{"id":57992,"date":"2015-12-02T18:00:49","date_gmt":"2015-12-02T23:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/?p=57992"},"modified":"2015-12-02T18:00:49","modified_gmt":"2015-12-02T23:00:49","slug":"57992","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/","title":{"rendered":"Zoo, IPFW, &#038; Little River Wetlands Project join to promote nature play &#8211; Families4Nature"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Zoo_logo1-480x200.jpg\" alt=\"Fort Wayne Children's Zoo logo\" width=\"480\" height=\"200\" class=\"aligncenter size-thumbnail wp-image-34846\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>News release from the Fort Wayne Children&#8217;s Zoo:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Zoo, IPFW, &amp; Little River Wetlands Project Join to Promote Nature Play<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>Families4Nature offers programs, incentives to get kids outside<\/em><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>(December 2, 2015) &#8211; To encourage kids and parents to unplug and explore the outdoors, three Fort Wayne organizations are partnering to launch a new initiative called Families4Nature.<\/p>\n<p>Families4Nature includes a year-long calendar of programs and events and is a joint project of the Fort Wayne Children&#8217;s Zoo, IPFW&#8217;s Environmental Resources Center, and Little River Wetlands Project.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We know that kids and families spend far less time outdoors than they did 20 or 30 years ago,&#8221; says Cheryl Piropato, Director of Education &amp; Communications for the Zoo.  &#8220;Families4Nature is part of a nationwide effort to encourage parents and children to rediscover the simple joys of being outdoors &#8211; skipping stones, climbing trees, and enjoying nature.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>According to Liz Hincks, Wetlands Education Coordinator for Little River Wetlands Project, &#8220;Connecting families with the outdoors is fun!  Making that connection helps families learn about and better appreciate the value of nature and wetlands within their community.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;A nationwide push for improved STEM education &#8211; science, technology, engineering, and math &#8211; includes the biological sciences,&#8221; says Sasha Tetzlaff, Research Assistant for IPFW&#8217;s Environmental Resources Center.  &#8220;Getting outdoors can spark that interest in kids of all ages.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>As part of Families4Nature, in 2016 the Zoo will construct a Nature Discovery Zone near the site of the former Diehm Museum, across the street from the Zoo.  The Nature Discovery Zone will feature logs, rocks, and sticks for old-fashioned fort building plus a small marsh for exploration.<\/p>\n<p>Families4Nature also includes a Nature Passport that can be turned in for free Zoo tickets and other incentives.  Families can fill out the Nature Passport by completing simple outdoor activities such as taking walks or collecting leaves, or by attending events at the three partner locations.<\/p>\n<p>Families can download and print the Nature Passport and see upcoming Families4Nature events at <a href=\"https:\/\/kidszoo.org\/conservation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/kidszoo.org\/conservation\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Families4Nature is funded in part by the Association of Zoos &amp; Aquariums&#8217; Disney Conservation Fund and the Prophet Sisters Foundation.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>About the IPFW Environmental Resources Center<\/strong><br \/>\nThe Environmental Resources Center&#8217;s (ERC) mission is to promote the understanding and conservation of the natural resources of the region through scientific research, educational opportunities and outreach. As one of the Centers of Excellence at Indiana-Purdue University Fort Wayne, the ERC is a collaborative effort among an array of IPFW faculty, staff and students, as well as community partners in and beyond northeastern Indiana.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>About Little River Wetlands Project (LRWP)<\/strong><br \/>\nLittle River Wetlands Project&#8217;s mission is to restore and protect wetlands in the historic watershed of the Little River and to provide educational opportunities that encourage good stewardship of wetlands and other natural ecosystems. LRWP protects almost 1,200 acres, mostly restored wetland preserves open to the public, in our area. Its 716-acre Eagle Marsh preserve in southwest Fort Wayne is the largest inland urban wetland restoration in the United States, with more than ten miles of nature trails.