Shedd Turns 80: Share a Memory, Make a Memory Contest!

I had the enormous pleasure and privilege of meeting Chicago’s hottest herp celebrity, the Chicago River alligator, last Wednesday at the monthly meeting of the Chicago Herpetological Society. He had been netted a day earlier by CHS member and volunteer gator rescuer Bob, a reptile expert who prefers anonymity outside the club’s circle. Now Bob was supporting the 3-foot crocodilian on his left arm, the animal’s shoulder girdle in his left hand and the tail firmly clamped between his arm and side. (This is the best way to hold small crocodilians and large lizards, both of which can do damage with their powerful tails.)

See you later alligator! Finding alligators in the Chicago River is interesting, but it’s also dangerous for the animals and for our ecosystems on many levels.

The two non-native reptiles recently sighted in the North Branch of the Chicago River—and now rescued—most likely weren’t émigrés from southern swamps. Instead, sadly, they were probably pets that had become a problem and were dumped.

Olivia and I decided that for our project it was necessary to have a "dramatic sail-raising" scene as part of our video. It was an excuse to have an over exaggerated repeating of commands and a little fun. I think we also subconsciously felt the pressure to do it ourselves. There was a certain sense that it is more legitimate for us to not need as much assistance with the sails. I found us asking each other for help (rather than the crew) more than the previous time we put up the sails. And we trusted what we demonstrated to each other. Maybe it was because we knew more about the sails this time. But I think it was something else too.

Here on the Inland Seas, we are learning about the current issues with the Great Lakes. Our ultimate challenge is to engage our peers in discussion and action for sustainability in the Great Lakes. Our group is broken into four sections. The first group is focusing on the invasive species and their effect on the lakes. The second group is focusing on the pollution and how to prevent it. The last two groups are focusing on water quality and quantity to help conserve and make the lakes cleaner. During our trip we all will be taking videos and pictures to share our experience with others. We are also doing a lot of hands on field research to better understand our issues with the lakes.

While we’re pointing out animals and activities that you’ll only see after dark during Jazzin’ at the Shedd, we’d like to direct you to the Islands and Lakes gallery and the Mexican blind cave tetras. On the brightest day, only enough natural illumination from the skylights slips into their mostly covered habitat for guests to see them. "But they could be in total darkness," says senior aquarist Stacy Wozniak. That’s because, for these eyeless fish, day and night are the same.

Electric eels (South American knifefish, Electrophorus electricus) can grow to 6 feet long, are coated in slippery slime, breathe air through their mouths and have electric organs over three-quarters of their bodies capable of delivering a 600-volt jolt to anything—or anyone—that threatens them.

Among Shedd’s160 volunteer divers are four members of the Chicago Police Department’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. Brian Doyle (from left in photo, shown with Betty Goldberg), Neil Shelton El, Dave (Angel) Romero and John Hroma help with the maintenance dives in the Oceanarium.

Your obsolete or broken computer, cell phone and other electronic products have a name: e-waste. Most people just toss out these things without thinking about where they wind up. Much of our electronic waste is shipped to developing countries, where improper disposal methods have created environmental hazards. In addition to their valuable metal content, a lot of electronic components also have contaminants such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, mercury and brominate flame retardants. When old laptops, televisions and cell phones are broken apart to retrieve the precious metals inside, these contaminants can harm the health of workers if they aren’t using proper equipment and protective gear.

At Shedd you can see more than 1,500 species, from crustaceans to cetaceans. Add another during Jazzin’: Aquapeople. They’re the scuba divers who weekly maintain the Oceanarium pools.

Ken Ramirez, executive vice president of animal programs and training, says, "We always do our cleaning dives at night. Over the years, we’ve found that guests really enjoy seeing us in the water, so during the summer, we purposely schedule dives during the peak time that people are in the Oceanarium for Jazzin’."

If you’ve lunched on one of Shedd’s terraces lately, you might have spotted our new "Please don’t feed the birds" signs. Our green practices extend to taking responsibility for the well-being of the wildlife on our grounds. Giving wild birds people food deprives them of natural nutrition and can even make them sick. It can also encourage aggressive behavior, especially in gulls, that can lead to unpleasant people-bird interactions. So not feeding the birds is a win-win situation.