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STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning is a hot button in modern education, and for good reason: Projections indicate a need for several million new college graduates with degrees in the STEM disciplines by 2018, and so far it looks the U.S. will have a shortfall.

Dorothea Brady, who has been a longtime patron of the Omaha Zoo Foundation, had never had her name displayed near an exhibit before. That all changed, though, when the elephants came.

On Tuesday, August 16, from 4-7 p.m., Fresh Thyme Farmer’s Market will be hosting a Cultivate the Community event to support the Omaha Zoo Foundation. Any shopper who spends more than $75 at either the Omaha or Lincoln store during that time will receive two complimentary tickets to Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is for everyone, but unfortunately there are some children who aren’t able to visit because of a disability or medical 

“Omaha Gives! is such a unique and fun way for people and businesses to come together to support our city’s nonprofits,” says Tina Cherica, executive director of the Omaha Zoo Foundation, of the citywide 24-hour event.

"She thinks she’s all that and a can of tuna,” says Ellen Wright of one of the young, female elephants that have recently arrived at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. When Wright, a longtime patron of the Omaha Zoo Foundation and zoo volunteer, was given the opportunity to sponsor and name an elephant through the capital campaign for the African Grasslands project, she immediately went online to find a suitable moniker. “It needed to be short for training purposes, and I wanted it to be African."

For as long as anyone can remember, prairie dogs have been a free-roaming natural attraction at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, but soon they will have a new home at the Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari.

Most Omaha families have dozens, if not hundreds, of videos and photos from Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. Now, multiply that number by a few thousand and you’ll begin to understand how much media the zoo has archived over the years.

While this weekend marks the beginning of Daylight Saving Time, did you know it’s also “frog saving time”? Well, not exactly, but Saturday, March 12 is Reptile and Amphibian Day, so we thought it was the perfect opportunity to update you on our partnership with HARCC (Honduras Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Center) to save three species of frogs.

One has only to look at the epic Hollywood love stories set in Africa -- Casablanca, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, Out of Africa, The English Patient, to name just a few -- to understand that there is something about the continent that captures the heart and won’t let it go. In fact, you may have seen that even Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard got in on the cinematic action with their viral video homage to Toto’s eponymous ‘80s anthem.

Visitors to Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium are often mesmerized by our beautiful jellyfish on display, but what many don’t realize is that jellies are one of the world’s most mysterious creatures. By unlocking their secrets, we may be able to further the conversation about aquatic conservation.

Did you ever wonder what it’s like to work at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium? Well, besides having the good fortune to work with people at the top of their profession who are passionate about conservation -- in a community where businesses and individuals are completely and whole-heartedly supportive of our mission -- at one of the consistently-rated best zoos in the world, Omaha Zoo employees are insiders at a place that most of our friends and family members love as much as we do.