July 2014 Platy Press

Darlene Winter loves celebrities: Samson the gorilla, Sultana the polar bear, Countess Heine the elephant. Now she’s making

them more famous by writing books about them. And the MilwaukeeCounty Zoo is the beneficiary. Winter is no stranger to donating her effort and time to the Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM). Not only is she a donor in the ZSM’s Platypus Circle, but she also is a 14-year member of Zoo Pride, the ZSM’s volunteer auxiliary. Twoyears ago Winter came out with the 54-page book “I Remember Samson” (Mirror Publishing 2012), which she wrote with the help of Samson’s longtime keeper, now retired, Sam LaMalfa. Samson, believed to be the largest gorilla in captivity, was celebrated in

newspapers, books and on TV. Winter’s second book, a 128-page, 211-photo pictorial history of our Zoo, debuts July 28. For this bookshe is a co-author with two other Zoo Pride volunteers: Zoo historianElizabeth (Bess) Frank, a retired curator of large mammals, and Zoo librarian Mary Kazmierczak.

Samson, perhaps the most popular animal in our Zoo’s history, wassupposed to be a panda. “Pabst Brewing donated $10,000 in the early1940s to import giant pandas from China. That was during World WarII, but the Chinese border closed before we could get the pandas,” saysWinter. “So the Zoological Society decided to purchase gorillas.” Thateffort took years. In 1950 two baby gorillas (Samson and Sambo) flewto Milwaukee on a commercial airline, covered in blankets so no oneknew they were there. Samson long outlived Sambo and was a Zoocelebrity for 31 years.

Arcadia Publishing, which specializes in pictorial-history books and has published several zoo books, contacted Winter about doing a book on our Zoo. “I knew I could not do it alone,” she says. Zoo Director Chuck Wikenhauser wrote the foreword. Bess Frank wrotethe introduction from her research on the history of the Zoo. MaryKazmierczak helped edit and scanned the photos (she also helped with photos for “Samson”). Even though she was familiar with someZoo history, Kazmierczak, whose German grandfather helped designMilwaukee’s infrastructure, was fascinated to discover that “the found-ing of the Zoo was very much the impetus of the German-Americancommunity.” Milwaukee’s German immigrants wanted open-air parkslike ones in Germany, and community groups, along with German beerbarons, helped develop the Zoo. In fact, the Zoo began with eight deerdonated by Col. Gustave Pabst, son of Milwaukee brewer FrederickPabst. Countess Heine, the Zoo’s first elephant, arrived via train togreat fanfare in 1907. She was donated by German immigrant Henry(Heine) Bulder, a community leader who raised funds for her purchase.He was called the “father of the zoo” and helped found the ZoologicalSociety, with Otto L. Kuehn, in 1910.

In the Zoo’s first group of polar bears was Sultana, who gave birth tothe first polar bear cub in captivity in North America. He was namedZero because it was 10 below zero when he was born on Dec. 2, 1919.Sultana was a Zoo celebrity for 35 years, outdistancing Samson, whodied of a heart attack. Winter, who had a heart attack herself in 2005,is donating profits from the “Samson” book to the Zoo’s ape researchproject on heart disease. Profits from the “Milwaukee County Zoo”

The PlatyPress is a newsletter for members of the Platypus Circle. The Platypus Circle is composed of individuals, corporations and foundations who share our passion for supporting the Milwaukee County Zoo, conserving endangered animal species, and teaching the importance of preserving wildlife and its natural environment.

July 2014

Platypus Member Profile:She Writes Books on the Zoo

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Darlene Winter walks at the Zoo.

Photo by Richard Brodzeller

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By Zak Mazur

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Platypus Member Profile: Author is Platypus Circle MemberContinued from page 1

book will help fund equipment for the Zoo library and archive.The Zoo and ZSM are worth supporting, says Winter, whowalks an hour every morning at the Zoo (weather permitting).Winter, a retiree, has volunteered more than 2,070 hours in Zoo Pride, serving on the primate committee, as a summerguide, and as chair of the Halloween events committee, amongother activities. She designated the ZSM as a beneficiary in herestate plans, and thus became a member of our Simba Circle.