<\/p>\n<p>LRWP also offers free nature programs and guided hikes for children, families and adults that will serve more than 12,000 people this year. Its family-friendly Earth Day Fort Wayne in April and Monarch Festival in September, both held at Eagle Marsh, invite participants to learn about wetlands and conservation, view native wildflowers and wildlife, plant native plants at home or at the preserve, and participate in a variety of interactive learning stations.  All its programs are free and open to the community. Learn more at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lrwp.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">www.lrwp.org<\/a> or by calling 260.478.2515.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>About the Fort Wayne Children&#8217;s Zoo<\/strong><br \/>\nThe Fort Wayne Children&#8217;s Zoo&#8217;s mission is to connect kids and animals, strengthen families, and inspire people to care.  The Zoo is northeast Indiana&#8217;s largest tourist attraction, hosting more than 500,000 guests annually.  The Zoo received the 2015 TripAdvisor Travelers&#8217; Choice Award, was voted Indiana&#8217;s #1 &#8220;Gotta-Do Summer Attraction,&#8221; and is consistently named one of the nation&#8217;s Top Ten Zoos for Kids by national media outlets.<\/p>\n<p>The Zoo is a conservation leader, contributing more than $80,000 annually to local, regional, and international efforts to protect wild animals and habitats, and participating in cooperative management programs for 91 endangered species and taxa.  The Zoo was named Northeast Indiana&#8217;s Sustainable Business of the Year in 2014.<\/p>\n<p>As a self-supporting facility, the Fort Wayne Children&#8217;s Zoo receives no tax dollars for operations.  The Zoo&#8217;s operations are funded entirely by earned revenue and donations.<\/p>\n<p>The Zoo opens for the 2016 season on April 23, 2016.  Hours are 9:00 AM &#8211; 5:00 PM daily, with extended hours of 9:00 AM &#8211; 7:00 PM from Memorial Day &#8211; Labor Day.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Related Images:<\/h3><div class=\"ngg-related-gallery\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/four-sea-lions_frolic.jpg\"\n\t\t\ttitle=\"Our four sea lions frolic in the waters of Sea Lion Beach at the Fort Wayne Children&#039;s Zoo  Photo Courtesy of the Fort Wayne Children&#039;s Zoo.\"\n\t\t\tclass='thickbox' rel='69c85372511dc8c62064b33b9854d5ad' data-image-id=\"5379\" data-src=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/four-sea-lions_frolic.jpg\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_four-sea-lions_frolic.jpg\" data-title=\"Four Sea Lions frolic\" data-description=\"Our four sea lions frolic in the waters of Sea Lion Beach at the Fort Wayne Children&#039;s Zoo  Photo Courtesy of the Fort Wayne Children&#039;s Zoo.\">\n\t\t\t<img title=\"Four Sea Lions frolic\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"Four Sea Lions frolic\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-id=\"5379\"\n\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_four-sea-lions_frolic.jpg\"\/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/tiny_cassandra.jpg\"\n\t\t\ttitle=\"Tiny Cassandra follows Fishbone everywhere at the Fort Wayne Children&#039;s Zoo Photo Courtesy of the Fort Wayne Children&#039;s Zoo.\"\n\t\t\tclass='thickbox' rel='69c85372511dc8c62064b33b9854d5ad' data-image-id=\"5380\" data-src=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/tiny_cassandra.jpg\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_tiny_cassandra.jpg\" data-title=\"Tiny Cassandra follows Fishbone everywhere.jpg (1.07 MB)\" data-description=\"Tiny Cassandra follows Fishbone everywhere at the Fort Wayne Children&#039;s Zoo Photo Courtesy of the Fort Wayne Children&#039;s Zoo.\">\n\t\t\t<img title=\"Tiny Cassandra follows Fishbone everywhere.jpg (1.07 MB)\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"Tiny Cassandra follows Fishbone everywhere.jpg (1.07 MB)\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-id=\"5380\"\n\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_tiny_cassandra.jpg\"\/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/three_weeks_old.jpg\"\n\t\t\ttitle=\"At three weeks old, Tuck quadrupled its weight since hatching.\"\n\t\t\tclass='thickbox' rel='69c85372511dc8c62064b33b9854d5ad' data-image-id=\"6001\" data-src=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/three_weeks_old.jpg\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_three_weeks_old.jpg\" data-title=\"Tuck at three weeks old\" data-description=\"At three weeks old, Tuck quadrupled its weight since hatching.\">\n\t\t\t<img title=\"Tuck at three weeks old\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"Tuck at three weeks old\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-id=\"6001\"\n\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_three_weeks_old.jpg\"\/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/colobus_monkey1.jpg\"\n\t\t\ttitle=\"Colobus Monkey baby born at the Zoo with her mother. Courtesy photo.