am writing to you because I will be resigning from my position as President.  My last day as President will be October 25^th. I will be continuing my path in Washington D.C. as an Animal Keeper at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

 I am forever grateful for all that you have done to contribute to our chapter’s success in improving our professional growth, care of captive wildlife and protecting their wild counterparts.  I have truly enjoyed meeting all of you over the years at our events and fundraisers.  The officers I have been so blessed to work with have been rock stars in making overwhelming projects and events come to fruition seamlessly.  I have no doubt that this chapter will continue to thrive and grow.

 My last BAAAZK event will be the Art Gallery Fundraiser October 25^th.  There are really no words to describe the impact you have all had on me.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you for letting me serve you.

Sincerely,

 Rachael Rufino

BAAAZK will be having its annual Mini Conference at Lindsay Wildlife Museum Saturday, November 22nd @ 6:00pm.  The event is free with a donation box for those who want to give what they believe this experience is worth.  This is an opportunity for volunteers, keepers, veterinarians, facility managers and conservationists to share their experiences on any aspect of animal husbandry or conservation with their peers.  Our keynote speaker will be from the Desert Tortoise Preservation Committee- the organization that you voted to receive the proceeds from our Art Gallery Fundraiser.  We are looking for 5 more speakers to do a 15 minute PowerPoint presentation.  Please contact us if you are interested in presenting with your:

The first-ever BAAAZK Art Gallery Fundraiser will be held:

October 25th

7pm-10pm

Oakland Zoo, Zimmer Auditorium

$10/person includes admission, food, drink and fun!

Print out the flyer for your facility and email it to your friends and family!

All artwork is either for sale or part of a silent auction to raise money for the Desert Tortoise Preservation Committee.

The organization that will receive the proceeds from our upcoming Art Gallery Fundraiser is:

The Desert Tortoise Preservation Committee!

We owe it to the CA and Nevada state reptile to help conserve this important species. From the Defenders of Wildlife on desert tortoise populations:

“In some areas, the number of desert tortoises has decreased by 90% due primarily to human activity. Desert tortoise declines appear to have been most severe and widespread in the Western Mojave Desert. Recent estimates indicate that there are about 100,000 individual desert tortoises remaining in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. As late as the 1950’s the desert tortoise population averaged at least 200 adults per square mile. More recent studies show the level is now between 5-60 adults per square mile.”

We look forward to seeing you all at the Art Gallery Fundraiser (details coming soon). Let’s raise money for something scaly!

Our first-ever Art Gallery Fundraiser is coming up at Oakland Zoo! All artwork will be nature-related at this silent auction.

Please nominate a US-based organization that you would like to receive the proceeds from this event by the 21st. The organization does not need to be for a specific species, just about conservation.  Post your nomination on our Facebook page or email us!

Nominations will be sent out in an email for anonymous voting on the 22nd. More details soon. Thanks everyone!

We know it wasn’t easy dedicating National Zoo Keeper Week into a selfless fundraiser to conserve wildlife, but our dedication to protecting species no matter what time of the year is what makes us passionate animal professionals.

Thank you for kicking rhino poacher butt and helping us surpass our $3,000 goal for “Kicking for Rhinos!”  Our week-long fundraiser actually reached $3,300!  All of the proceeds from this event will go to the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and Action for Cheetahs in Kenya to protect habitat, support its rangers, and purchase equipment.

The participation in this fundraiser really speaks volumes about our chapter and the amazing professionals that helped us reach this point.  Thank you again for making time for conservation and helping us not only reach our monetary goal, but also our collective goal as animal keepers to protect wildlife.

Kicking for Rhinos was a smashing success! Thank you to everyone that played bingo, bid on auction items, donated money, bought pizza, bought baked goods and then kicked some balls all to help rhinos. Stay tuned to find out how much Bay Area AAZK raised for conservation during a week dedicated to us!

Do it for the rhinos!

A rhino supporter runs to first base while another slides to second!

All is silent as a kick is made in the name of rhinos.

It was a close call when the ball was caught and nearly hurled at a running BAAAZKer.

A BAAAZK supporter eagerly awaits the ball’s arrival.

Here goes nothing!

Please join me and the Bay Area Chapter for the American Association of Zoo Keepers (BAAAZK) in helping to protect rhinos and the wildlife that share their habitat. By participating with BAAAZK and its national organization’s biggest fundraiser “Bowling For Rhinos,” we will raise money and awareness for rhino conservation across the world. 100% of funds raised go to the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and Action for Cheetahs in Kenya, support efforts to help the Javan rhino in Ujung Kulon National Park, and the Sumatrain rhino in Bukit Barisan Selatan and Way Kambas National Parks through the International Rhino Foundation.  The money raised helps pay for the park rangers who protect the wildlife in the parks and their equipment. For more information on how AAZK supports Lewa visit their 2014 report for AAZK<https://www.aazk.org/wp-content/uploads/Lewa-2014-Report-For-AAZK-JULY.pdf>. Making a contribution is simple, easy and secure. You can choose to pay by credit card and paypal by visiting my fundraising web page Kicking for Rhinos<http://www.32auctions.com/bayareaaazk>. You can also help me spread the word by forwarding this message or sharing my page via Facebook Bay Area AAZK.