She also became a Platypus Circle donor (whose benefits include year-round Zoo admission and Platypus events) at the starting level of $500. Winter finds that affordable becauseshe can spread payments out monthly, and 125 of her annualZoo Pride volunteer hours give her a discount of up to $85. “I felt that the Platypus Circle was something I could do forthe Zoo.” Being a Platypus Circle donor increases her supportof a place that she loves. “When you’re at the Zoo,” she says,“it feels like you’re away from everything. You don’t feel likeyou’re in the city. It’s neat in the morning when I’m walking.The peacocks are yelling. Then a zebra starts calling, and I can hear him all across the Zoo. You feel like you’re in Africa.” By Paula Brookmire

New Platypus Circle MembersThe following became new members between December 2013 and mid-June 2014

Aegis CorporationJeff Airoldi & Laura Horn-Airoldi

AG Architecture, Inc.Badger Mutual Insurance Co.

Brookfield Rehabilitation & Specialty Care CenterNathan Bublitz & Amanda Losinski

Richard CarpenterNate & Mary CunniffCustom Equipment

DCI-ArtformDianne Dziengal

Catherine ErdmannJeffrey & Mary Fertl

Patricia GormleyJason Graham

Gregory & Sandy GrothGrumman/Butkus AssociatesGSF Mortgage CorporationKatrina & Nezih Hasanoglu

Healics, Inc.

H.O.O.P.S. 4 KidzHupy and Abraham SC

Independent General AgenciesKey Technical Solutions, Inc.

Richard & Penny KrejciPriscilla & Kenneth Kuehn

Don LaydenTimothy & Karen Lee

Jeff LikosarJoseph Mallinger

Rebecca & Matthew MarshLori & Tim Murphy

Gary NevermannSteven Olguin

Palermo’s® PizzaPaychex

Real Time AutomationNicholas & Marge Rivecca

Mark SchounardServer Products

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As a Zoo Pride volunteer, Darlene Winter paints bunny whiskers on a girl during an Eastertime event at the Zoo.

Photo by Rick Heinlein

PlatyPressPlatyPress is published twice a year by the Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM),

10005 W. Bluemound Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53226-4383.

(414) 258-2333zoosociety.org

DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Dave Strelitz (Committee Chair)

Thom Brown Dr. Robert DavisMary Ellen EneaKaren Peck Katz

Maria Gonzalez KnavelJack McKeithan

Deborah MusanteThelma Sias Ryan Schultz

Tricia ShinnersJudy Holz Stathas

Jane Bush Wierzba

DEVELOPMENT STAFFPenny Gutekunst, Vice President of Development

Kim Peterson, Senior Development OfficerGeorgia Young, Development AssistantAveria Steinman, Grant Administrator

NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTORSPaula Brookmire, editor

Zak Mazur, writerRichard Brodzeller and Richard Taylor,

photographers


By Paula Brookmire

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Southern sting ray.Photo by Richard Brodzeller

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VIP Premiere of Sting Rays & SharksBeing the first zoogoers to touch sting rays and sharks was a special perkfor guests at the May 22 VIP Premiere of the Milwaukee County Zoo’sspecial summer exhibit, Sting Ray & Shark Bay, sponsored by Sendik’sFood Markets. Among the special guests were two of Sendik’s owners, Ted Balistreri and Margaret Harris with their children. In the photo at right,Theo Balistreri and his sister, Josie, cut the ribbon to open the exhibit.From left in the photo are Zoo Director Chuck Wikenhauser, ZSM BoardPresident Gina Peter, Ted Balistreri’s two children, Margaret Harris (Ted’ssister), Nicole Harris (Margaret’s daughter) and Dr. Robert Davis, presidentand CEO of the Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM). At the pool insidethe Otto Borchert Family Special Exhibits Building, children were capti-vated as they reached into the water to pet and feed the slippery southernand cownose sting rays. Some children were brave enough to touch awiggling horseshoe crab while guided by a staff member. White-spottedbamboo sharks effortlessly swerved between hands and slipped into pipes serving as caves. The more than 480 guests included members of the Platypus Circle, Simba Circle and Serengeti Circle as well as Milwaukee County officials. The exhibit opened to the public May 24 and runs through Sept. 1.