\"\n\t\t\tclass='thickbox' rel='69c85372511dc8c62064b33b9854d5ad' data-image-id=\"6757\" data-src=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/colobus_monkey1.jpg\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_colobus_monkey1.jpg\" data-title=\"Colobus Monkey baby born at the Zoo with her mother\" data-description=\"Colobus Monkey baby born at the Zoo with her mother. Courtesy photo.\">\n\t\t\t<img title=\"Colobus Monkey baby born at the Zoo with her mother\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"Colobus Monkey baby born at the Zoo with her mother\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-id=\"6757\"\n\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_colobus_monkey1.jpg\"\/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/colobus_monkey2.jpg\"\n\t\t\ttitle=\"Colobus Monkey baby born at the Zoo with her mother. Courtesy photo.\"\n\t\t\tclass='thickbox' rel='69c85372511dc8c62064b33b9854d5ad' data-image-id=\"6758\" data-src=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/colobus_monkey2.jpg\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_colobus_monkey2.jpg\" data-title=\"Colobus Monkey baby born at the Zoo with her mother\" data-description=\"Colobus Monkey baby born at the Zoo with her mother. Courtesy photo.\">\n\t\t\t<img title=\"Colobus Monkey baby born at the Zoo with her mother\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"Colobus Monkey baby born at the Zoo with her mother\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-id=\"6758\"\n\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_colobus_monkey2.jpg\"\/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/indah_bugara0.jpg\"\n\t\t\ttitle=\"Indah the Sumatran tiger tackles her brother Bugara at the Cameron park Zoo in Waco, Texas. The pair are coming to Fort Wayne later this month. Photos by Sheri Hemrick and courtesy of the Fort Wayne Children&#039;s Zoo.\"\n\t\t\tclass='thickbox' rel='69c85372511dc8c62064b33b9854d5ad' data-image-id=\"6819\" data-src=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/indah_bugara0.jpg\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_indah_bugara0.jpg\" data-title=\"Indah and Bugara\" data-description=\"Indah the Sumatran tiger tackles her brother Bugara at the Cameron park Zoo in Waco, Texas. The pair are coming to Fort Wayne later this month. Photos by Sheri Hemrick and courtesy of the Fort Wayne Children&#039;s Zoo.\">\n\t\t\t<img title=\"Indah and Bugara\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"Indah and Bugara\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-id=\"6819\"\n\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_indah_bugara0.jpg\"\/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/indah_bugara1.jpg\"\n\t\t\ttitle=\"Indah (left) and Bugara will come to Fort Wayne later this month as part of an effort to boost the population of endangered Sumatran tigers. Photos by Sheri Hemrick and courtesy of the Fort Wayne Children&#039;s Zoo.\"\n\t\t\tclass='thickbox' rel='69c85372511dc8c62064b33b9854d5ad' data-image-id=\"6820\" data-src=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/indah_bugara1.jpg\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_indah_bugara1.jpg\" data-title=\"Indah and Bugara\" data-description=\"Indah (left) and Bugara will come to Fort Wayne later this month as part of an effort to boost the population of endangered Sumatran tigers. Photos by Sheri Hemrick and courtesy of the Fort Wayne Children&#039;s Zoo.\">\n\t\t\t<img title=\"Indah and Bugara\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"Indah and Bugara\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-id=\"6820\"\n\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_indah_bugara1.jpg\"\/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/javan_gibbon_baby1.jpg\"\n\t\t\ttitle=\"Rare Javan gibbon baby born at the Fort Wayne Children&#039;s Zoo. Courtesy image.\"\n\t\t\tclass='thickbox' rel='69c85372511dc8c62064b33b9854d5ad' data-image-id=\"6913\" data-src=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/javan_gibbon_baby1.jpg\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_javan_gibbon_baby1.jpg\" data-title=\"Javan gibbon baby\" data-description=\"Rare Javan gibbon baby born at the Fort Wayne Children&#039;s Zoo. Courtesy image.\">\n\t\t\t<img title=\"Javan gibbon baby\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"Javan gibbon baby\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-id=\"6913\"\n\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_javan_gibbon_baby1.jpg\"\/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/javan_gibbon_baby2.jpg\"\n\t\t\ttitle=\"Rare Javan gibbon baby born at the Fort Wayne Children&#039;s Zoo. Courtesy image.\"\n\t\t\tclass='thickbox' rel='69c85372511dc8c62064b33b9854d5ad' data-image-id=\"6914\" data-src=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/javan_gibbon_baby2.jpg\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_javan_gibbon_baby2.jpg\" data-title=\"Javan gibbon baby\" data-description=\"Rare Javan gibbon baby born at the Fort Wayne Children&#039;s Zoo. Courtesy image.