Friends News!

• Bobcat Ridge Opening Celebration, June 19, 2010
• Join us to celebrate the grand opening of Bobcat Ridge, the new home of our bobcats, Rufus and Tule! Members will enjoy the 9 - 10 am Sneak Peak hour with breakfast treats. All visitors are welcome for the opening between 10 am - 12 pm, including our Ribbon Cutting ceremony and face painting fun.
  
  Members-Only Sneak Peak 9 am - 10 am
  Public Opening 10 am - 12 pm
  Ribbon Cutting Ceremony 10:30 am


• Zoo Closure during Construction, April 2010
• The Zoo will be closed from April 27 through June 18 to allow for the completion of the new Bobcat Ridge exhibit, new pathways, and a new bobcat play area for children. During this period, the indoor Museum will remain open during our regular hours.


• Bat Cave, January 2010
• We are excited to announce that the Friends are planning to remodel the existing bat house and introduce 10 new bats to create a richer guest experience. The interior Bat Cave will be transformed to immerse the visitor in a cave looking out across a canyon to a rainforest. This will be accomplished by cladding the ceiling and walls with durable foam sculpted and painted to look like the inside of a cave. On the wall behind the bats will hang a photo-mural depicting a distant rainforest washed in light.


• Curious By Nature, January 2010
• In the Spring of 2011, a new exhibit will be unveiled in the JMZ's indoor exhibit hall. Curious by Nature will be a 1,400 square foot exhibition featuring our living and non-living collections. The JMZ received a $6K Heritage Preservation grant from The National Institute for Conservation to hire a professional conservationist to assess our extensive collection of natural artifacts that are currently housed in a manner that limits public access to these objects, many of which are educationally valuable, rare, and unavailable to this community's children and families through other means. Included are skeletons, animal skins, bird nests and eggs, stuffed animals, shells, insects, rocks and minerals, fossils, and Native American artifacts. The "behind-the-scenes" living collection includes carnivorous plants, an endangered San Francisco garter snake, hissing cockroaches, walking stick insects, and honeybees.


• JMZ Staff, January 2010
• The Friends Board of Directors hosted a Staff Appreciation Luncheon for the JMZ staff. This annual event is an opportunity for the Board to thank the dedicated, hard-working City staff for all their efforts, as well as listen to their ideas to help the Friends raise private funding for special JMZ projects.


• Dads & Donuts, February 2010
• Save the date, Sunday, February 7, for our annual Dads & Donuts family event. Enjoy Krispy Kreme donuts and Peet's Coffee. Admission is free for Friends Members (above $50). If you are not a member, please join today!


• Toys for Kids Drive, December 2009
• The JMZ is leading the efforts to secure toys for the City of Palo Alto's 26th Annual "Toys For Kids" Drive. Drop off new toys at the JMZ between November 30 - December 23. If you have any questions, please contact Rob Steele, Zoo Director, at 650-329-2610. Click here for more info.


• Halloween Zoo Night, October 2009
• Our October 30, 2009 event was a spectacular success. Over 400 members attended and were able to experience close-up animal encounters with our guest animals brought by Classroom Safari, BAARS, and Kenny the Falconer. A special appearance was made by Luna Moth. A big thank you to our very generous event sponsors, Pizza My Heart and Cannonball Winery.


• Moms & Muffins, September 2009
• Over 100 families joined us for a fun morning of science activities and animal encounters. A Big Thank You to our event sponsors Hobee's California Restaurants and Peet's Coffee. We raised over $4,500 through an exciting silent auction with goodies for moms like massages, facials, etc.


• Museum Exhibits, August 2009
• Carmen M. Christensen donated $125,000 to help develop and fund our next museum exhibit to open in June 2011.


• Zoo Upgrades, August 2009
• The Friends are seeking donations to upgrade the 1969 zoo including $20K to build a weaver bird tree house, $20K to upgrade the raccoon habitat, $15k to upgrade the bat cave, and $5k to upgrade the owl aviary. For complete funding proposals and budget, contact (650) 326-6338.


