Stone Zoo To Celebrate New Animal Discovery Center

The zoo that once enticed you to visit with elephants, the largest land animals on the planet, is inviting you again, but this time with some of the smallest animals.

Stone Zoo will formally dedicate its new entrance, gift shop, and Animal Discovery Center (ADC) with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday morning. Inside the ADC will be a unique honey bee hive that will give visitors a close-up look at an active hive while giving the residents access to the outside world. Yes, the zoo where you could always go to learn about the birds will now teach you about the birds and the bees.

"Education is one of our fundamental goals here at the zoo," said Stone Assistant Curator Pete Costello. "It is really important. This is going to be a really nice space that kids can learn about things like the beehive crisis with the pollinators right now. A lot of the bumble bees and alot of the bee species are disappearing. It's very important to teach kids about that."

The bees come from Maine and arrived in Stoneham in early June. The ADC was the old gift shop and when enough renovation work was completed the bees moved into their new home. They have access to the outside thru a pipe in the wall and can come and go. But visitors inside can get close without fear of being stung. There's a reason "a beehive of activity" describes many of our work days. Watching the bees is not only educational, but it proves the cliché is true.

The bees are not alone. Among the other animals is a Tonkin Bug-Eyed Frog, a European Mantis, a Hermit Crab, a Magnificent Tree Frog, a Collared Lizard, and an Arizona Blond Tarantula. There's also a vernal pool, much like those in the Middlesex Fells that surround the zoo, with native inhabitants that are part of a program that until now was behind the scenes.

"We're going to have tie in with a lot of the local conservation that we do," said Costello. "So the Marbled Salamander release program and the Blandings Turtle head start, we'll have them on exhibit for the first time. The Blandings we've been doing for over 10 years. That's always taken place behind the scenes. It will be nice to have that out front."

Conservation, as Costello pointed out, is more than saving the planet's biggest animals in some far off country.

"People can learn about conservation and learn about local conservation. That's where I think people feel they can't really make a difference because they can't go to Africa and save these species where there are a lot of local species and you can hook up with some of these volunteer groups. Grass Roots Wildlife is a great one, Friends of the Fells around here does a lot of work. It's really important to get the local perspective."

We forgot to mention there's also a Vinegaroon at the ADC. Don't know what that is? The zoo opens at 10 a.m. every morning. Come see for yourself.