The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current, December 27, 2018, Image 6

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The times., December 27, 2018, Image 6

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Newspaper Page TextGETOU Nick Bowman Features Editor | 770-718-3426 | getout@gainesvilletimes.com W&t Sttncs gainesvilletimes.com Thursday, December 27, 2018 Recycle a tree, help an animal Photos by AUSTIN STEELE I The Times Above: Rachel Heck, visitor experience lead at the North Georgia Zoo and Farm, throws a donated Christmas tree into the porcupine enclosure on Wednesday, Dec. 26. “It is good for enrichment for all our animals,” said Heck. Left: A porcupine checks out a donated Christmas tree at the North Georgia Zoo and Farm on Wednesday, Dec. 26. A white-handed gibbon checks out a tour group at the North Georgia Zoo and Farm on Wednesday, Dec. 26. Donate your old Christmas tree to North Georgia Zoo BY LAYNE SALIBA lsaliba@gainesvilletimes.com Kangaroos, camels, goats and porcupines love Christmas trees almost as much as you do. Lucky for them — and you — the North Georgia Zoo is looking to take that festive decoration off your hands, so instead of tossing it in the woods or turning it into mulch, consider doing one more good deed before the year ends by donating it to the zoo. “It is good for enrichment for all our animals,” said Rachel Heck, visitor experience lead at the zoo. “Enrichment is a fancy word for entertainment. It keeps their minds stimulated.” The zoo is accepting trees at 2912 Paradise Valley Road in Cleveland through New Year’s Day. The trees must be free of chemicals and decorations, including tinsel, and still green. For guests who bring a tree with them to the zoo, they’ll get $1 off admission. “Just a basic tree with all of the ornaments taken off,” Heck said. “We can’t have the tinsel because it’s really hard to get out of there and we don’t want the animals chok ing on the plastic from it. But just a bare tree that a family was going to toss out, we will happily take.” Heck said the trees act as a nat ural dewormer for the animals as they chew on them and eat them. Even for the animals that don’t chew on the wood, Heck said the scent is good for keeping their minds stimulated and offering dif ferent textures they may not be used to rubbing up against. For others, the trees are simply some thing new to play on or with. “They really enjoy going over and playing on them depending on the species of animal,” Heck said. “But the majority of animals get good use out of them.” All of the animals at the zoo — from the lemurs to the birds of prey, from porcupines to arctic foxes — take advantage of the Christmas trees. For some ani mals, the trees get thrown over the fence as the animals run toward them, curious and excited. For others, like the kangaroos, they’re hung from above so the kangaroos can grab them and play with them that way. For the wolves, it’s mainly about the scent. “It gives them something else to play with, but they’re so scent- oriented, it gives them something different to be around,” Heck said. Odis Sisk, area director for New Urban Forestry, said that smell and the presence of trees in gen eral can help animals in different ways. “A lot of the animals that live in zoos — they may have been in their previous lives wild animals,” Sisk said. “So those animals, com ing from a background of having that kind of nature around them, they find having trees not only comforting, but in some cases it’s just stimulation of having some thing new to play with.” Throughout the zoo’s Winter Wonderland Tour, guests get to see the trees tossed over the fence into the pens where the animals are liv ing. Heck said it’s a unique experi ence and something everyone has enjoyed in years past. “We use lots of different things naturally, but this time of year so many people get the live trees,” Heck said. “We’re all about reduce, reuse, recycle. So if we can take advantage of something that’s going to get thrown in the dump, we’d like to use it for our animals to benefit from.” Sisk said organic things like trees — as long as there’s noth ing strange on them from holiday festivities — are perfect, and safe, presents for animals to enjoy in the weeks after the Christmas holiday. “In most cases, this only hap pens one season, but that tree lasts for quite some time,” Sisk said. “It’s going to go through all differ ent changes. As it’s biodegrading and changing, animals will use it differently.” Kangaroos relax at the North Georgia Zoo and Farm on Wednesday, Dec. 26. A wolf looks at a tour group at the North Georgia Zoo and Farm. Polar Bear Plunge looking less polar for New Year’s Day 2019 BY NICK BOWMAN nbowman@gainesvilletimes.com Polar Bear Plunge at Lake Lanier is promising to be a lot less polar this New Year’s Day. With high temperatures in the upper 50s on Tuesday, Jan. 1, the Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club fundraising is looking to be much more tolerable this year than 2018 — when Hall County was hit with a cold snap sending temperatures below freezing for the plunge into the lake. Still, more than 30 brave souls jumped this year, including 74-year-old Jim Isler, who was the oldest jumper last year, and Tom Diaz, who came dressed as a very appropriate emperor penguin, win ning him “best costume” during the fundraiser. For the event this coming New Year’s Day at the Lake Lanier Olympic Park, organizers are hoping for about 75 people to Polar Bear Plunge When: Noon, New Year’s Day Where: Lake Lanier Olympic Park (boathouse side), 3105 Clarks Bridge Road, Gainesville How much: $30 per person or $90 for family of four More info: www.LCKC.org attend given the warmer weather, accoridng to Blair Hickerson, incoming president of LCKC. Hickerson is taking over from outgoing president Jason Peck. “It should be night and day weather-wise,” Hickerson said of the 2019 plunge. People interested in the event can register online through Dec. 31 or sign up at the event at 10:45 a.m. Jan. 1. Plunges begin at noon. Registration costs $30 per indi vidual or $90 for a family of four. LCKC plans to give out the same suite of honors this year. Last year’s winners included: I Inside For the expected weather on New Year’s Day, see page 8A ■ Best Jump: Joshua Burchardt ■ Best Splash: Cody Hicks ■ Best Costume: Tom Diaz ■ Oldest Jumper: James Isler ■ Youngest Jumper: James Hughes ■ Most Dedicated Jumper: George Wangeman Jumpers who register early online have first dibs on T-shirts that are included with the price of the ticket, according to Hicker son. If the club runs out, additional T-shirts will be ordered. Chili, sweets, hot beverages and, most importantly, hot showers are being provided by LCKC. The fundraiser supports LCKC programs throughout the year. The club’s first race of 2019, the Lula Bridge race, comes in March. SCOTT ROGERS I The Times Tom Diaz, of Atlanta, climbs from Lake Lanier Monday, Jan. 1, following his plunge into the icy cold waters at the Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club as he participates in the 20th annual Polar Bear Plunge.