Tuesday, February 01, 2022

CoVID-19: Spikes Falling, Could Plateau With BA.2 | CA Assembly Kills CalCare | Plea Rejected For Arbery's Murderers | Jackhole Marines Who Vandalized Skyfari Identified; San Diego Zoo Announces Basecamp Opening | Museum Month |

A sneaky photo of part of the new Wildlife Explorers Basecamp, Opening March 11, 2022 (Taken 1.27.22)

 What a day! I'm a massive anti-Monday person. The email and work onslaught just knocks me down and I generally hide from it all. But today I faced the day and it was all good news. Darren got a job interview at Deering Banjos! Then he met with his tax guy who not only got him a great return this year but modified last year's to get more money back and possible answered why he didn't previously get the Golden State Stimulus. Then we went to the San Diego Zoo for an hour to get some fresh air and -- while of course the Skyfari is still out of service because of those moron Marines who broke it over the weekend -- I got a press release that the new basecamp will be open to the public on March 11. (See full press release at the end of this post.) 

Over the weekend I had some meaningful and positive email exchanges with the principal of Hoover High and on our way out of the Zoo he called and spent a half hour on the phone with Darren and I. What an amazing person and advocate for students and though I'm sorry it started over Twitter, we probably would've just kinda moved on and that wouldn't benefit Nova in the slightest. So very positive movement and such a relief. By the time we got home, she had to get ready for derby, but was exuberant about her wood shop class and everything they learned and the hands on practice they got on the basics of hammering nails properly. And they got a glimpse of their first project "and we get to use a nail gun!" I haven't seen the kid that excited in a minute. On top of that, she found out a little more about the lacrosse team and might start practicing with some girls in anticipation of trying out, which would be huge for her. 

From derby dropoff, we swung by a store and scored some interview outfits for Darren since he probably hasn't gotten anything new besides socks since before the pandemic and found some good looks for him, and then went to Costco and restocked all the necessities before running home, dropping it all off, picking Nova back up from derby, then running to my parents to move my dad from the chair back to his bed for the night and then finally home to get this post done. So yes, it's late, but c'est la vie. And can't complain when it was a very good day. 

I don't wanna depress everyone, but over the weekend some papers came out about Omicron reinfection and just to say, even if you've had it, especially little unvaccinated kids in schools, be diligent because you/they could very well get it again. And again. And again. Unlike past variants, there is evidence that previous infection doesn't necessarily prevent against future infection. I'll find more on that and post tomorrow. Also, I intend to update listings tomorrow but we'll be running around again as we have to help my dad again and I deleted my entire template so it's going to be an even bigger pain in the ass than usual. 

Stay safe out there. 


San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Preparing to Open Denny Sanford Wildlife Explorers Basecamp at the San Diego Zoo on March 11

Wildlife Care Specialists Begin moving Wildlife into Their New Habitats

 
SAN DIEGO (Jan. 31, 2022) – This month, burrowing owls and prairie dogs at the San Diego Zoo moved to their new “digs” in the Denny Sanford Wildlife Explorers Basecamp. Orb weaver spiders began spinning new webs, and other wildlife like Fijian iguanas, axolotls and dragon-headed katydids are now acclimating to their new habitats in preparation for the public opening on Friday, March 11, 2022.
 
Wildlife Explorers Basecamp is designed to bring guests and their families up close to nature, and offer interactive play opportunities on oversized, species-themed sculptures. This new area of the San Diego Zoo offers visitors special sensory elements for a multifaceted engagement approach, with microscopes and touch screens, plus animation and dynamic lighting installation in the new buildings.
 
Constructed on the site of the former Children’s Zoo, Wildlife Explorers Basecamp is designed to appeal to a broader audience while still maintaining its place in the hearts of young explorers. The common element underscoring the play and learning opportunities at Basecamp is nurturing the future caretakers of the planet.

The 3.2 acres of Basecamp are divided into four types of habitats, featuring the wildlife that live in these areas— Rainforest, Wild Woods, Marsh Meadows and Desert Dunes. 

The Rainforest area of Basecamp is centered around the 10,000-square-foot McKinney Family Spineless Marvels, building featuring arachnids, a coconut crab habitat and a real-life beehive with a larger-than-life honeycomb, inviting young guests to become the bee. And at the neighboring Rady Ambassadors Headquarters, guests will encounter a range of animals from all over the planet, including a two-toed sloth and a prehensile-tailed porcupine.

 Wild Woods is an area for wildlife species including coatis and features the impressive Prebys Foundation Discovery Bridge and 20-foot tall structure designed to look like an ancient oak tree. This dynamic nature-play tree structure offers multiple points of access for guests—from a suspension bridge and net tunnel to a spiral staircase in the middle—and provides a parallel-play experience, because it is adjacent to the squirrel monkey habitat. Water-play extends into this woodland-themed area, with a waterfall grotto and splash pad, water jets and a stream—plus, a bluff area with a boulder scramble at the side, for exploration.
 
 Marsh Meadows is designed with an array of plant life designed to evoke a variety of habitats, such as marshes, swamps and estuaries that affect the health of our planet.An outdoor watery habitat, pathways include silhouettes of kid-size frogs and fish to help convey the idea that guests are inhabiting the marsh along with the wildlife that live here. Included in this area is the Art and Danielle Engel Cool Critters building – a two-story herpetology and ichthyology structure that offers 7,000 square feet of immersive environments, digital media, learning opportunities and educational classroom spaces created to engage guests of all ages. The wildlife here includes snakes, amphibians, crocodilians, turtles and lizards, including endangered Fijian iguanas.
 
Desert Dunes, a dry desert wash-themed area, takes center stage in this part of Wildlife Explorers Basecamp, with boulder play opportunities for climbing, scrambling, hopping and more. Hidden reptile sculptures and petroglyphs can be found among the rocks and cool caves that offer shaded areas for guests to beat the heat, like their desert wildlife counterparts—including the fennec fox, prairie dog and burrowing owl.
 
The public ribbon-cutting ceremony to open Wildlife Explorers Basecamp will take place at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, March 11, 2022, hosted by Paul A. Baribault, president and chief executive officer of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. Admission for Basecamp is included with admission to the San Diego Zoo.
Posted by Rosemary Bystrak at Tuesday, February 01, 2022
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