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Jason Steiner (center), of Ace World Wide Moving/Storage, brought his family to the premiere of the sting-ray-and-shark

exhibit. From left are the Steiner children: Austin, 6; Jack, 9; Claire, 3 (in Dad’s arms); and Sierra, 11. Mom Susan watches

the rays. The Steiners live in Delafield. Ace is a Platypus Circle member.

Ethan Thomas (left), 9, of Milwaukee, touches ahorseshoe crab held by Megan Kreuter, supervisorof the sting-ray-and-shark exhibit. She works forLiving Exhibits, which runs the exhibit.

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By Paula Brookmire

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Paula and David Strelitz, of New Berlin,reach into the waterto touch sting rays.David Strelitz is on

the Zoological Society Board.

Parker Doering (left), 12, and his brother Landon, 5, of OakCreek, learn about a horseshoe crab from Megan Kreuter.

Also fascinated is Kathy White, of Caledonia, a representativeof Tri City National Bank, which is a Platypus Circle member.

Dr. Bert Davis (left), Margaret Harris, and Ted Balistreri at the premiere of the sting-ray-and-shark exhibit.

Photos by Richard Taylor


“I’m sorry.” It was a phrase that Samantha Martinson, 24, said too often. She says it reflected her lack of self-confidence. “I never felt good enough.” But after three years ofparticipating in a summer internship run by the Zoological Society of Milwaukee’s (ZSM’s)Conservation Education Department, Martinson says she’s gained self-esteem. “One of thethings I liked so much about the program was the focus on self-reflection,” she says. “It wasan incredible growth experience every day, and I felt like I was becoming a better person.”James Mills, director of Conservation Education, says the internship benefits both internsand the ZSM. “It provides us with critical personnel resources. Interns work as teaching assistants and help us operate one of the largest zoo-based summer camp programs in thenation.” Each summer 20 interns are selected from a pool of about 180-200 college-age applicants. Since the program’s inception in 1987, about 400 interns have participated.About 30 of those interns were later hired as part-time or full-time ZSM staff members.Were it not funded in part by Platypus Circle members, says Mills, the program wouldn’texist and we wouldn’t be able to educate thousands of children each summer.

An English and secondary education graduate of Marquette University, Martinson, who is originally from Belvidere, Ill., applied for the internship in summer 2010. “Training lastsabout two weeks. Every day is broken down and every hour is planned to the last minute.”The internship itself runs Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and also has biweeklyhomework assignments. “We kept reflection logs. Assignments included topics such as

how you resolved a conflict with a coworker, how you used a disciplinary strategy with a child, and how you attain your personal and professional goals.” Not only did Martinson gain more self-esteem, but she also learned when to ask for help and when to “push through something” on her own.

During her tenure as an intern, she worked in a camp called Actin’ Wild. She helped children write a play, create costumes, memorize their lines and then perform the play – all in one week. “That experience dovetailed perfectly with what I do now,” she says. Martinson currently works as a teaching artist with Milwaukee-area theater groups, a job that requires self-confidence and a background in education – two things she focused on during her ZSM internship. She’s worked with the Hartford Stage Theater Company, First Stage Theater, and Milwaukee Youth Theatre. She has experience working with grades K through 12 and adults.Martinson – who is extremely articulate –says the ZSM internship isso impressive that wordscan’t describe it. “I cansay I know how hard it isto run a nonprofit organi-zation like the ZoologicalSociety from a financialstandpoint. It would bedevastating if this programwas ever cut.”

