African penguin Awareness Day Oct. 8; Penguin Run/Walk Oct. 15
Sarah Dunn, senior trainer of Sea lions and Penguins at Mystic Aquarium, talks about Blue Blue an African Penguin, to small crown of visitors at Get Fired Up in Pawcatuck, before he started painting tiles. The tiles are going to be part of the 5th annual Penguin Run/Walk that will be held on Saturday, October 15 in Mystic.
The Bulletin
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"Betting” which African penguin will win a foot race won’t make the
Vegas lines this month, but it will put smiles on the faces of children,
parents and trainers.
Mystic Aquarium will celebrate African penguins this month with two events designed to raise awareness and provide assistance to the endangered species.
On Saturday, the aquarium will hold African Penguin Awareness Day where guests can meet a penguin trainer, see penguins paint, cheer the penguins as they race and participate in penguin-themed activities. The following week, on Oct. 15, humans and penguins will unite for the 5th annual Penguin Run/Walk.
“I know last year’s participation was around 1,000,” said Erin Merz, manager of media and public relations for the Sea Research Foundation. That would be 1,000 humans. The two-footed nonhumans participating this year will be down to 29 with the September death of Yellow Red, also known as String. String was a 19-year-old female who was hatched at Mystic Aquarium on Oct. 4, 1991.
An African penguin’s life expectancy is 18-20 years in the wild but they can live into their 30s in zoos and aquariums. The penguins making their home at Mystic Aquarium are ambassadors for their wild brethren.
The annual Penguin Run/Walk begins at 9 a.m. at the aquarium and includes a free gift to everyone who participates: free aquarium admission on race day so they can visit with the African penguins in the Roger Tory Peterson Penguin Exhibit.
“It’s one of our biggest fundraisers for our penguin conservation efforts that we have,” said penguin trainer Tracy Camp.
After the humans take their turn and get their medals, the penguins get their chance to put their racing skills on display in the aquarium’s Marine Theater.
According to Camp, the penguins will have a qualifying heat before the semifinal and final rounds.
“Each race will have two to three birds,” Camp said. “We will have a large penguin race track we’ve constructed and we put the birds behind the starting line, yell ‘Birdies, set, go!’ and we see which one makes it all the way to the end to their trainer.”
The trick, Camp said, is sometimes the penguins get distracted by the sea lions barking away nearby. And what makes it more fun is the trainers will bet amongst themselves which bird will win. Oh, and visitors can place “bets” as well.
“When guests come in, they can place bets on their own as donations,” Camp said. “We’ll have little bios on the birds written up, as well as on the trainers.”
The human race includes a 5K run on a trail, field and road course with prizes in eight age divisions. There will also be a middle school cross country team competition with the winning team receiving medals and an engraved trophy. The winning team members will also get to meet a penguin. There will also be a two-mile walk with dogs and strollers welcome and a quarter-mile children’s race.
The top individual fundraser will win an original piece of art created by a penguin last month at Get Fired Up in Pawcatuck. The top fundraising team will receive a penguin meet-and-greet and be recognized on a plaque that will hang at the aquarium.
If you go
What: African Penguin Awareness Day
When: All day beginning at 9 a.m. Oct. 8
Where: Mystic Aquarium, 55 Coogan Blvd., Mystic
Details: Penguin feeding, meet a trainer, participate in activities, watch penguin race and paint
Cost: Aquarium admission
Information: Visit mysticaquarium.org
source
Mystic Aquarium will celebrate African penguins this month with two events designed to raise awareness and provide assistance to the endangered species.
On Saturday, the aquarium will hold African Penguin Awareness Day where guests can meet a penguin trainer, see penguins paint, cheer the penguins as they race and participate in penguin-themed activities. The following week, on Oct. 15, humans and penguins will unite for the 5th annual Penguin Run/Walk.
“I know last year’s participation was around 1,000,” said Erin Merz, manager of media and public relations for the Sea Research Foundation. That would be 1,000 humans. The two-footed nonhumans participating this year will be down to 29 with the September death of Yellow Red, also known as String. String was a 19-year-old female who was hatched at Mystic Aquarium on Oct. 4, 1991.
An African penguin’s life expectancy is 18-20 years in the wild but they can live into their 30s in zoos and aquariums. The penguins making their home at Mystic Aquarium are ambassadors for their wild brethren.
The annual Penguin Run/Walk begins at 9 a.m. at the aquarium and includes a free gift to everyone who participates: free aquarium admission on race day so they can visit with the African penguins in the Roger Tory Peterson Penguin Exhibit.
“It’s one of our biggest fundraisers for our penguin conservation efforts that we have,” said penguin trainer Tracy Camp.
After the humans take their turn and get their medals, the penguins get their chance to put their racing skills on display in the aquarium’s Marine Theater.
According to Camp, the penguins will have a qualifying heat before the semifinal and final rounds.
“Each race will have two to three birds,” Camp said. “We will have a large penguin race track we’ve constructed and we put the birds behind the starting line, yell ‘Birdies, set, go!’ and we see which one makes it all the way to the end to their trainer.”
The trick, Camp said, is sometimes the penguins get distracted by the sea lions barking away nearby. And what makes it more fun is the trainers will bet amongst themselves which bird will win. Oh, and visitors can place “bets” as well.
“When guests come in, they can place bets on their own as donations,” Camp said. “We’ll have little bios on the birds written up, as well as on the trainers.”
The human race includes a 5K run on a trail, field and road course with prizes in eight age divisions. There will also be a middle school cross country team competition with the winning team receiving medals and an engraved trophy. The winning team members will also get to meet a penguin. There will also be a two-mile walk with dogs and strollers welcome and a quarter-mile children’s race.
The top individual fundraser will win an original piece of art created by a penguin last month at Get Fired Up in Pawcatuck. The top fundraising team will receive a penguin meet-and-greet and be recognized on a plaque that will hang at the aquarium.
If you go
What: African Penguin Awareness Day
When: All day beginning at 9 a.m. Oct. 8
Where: Mystic Aquarium, 55 Coogan Blvd., Mystic
Details: Penguin feeding, meet a trainer, participate in activities, watch penguin race and paint
Cost: Aquarium admission
Information: Visit mysticaquarium.org
source
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