The Young and the Young at Heart Share Special Day at Maryland Zoo

By Danielle Rexrode
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

One of the great things about living in Baltimore is access to outstanding attractions like the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. Whether you’ve been there once or one hundred times there’s always something fun to see.

This September grandparents from Charlestown, Oak Crest, and Riderwood were invited to spend a funfilled day at the zoo, on the house.

“I really enjoyed the day,” says Pete Shinnamon of Charlestown. Pete took his two great grandchildren, ages four and nine, to the zoo for the first time. “We saw the leopards, tigers, rhinos, chimpanzees, and other exotic animals. We went to the polar bear exhibit, but we only saw a glimpse of some white fur; apparently, they were sleeping. We had lunch at the zoo and we didn’t have any trouble parking—they had a shuttle that took you from your car to the entrance. It was a fun day,” he says.

Erickson grandparents and their grandchildren enjoyed free admission to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore as part of the Maryland Zoo’s Senior Initiative, sponsored in part by Erickson Retirement Communities.

“We’re trying to encourage older adults to look at zoos as a way to bridge the gap with their grandchildren and as a place to volunteer,” says Amy Bauer, director of investor relations for Erickson communities.

Over the past year, the zoo has started several programs that encourage older adults to work at, volunteer for, or visit the zoo. One such program isa lecture series held at the zoo. Topics such as “The Role of the Modern Zoo,” “The Harold & Selman Taylor African Journey,” and “Mission Conservation” are discussed in half-hour lectures.

The Maryland Zoo, the third oldest in the country, is also home to a new Polar Bear Watch exhibit where onlookers can hop aboard a Tundra Buggy and get a first-hand look at the bears.