By Zak Mazur

Samantha Martinson leads youngsters on a tour during a 2010 summer camp at the Zoo.

Where Your Platypus Circle Dollars Go:Internship Builds Confidence

Photo by McKenzi Swinehart

Samantha Martinson

By Zak Mazur

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On the WebFor back issues of PlatyPress

dating to September 2006, go tozoosociety.org/pubs/platypress.

PlatyPress July 2014

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Sept. 14Ride on the Wild Side Bike Ride, sponsored by Wheaton Franciscan - Midwest Spine & Orthopedic Hospital/Wisconsin Heart Hospital and St. Joseph campuses. ZoologicalSociety of Milwaukee fundraiser.*+

Sept. 23Platypus Circle Annual Recognition Dinner. Invitations will be mailed.+

Oct. 21 Simba Circle Annual Dinner. Invitations will be mailed.+

Oct. 23Zoo Brew, Zoological Society beer-tastingfundraiser; evening event.*+

*For more information, call (414) 258-2333 or go online at zoosociety.org.

+Please pre-register.

printed on recycled paper 6107G14

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Animal News My, What Big Eyes You HaveImagine walking down the street and encountering a person with orange-brown eyes the size of soccer balls? Doesn’t sound very cute,does it? However, were you to reduce this creature to about 7 to 8inches long and then cover it in a coat of light-gray fur, you wouldhave the cuteness that most humans identify with babies. This iswhat the Milwaukee County Zoo’s newest Moholi bush baby lookslike. Born last April 16, this big-eyed baby bush baby is now full sizebut weighs less than 10 ounces. It’s just adorable. In addition totheir large, forward-facing eyes, bush babies have the largest earsof any primate in proportion to their body size.

These tiny mammals are found in the forests of sub-Saharan Africa. Arboreal creatures, they are agile, fast jumpers. “Bush babies remind me of rubbery bouncing balls when they leaparound their exhibit,” says Rhonda Crenshaw, area supervisor of the Zoo’s Small Mammals Building. Bush babies are nocturnal. Their keen sight and hearing help them locate prey such as beetles, scorpions, small reptiles, and moths. At the Zoo they eat prepared primate diet, veggies, fruit and bugs. “They love wax worms, meal worms and crickets,” says Crenshaw.

The young bush baby has been thriving, thanks in large part to J.J., its mother. “When the baby used to fall, J.J. would quickly retrieve it,” says Crenshaw. “When the baby walked on branches, J.J. followed it closely.” Dad Neville, however, wasn’t as doting and let J.J. do all the work. You can find the family in the nocturnal side of the Small Mammals Building to the left of the springhaas exhibit. By Zak Mazur

Event Calendar

The Zoo’s newest bush baby.


Planned Giving - Simba Circle The Simba Circle recognizes the generous people who have named the Zoological Society ofMilwaukee County (ZSM) in their will or other estate plans. By making this commitment, youcreate a legacy ensuring that the ZSM continues carrying out its mission of supporting theMilwaukee County Zoo, educating the public and conserving wildlife for future generations.Please visit our planned giving website to learn about the many options available to you at:zoosociety.org/simba.

Simba Circle members enjoy:• Invitations to the Annual Simba Circle Recognition Dinner and VIP Premiere• Recognition on Zoo signage and in Society publications• Peace of mind, knowing that the ZSM and Zoo will continue to enrich future generations

Already have a planned gift benefiting the ZSM? Please let us know. We would value an opportunity to personally thank you. You can choose to remain anonymous.

You can also designate your gift to a specific area or program at the Zoo! For more information on planned giving or to schedule a confidential appointment, please call Kim Peterson at (414) 258-2333, ext.310, or e-mail [email protected].

Documents

July 2014 Platy Press