• Google Grants, July 2009
• The Friends are excited to announce that we have been selected as a Google Grants recipient and will receive free Google.com advertising and Google Checkout transactions.


• Bobcat Ridge Update, June 2009
• Thanks to several last minute donors, we completed the $450K fundraising campaign to build Bobcat Ridge on June 30. We received over 550 gifts! We are currently finalizing the design and hope to begin construction in October 2009.


• Science Outreach, June 2009
• Through a partnership with 5 donors at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, we were able to fund 181 science classes at Willow Oaks Elementary.


• Cisco Grant, May 2009
• Cisco awarded the Friends $15K to digitize the JMZ science curriculum and offer a teacher workshop. Thanks to the following Cisco employees who supported and recommended the Friends for funding: Peter O'Riordan, Michelle Gibson, Dalia Geller, Helen Lechner, Mark Gorman, Carol Barrett, and Flavio Bonomi.


• HP Equipment Donation, April 2009
• A big "Thank You" to HP employee Teresa O'Neill who donated a new 22" computer monitor to our Exhibits Department through the HP Equipment Donation Program.

Bobcat Ridge Donors, April 2009
We are finalizing the donor recognition signage for Bobcat Ridge so all pledges need to be submitted by June 30, 2009. Donors above $1,000 will be included, and there will be special recognition for major donors above $10,000. Remember, all gifts to Bobcat Ridge before June 30 will be matched by Carmen M. Christensen. For more information, read our funding proposal.


Fundraising Event, April 2009
The FPAJMZ Board of Directors is hosting a fundraiser for Bobcat Ridge. Bobcat donors above $500 are invited to attend. If you are interested in making a donation or for more information, contact Molly at (650) 326-6338.


Exhibit Opening, April 2009
Our members-only event to celebrate the second phase of the museum's "Clean Green Energy Machines" exhibit will be held Friday, April 24, 6-8 p.m. Event sponsors include Pizza My Heart and Cannonball Winery. Admission is free for Explorer Members (above $100). If you are not a member, join today!


Bobcat Ridge, March 2009
Our bobcat habitat project has a new name. Bobcat Ridge. We are in the final design and fundraising stages, and hope to complete construction this year. We are still seeking the final $60K to complete the project, so if you have donor or fundraising ideas, please call Molly at (650) 326-6338. Click here to see the new logo.


Enjoy Catalogue, March 2009
The spring 2009 issue of the City of Palo Alto's Community Services Department featured Bobcat Ridge on the inside cover. Click here!


Science Outreach, February 2009
Carmen M. Christensen donated $125,000 to help fund our award-winning Science Outreach Program in East Palo Alto and the Ravenswood School District. This generous grant will help fund the program over the next five years.


Dads & Donuts, February 2009
The annual Dads & Donuts event was held Sunday, February 8 and was a fun morning for the whole family. We served yummy Krispy Kreme donuts, Peet's Coffee, yogurt, fruit, and juice to over 200 members. We also hosted an exciting silent auction with fun goodies for Dads. A Big Thank You to our event sponsor Bay Area Parent. For a complete list of silent auction donors click here.


2009 Events, January 2009
Mark your calendars for our 2009 members-only events:
Dads & Donuts - Sunday, February 8, 9am - 12pm
Museum Exhibit Opening - Friday, April 24, 6pm - 8pm
Moms & Muffins - Sunday, September 13, 9am - 12pm
Halloween Zoo Night - Friday, October 30, 5pm - 8pm


Bobcat Habitat Update, January 2009
For the second year in a row, the students at Walter Hays Elementary School donated their lunch change to the bobcat habitat fund. The Student Council presented $120 in quarters to Zoo Director Rob Steele at a special ceremony. We are extremely grateful for this donation and Walter Hays continued support of the JMZ. Go Wildcats!!!

