As we start a new year, here are some exciting updates about changes at your zoo.

First, we are looking forward to welcoming Booski, a five-year-old Amur tiger who is joining us in early January. Booski has been living with his sister at the Detroit Zoo, but he is coming to Connecticut for breeding purposes of this endangered species. As is standard Zoo policy, he will remain in quarantine for a few weeks before going on exhibit. We'll let you know when you can get your first peek at him!

We'll also let you know when our new ocelot kitten and his mother will be on exhibit in our Tropical Rainforest Building. We hope to see them out sometime this month, but that depends on some work being done in their building.

Which leads us to information about some "greening" being done at the Zoo. We are replacing the HVAC system in the Tropical Rainforest Building and recently converted all lighting Zoo-wide into energy saving light bulbs and motion sensors. We plan to install a solar array system in the Hanson Exploration Station this spring and perhaps also at our Victorian Greenhouse and Peacock Café.

To help visitors get the most out of their visit, we continue to add interpretive graphics (like above) around the Zoo. You've already noticed two "Welcome to the Zoo" signs and signage in the wetlands area. We have designed and ordered signs for Predator Row, the Hanson Exploration Station and Gift Shop. Throughout the year, we will add history and cultural signage as well as informational graphics for our New England Farmyard area. Many thanks to People's United Bank Foundation, which provided a grant to fund our new signage.

So, there's a lot to look forward to at your zoo in 2009!

Wild Wednesdays continue through January and February. An educational program (story, animal or craft) will be held in the warmth of Professor Beardsley's Research Station at 11:00 a.m. In addition, all children will receive one free Carousel pass, and all adults will receive a free cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate.

Winter is a great time to visit the Zoo; the crowds are smaller, and the animals are more active. We hope to see you!

Did you know that Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo is open year-round, 362 days a year! There is no time to sit on our hindquarters; there are guests to entertain, a community to educate, species to protect and the environment to conserve!

Maintaining a zoo, even in the winter months, takes a ton of resources. From grooming the natural habitats, providing veterinary care and training expert staff to feeding the nearly 350 animals that call Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo home, all of this behind-the-scenes work takes the backing of a caring and generous community.

Because we are a private non-profit facility, your 100 percent tax-deductible donation will further facilitate the exciting progress at the zoo in your own backyard!

Please get behind us and donate today! Click here to contribute online now or mail your check, payable to "CZS", to: Development Office, Connecticut Zoological Society, 1875 Noble Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06610.

• We host our annual Asian New Year event on Jan. 31 (snow date Feb. 7) from noon to 3 p.m. It's the Year of the Ox! We'll celebrate with a children's parade, story time, crafts, and talks about related animals.
• Wild Wednesdays continue through January and February.

See details and our other events here

Ring in the New Year with a resolution to help protect the environment and reduce your carbon footprint. Have a green New Year's Eve party.

• Create New Year's Eve party invitations on your computer that you can send via email instead of creating and mailing paper cards.
• Car-pool—greener and safer!
• Rent dishes, linens, utensils and stemware if you don't have enough on hand to serve all of your guests. If you're going the disposable route, try some eco- disposable options. BiodegradableStore.com has a plate made from sugarcane, an annually renewable resource. Green Party Goods has great options for festive napkins, or take a look at Plum Party's eco-supply section.
• Decorate with items you've created or that you already have on hand. Create edible centerpieces out of colorful fruit skewers or simply use pretty potted plants that you can let your guests take home as party favors. Use paper punches or pinking shears to turn old wrapping paper, greeting cards or magazines into confetti for the countdown at midnight.
• Save electricity by using organic beeswax candles instead of turning on extra lights. Although they won't be powerful enough to light an entire room, use them to create atmosphere on the patio or illuminate the powder room, for example.
• Serve snacks created with organic foods such as a crudités of locally grown vegetables. Instead of imported cheese, opt for domestic artisan cheeses. If you're using convenience foods, organic frozen quiches and dips are also available in regular grocery stores. Serve organic champagne wines and other drinks.
• Going to a green New Year's Eve party? Compact fluorescent light bulbs, organic flower or veggie seeds, beeswax or soy candles, and organic wines make great hostess gifts.

What fish-eating animal nests in holes in trees?

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