\">\n\t\t\t<img title=\"Javan gibbon baby\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"Javan gibbon baby\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-id=\"6914\"\n\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_javan_gibbon_baby2.jpg\"\/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/bugara.jpg\"\n\t\t\ttitle=\"Vote for Bugara the Sumatran Tiger in the Kroger Zoo Day balloting. Courtesy image.\"\n\t\t\tclass='thickbox' rel='69c85372511dc8c62064b33b9854d5ad' data-image-id=\"6917\" data-src=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/bugara.jpg\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_bugara.jpg\" data-title=\"Bugara the Sumatran Tiger\" data-description=\"Vote for Bugara the Sumatran Tiger in the Kroger Zoo Day balloting. Courtesy image.\">\n\t\t\t<img title=\"Bugara the Sumatran Tiger\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"Bugara the Sumatran Tiger\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-id=\"6917\"\n\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_bugara.jpg\"\/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/fishbone.jpg\"\n\t\t\ttitle=\"Vote for Fishbone the Sea Lion in the Kroger Zoo Day balloting. Courtesy image.\"\n\t\t\tclass='thickbox' rel='69c85372511dc8c62064b33b9854d5ad' data-image-id=\"6918\" data-src=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/fishbone.jpg\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_fishbone.jpg\" data-title=\"Fishbone the Sea Lion\" data-description=\"Vote for Fishbone the Sea Lion in the Kroger Zoo Day balloting. Courtesy image.\">\n\t\t\t<img title=\"Fishbone the Sea Lion\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"Fishbone the Sea Lion\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-id=\"6918\"\n\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_fishbone.jpg\"\/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/jelani.jpg\"\n\t\t\ttitle=\"Vote for Jelani the Giraffe in the Kroger Zoo Day balloting. Courtesy image.\"\n\t\t\tclass='thickbox' rel='69c85372511dc8c62064b33b9854d5ad' data-image-id=\"6919\" data-src=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/jelani.jpg\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_jelani.jpg\" data-title=\"Jelani the Giraffe\" data-description=\"Vote for Jelani the Giraffe in the Kroger Zoo Day balloting. Courtesy image.\">\n\t\t\t<img title=\"Jelani the Giraffe\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"Jelani the Giraffe\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-id=\"6919\"\n\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_jelani.jpg\"\/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/kids4nature-1.jpg\"\n\t\t\ttitle=\"Kids4Nature. Courtesy image.\"\n\t\t\tclass='thickbox' rel='69c85372511dc8c62064b33b9854d5ad' data-image-id=\"6940\" data-src=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/kids4nature-1.jpg\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_kids4nature-1.jpg\" data-title=\"Kids4Nature\" data-description=\"Kids4Nature. Courtesy image.\">\n\t\t\t<img title=\"Kids4Nature\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"Kids4Nature\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-id=\"6940\"\n\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_kids4nature-1.jpg\"\/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/kids4nature-2.jpg\"\n\t\t\ttitle=\"Kids4Nature. Courtesy image.\"\n\t\t\tclass='thickbox' rel='69c85372511dc8c62064b33b9854d5ad' data-image-id=\"6941\" data-src=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/kids4nature-2.jpg\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_kids4nature-2.jpg\" data-title=\"Kids4Nature\" data-description=\"Kids4Nature. Courtesy image.\">\n\t\t\t<img title=\"Kids4Nature\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"Kids4Nature\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-id=\"6941\"\n\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_kids4nature-2.jpg\"\/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/jim_anderson.jpg\"\n\t\t\ttitle=\"Jim Anderson, director of the Fort Wayne Children&#039;s Zoo. Courtesy image.\"\n\t\t\tclass='thickbox' rel='69c85372511dc8c62064b33b9854d5ad' data-image-id=\"6953\" data-src=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/jim_anderson.jpg\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_jim_anderson.jpg\" data-title=\"Jim Anderson\" data-description=\"Jim Anderson, director of the Fort Wayne Children&#039;s Zoo. Courtesy image.\">\n\t\t\t<img title=\"Jim Anderson\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"Jim Anderson\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-image-id=\"6953\"\n\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/gallery\/zoo\/thumbs\/thumbs_jim_anderson.jpg\"\/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To encourage kids and parents to unplug and explore the outdoors, three Fort Wayne organizations are partnering to launch a new initiative called Families4Nature.