Annual Giving, December 2008
Thank you to our generous members and Board of Directors who donated over $9,000 for the 2008 annual fund. Annual Giving donations help fund our on-going projects like East Palo Alto Science Outreach and museum exhibits. We recognize that these gifts are beyond the annual membership donations so we are extremely grateful for their generosity!!!


Shopping Days, December, 2008
Thanks to Palo Alto Palo Alto Sport Shop & Toy World and Books Inc. for hosting Christmas shopping days for our members. The Friends salute these two businesses for donating 10% of sale proceeds to help build a new bobcat home. Members are encouraged to patronize these businesses all year and thank them for supporting the JMZ.


Bobcat Habitat Update, November 2008
To date, we have raised $206,000 of our $350,000 fundraising goal! All donations received before December 31 will be matched by the Carmen Christensen Fund. Please help us build a new home for Rufus & Tule. Donate today!


Toys for Kids, November 2008
The Junior Museum & Zoo is leading the efforts to solicit toys for the City of Palo Alto's 25th Annual "Toys For Kids" drive. Drop off new toys at the JMZ between November 15 - December 23.


Halloween Zoo Night, November 1, 2008
Over 250 members braved the rain to support our annual Halloween Zoo Night. Event sponsors included Pizza My Heart and Cannonball Wines. Next year's event will be held on Friday, October 30, 2009. See the photos from 2008.


New Hydropower Exhibit, September 2008
The Friends are excited to announce a donation of $10,000 to the City of Palo Alto for the new hydropower exhibit, as part of the Clean Green Energy Machines exhibit. The hydropower exhibit was created by JMZ Exhibits Director Tina Cosby and built by Lindsay & Associates. Come visit the museum and play with this fun new invention.


Moms & Muffins Silent Auction, September 14, 2008
This new members-only event was a fun morning for the whole family. We served yummy muffins, Peet's Coffee, yogurt, fruit, and juice to over 200 members. We also hosted an exciting silent auction with goodies for moms like massages, facials, etc. A Big Thank You to our event sponsor The Four Seasons Silicon Valley Spa in East Palo Alto. For a complete list of silent auction donors click here.


Bobcat Habitat Update, August 2008
To date, we have raised $153,000 of our $300,000 budget! Thanks to the following donors who made generous leadership gifts for this project: Mariela & Keith Kleiner, Wendy Dransfield & Robert Bridger, The Peery Family, The Laurel Foundation, Leonard & Shirley Ely, and the KC Family Foundation.


Science Outreach Program Update, August 2008
Thus far, we have raised $23,750 to offer hands-on Science classes for Ravenswood students in kindergarten through 3rd grade at Willow Oaks Elementary School in the 2008-09 school year. We are grateful to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation which is promoting this program and encouraging their donors to participate. For more information, please call (650) 326-6338.


Shopping News, August 2008
We've teamed up with CuteLittleClothes.com children's clothing boutique to give you the opportunity to support the PA Junior Museum and Zoo while doing your back-to-school shopping from the comfort of your home. From now until Labor Day, 10% of your purchase proceeds will go to support the PA Junior Museum and Zoo. You also get Free Shipping on your purchase with coupon code JMZ.


Palo Alto Sport Shop & Toy World Donation, August 2008
The Palo Alto Sport Shop generously donated 10% of sale proceeds on August 8 & 9 to the Junior Museum & Zoo. Shoppers were encouraged to stock up on summer items and back-to-school sports equipment. A big thank you to General Manager Eric Charles Hager who presented us with a check for $1980.00. Please check back for the dates of our Christmas shopping days.


Books, Inc. Events, July 2008
Books Inc., at Town & Country Village in Palo Alto, held its second fundraiser for the bobcat habitat.  The first event featured Curious George and raised $486 in March 2008.  The follow-up event was held July 19, featuring Corduroy the Bear, and raised $345.  Kudos to Eric Peterson who coordinated these events.


