Explore the Shore

There are new kids on the block! Goat kids Kettle, Biscuit, Hopper, Crumpet, Daisy Mae, Rhubarb, and Thistle, named by their keepers, arrived at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium on Saturday. The 7-week-old kids are viewable to guests (not for touching or feeding, yet) in the Kids’ Zone area of the zoo but won’t mingle with the current herd until they are bigger. “We will give them plenty of time to get settled in and acquainted with keepers,” said Curator…

It’s that time of year again! Our Magellanic penguins have found their mates and are in the middle of nesting season. Earlier this month, keepers observed our penguin pairs snuggling in their nests. It wasn’t much longer before we saw the eggs being kept warm. Each year, keepers prepare Penguin Point for nesting season. They add long grasses throughout their habitat so pairs can begin gathering materials and building their nests. This year, keepers added a new nesting material: lavender. “Lavender has…

They have thick trunks and twisting branches, like winding pathways through time. Their acorns have fallen to the ground, easy pickings for the gray squirrels, birds, and deer that call Oak Tree Park in South Tacoma their home. On a sunny March afternoon, the acorns from the old Garry Oak trees have also caught the attention of the first and second graders from Arlington Elementary School. The park is within walking distance of their school. The students notice them all…