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":53888,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1716],"tags":[7567,14201,4409,16424,16425,23,40,14462,10970,10971,16426,16427,16428],"class_list":["post-57992","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-releases","tag-association-of-zoos-and-aquariums-species-survival-plans","tag-cheryl-piropato","tag-diehm-museum","tag-disney-conservation-fund","tag-families4nature","tag-fort-wayne-indiana","tag-fort-wayne-zoo","tag-ipfw-environmental-resources-center","tag-little-river-wetlands-project","tag-liz-hincks","tag-nature-discovery-zone","tag-prophet-sisters-foundation","tag-sasha-tetzlaff"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Zoo, IPFW, &amp; Little River Wetlands Project join to promote nature play - Families4Nature - AroundFortWayne<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"To encourage kids and parents to unplug and explore the outdoors, three Fort Wayne organizations are partnering to launch a new initiative called Families4Nature.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Zoo, IPFW, &amp; Little River Wetlands Project join to promote nature play - Families4Nature - AroundFortWayne\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"To encourage kids and parents to unplug and explore the outdoors, three Fort Wayne organizations are partnering to launch a new initiative called Families4Nature.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"AroundFortWayne\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AroundFortWayne\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-12-02T23:00:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/FW_Zoo_logo.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"960\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"960\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"slparker67\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@TheAFWBlog\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@TheAFWBlog\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"slparker67\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"slparker67\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/88f01e415ca0f3bbfb098de86acaa381\"},\"headline\":\"Zoo, IPFW, &#038; Little River Wetlands Project join to promote nature play &#8211; Families4Nature\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-12-02T23:00:49+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/\"},\"wordCount\":800,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/FW_Zoo_logo.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plans\",\"Cheryl Piropato\",\"Diehm Museum\",\"Disney Conservation Fund\",\"Families4Nature\",\"Fort Wayne Indiana\",\"Fort Wayne Zoo\",\"IPFW Environmental Resources Center\",\"Little River Wetlands Project\",\"Liz Hincks\",\"Nature Discovery Zone\",\"Prophet Sisters Foundation\",\"Sasha Tetzlaff\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News releases\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/\",\"name\":\"Zoo, IPFW, & Little River Wetlands Project join to promote nature play - Families4Nature - AroundFortWayne\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/FW_Zoo_logo.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-12-02T23:00:49+00:00\",\"description\":\"To encourage kids and parents to unplug and explore the outdoors, three Fort Wayne organizations are partnering to launch a new initiative called Families4Nature.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/FW_Zoo_logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/FW_Zoo_logo.jpg\",\"width\":960,\"height\":960,\"caption\":\"Fort Wayne Children's Zoo logo\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Zoo, IPFW, &#038; Little River Wetlands Project join to promote nature play &#8211; Families4Nature\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/\",\"name\":\"AroundFortWayne\",\"description\":\"News AroundFortWayne Indiana.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/#organization\",\"name\":\"AroundFortWayne\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/AFW_logo_400.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/AFW_logo_400.jpg\",\"width\":400,\"height\":400,\"caption\":\"AroundFortWayne\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AroundFortWayne\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/TheAFWBlog\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/aroundfortwayne\/\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/aroundfortwayne\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCCL2Biqou6j8uZ-TSxPa6aQ\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/88f01e415ca0f3bbfb098de86acaa381\",\"name\":\"slparker67\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0d9d29a87fa454c03cc43923f1901771cd387e27aaecde1a03e8625f61eb6b1b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0d9d29a87fa454c03cc43923f1901771cd387e27aaecde1a03e8625f61eb6b1b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"slparker67\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/author\/slparker67\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Zoo, IPFW, & Little River Wetlands Project join to promote nature play - Families4Nature - AroundFortWayne","description":"To encourage kids and parents to unplug and explore the outdoors, three Fort Wayne organizations are partnering to launch a new initiative called Families4Nature.