JMZ hires John Aikin, June 2008
The city hired John Aikin to be the new Director of the JMZ. See story in the Palo Alto Weekly.


Matching Challenge Grant Update, June 2008
Due to the generosity of local families and businesses, we were able to meet the challenge grant of an anonymous local family to raise $75k by June 1 for the bobcat habitat project.  The donor awarded us a $50,000 matching grant on June 15.  A big thank you to everyone who helped us reach this goal.  The next phase is to raise another $200k by December 31.  All donations to the bobcat habitat project will be matched!


May Fete Celebration, May 2008
Two members of Girl Scout Troop #60667, Sarah McDonnell and Megan Valencia, organized a May Fete booth to raise money for the bobcat habitat.  The Friends wish to thank these young ladies for their hard work, perseverance, and leadership skills.


Bobcat Habitat Fundraising Update, May 2008
The Palo Alto Daily News did a wonderful story about our new campaign to raise money to renovate the bobcat habitat. Please read here.


Grant News, May 2008
The Friends are proud to announce that we received 3 grants in support of our Science Outreach Program. This valuable science program provides hands-on classes for East Palo Alto students in kindergarten through 3rd grade at Willow Oaks Elementary School. In 2007-08, we provided 192 classes with restricted grants from the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund ($5,000), the Rotary Club of Palo Alto ($7,500), and the Palo Alto Community Foundation ($5,000). The Friends appreciate the generous support of these local community leaders.


Lions Club Donation, April 2008
The Palo Alto Lions Club held their April meeting at the JMZ and donated $2,000 to the bobcat habitat renovation project. Thanks to Roger Stroud for organizing this event.


Greenlight Film Festival, April 2008
On April 17th, the Friends had a booth at the Greenlight Film Festival. The Friends were proud to be part of this "green" initiative. Congratulations to the student filmmakers.


Bobcat Habitat Design, March 2008
The Friends hired Studio Hanson Roberts (SHR) to design a new bobcat habitat for Rufus and Tule. SHR is an award-winning design firm specializing in creating environments for zoos and educational institutions. We expect to have construction documents ready in July 2008. If you are interested in making a donation to help with the design and construction of the new bobcat habitat, please donate today or call (650) 326-6338.


Dads & Donuts and Halloween Zoo Night Announcement, January 2008
The Friends announced the dates for 2 of our most popular events. Dads & Donuts will be held on Sunday, April 6, 9am - 11am and Halloween Zoo Night will be Saturday, November 1, 6pm - 8pm. Both events are "members-only" events so renew your memberships soon! Click here to join.


Bobcat Renovation Matching Grant, January 2008
An anonymous donor has issued a $50,000 challenge grant to match funds raised for the bobcat project by June 1st. If we raise $75,000 in Bobcat Habitat funds by June 1, 2008, then the donor will give the Friends an additional $50,000 grant. That means for every $1.50 you are able to donate to this project, the Friends will receive an additional $1. Thus, this is a unique opportunity for YOUR donation to go even further! Please donate today and help us meet this challenge grant by June 1.

City of Palo Alto Update, November 2007
The Friends and JMZ Staff proposed a new partnership agreement with the City of Palo Alto. Building on years of cooperation, the new agreement creates the framework for an enhanced and expanded working relationship between the Friends and the City. Hopefully, the new agreement will be formally approved by the City Council in December.


Staffing News, November 2007
The Friends hired Molly McAuliffe as the Director of Development. McAuliffe previously served on the Friends Board for 2 years and in her new role will be responsible for the day-to-day management and fundraising activities for the Friends. McAuliffe has over 15 years experience working with non-profit organizations.


Donor Update: Carmen M. Christensen
The Friends received a $1 million grant from Carmen M. Christensen, earmarked for organizational transition and to seed capital improvements. We hired two new staff members, Molly McAuliffe (Director of Development) and Rosanne Kapur (Director of Operations/Administration), to help lead the Friends efforts.