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So far mmallinger has created 104 blog entries.

Animal Pen Pals

Think of a favorite animal (this could be a pet, an animal you have seen at the Minnesota Zoo, an animal from a favorite show or book, etc). This animal can be real or imaginary.

Once you have your favorite animal in mind, your task is to describe this animal in as much detail as possible […]

2020-05-05T14:38:19-05:00Thursday, March 26, 2020|SEL/Empathy|

iNaturalist

Perhaps one of the most widely used platforms, iNaturalist gathers observations of the natural world from people all over the globe. Naturalists can submit their own observations on everything from the birds at a backyard feeder to the different types of weeds sprouting out of sidewalk cracks. And since it’s a global platform, iNaturalist is […]

2020-05-05T14:41:41-05:00Thursday, March 26, 2020|Citizen Science|

Spring Into Nature!

It’s officially spring, and what better time to get outside and start noticing your surroundings! As winter melts into spring, there are many subtle changes we can begin to take note of. Do you notice any new smells? What birds and other animals might you hear? You might even find some green plant life starting […]

2026-08-01T14:26:18-05:00Thursday, March 26, 2020|Nature Learning|

‘Raise the Roof’ for Rhinos – 1st Kunene Rhino Awards

In 2009, the Minnesota Zoo joined forces with Save the Rhino Trust in Namibia to help protect critically endangered black rhinoceros. This specific population of black rhinos located in the arid, rugged north-west of Namibia are unique in that they are one of the last truly wild rhino populations and the largest to persist outside […]

2026-08-01T14:26:18-05:00Wednesday, March 25, 2020|Black Rhino Conservation, Conservation, In The Field|

Pangolin Rehabilitation in Namibia

A pangolin out on its daily walk to forage for ants and termites. These scales covering its body are an effective protective measure against thorny underbrush and predators.

It might surprise you to learn that the most trafficked mammal in the world is one you may have […]

2026-08-01T14:26:18-05:00Friday, February 14, 2020|Animal Rescue, Conservation, In The Field, Staff|

Frozen in Time – Overwintering Caterpillars at the Minnesota Zoo

Did you know that many species of insects survive Minnesota winters by “hibernating” throughout the cold months? While some insects, such as the monarch butterfly, choose to migrate south for winter, others stay put and enter into diapause, a process whereby the insect’s metabolism slows and development stops and it enters a sleep-like state – […]