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Zoo, IPFW, & Little River Wetlands Project join to promote nature play - Families4Nature - AroundFortWayne","og_description":"To encourage kids and parents to unplug and explore the outdoors, three Fort Wayne organizations are partnering to launch a new initiative called Families4Nature.","og_url":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/","og_site_name":"AroundFortWayne","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AroundFortWayne","article_published_time":"2015-12-02T23:00:49+00:00","og_image":[{"width":960,"height":960,"url":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/FW_Zoo_logo.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"slparker67","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@TheAFWBlog","twitter_site":"@TheAFWBlog","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"slparker67","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/"},"author":{"name":"slparker67","@id":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/88f01e415ca0f3bbfb098de86acaa381"},"headline":"Zoo, IPFW, &#038; Little River Wetlands Project join to promote nature play &#8211; Families4Nature","datePublished":"2015-12-02T23:00:49+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/"},"wordCount":800,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/FW_Zoo_logo.jpg","keywords":["Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plans","Cheryl Piropato","Diehm Museum","Disney Conservation Fund","Families4Nature","Fort Wayne Indiana","Fort Wayne Zoo","IPFW Environmental Resources Center","Little River Wetlands Project","Liz Hincks","Nature Discovery Zone","Prophet Sisters Foundation","Sasha Tetzlaff"],"articleSection":["News releases"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/","url":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/","name":"Zoo, IPFW, & Little River Wetlands Project join to promote nature play - Families4Nature - AroundFortWayne","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/FW_Zoo_logo.jpg","datePublished":"2015-12-02T23:00:49+00:00","description":"To encourage kids and parents to unplug and explore the outdoors, three Fort Wayne organizations are partnering to launch a new initiative called Families4Nature.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/FW_Zoo_logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/FW_Zoo_logo.jpg","width":960,"height":960,"caption":"Fort Wayne Children's Zoo logo"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2015\/12\/02\/57992\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Zoo, IPFW, &#038; Little River Wetlands Project join to promote nature play &#8211; Families4Nature"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/","name":"AroundFortWayne","description":"News AroundFortWayne Indiana.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/#organization","name":"AroundFortWayne","url":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/AFW_logo_400.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/AFW_logo_400.jpg","width":400,"height":400,"caption":"AroundFortWayne"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AroundFortWayne","https:\/\/x.com\/TheAFWBlog","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/aroundfortwayne\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/aroundfortwayne\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCCL2Biqou6j8uZ-TSxPa6aQ"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/88f01e415ca0f3bbfb098de86acaa381","name":"slparker67","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0d9d29a87fa454c03cc43923f1901771cd387e27aaecde1a03e8625f61eb6b1b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0d9d29a87fa454c03cc43923f1901771cd387e27aaecde1a03e8625f61eb6b1b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"slparker67"},"url":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/author\/slparker67\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57992","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57992"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57992\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57992"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57992"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57992"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}