Bear Mountain TrailSide Zoo Black Bear Holiday Celebration Saturday December 20 2008

You will have a "beary" fun time!   Palisades Interstate Park Commission Bear Mountain Trailside Museums and Zoo Beary Merry Holiday Saturday December 20, 2008 11:00 AM Have a Beary Merry Holiday with the bears of Bear Mountain! On Saturday, December 20, 2008 bring the family to Trailside Museums and Zoo to see the black bears celebrate the holiday season. At 11:00 a.m., neither snow, nor rain will keep them from unwrapping their gift boxes full of delicious holiday treats. You'll also discover how the rest of our native animals prepare for winter. The zoo and park are beautiful this time of year, so take advantage of the day to stroll the nature trails and explore our museums. We'll see you at the zoo! Trailside Museums and Zoo is a home for rehabilitated wild animals. The animals we care for have permanent injuries or are rescued pets. Unfortunately, due to this, they cannot be released into the wild. The animals are well taken care of and receive proper medical attention for the duration of their lives. We use various enrichment methods to stimulate the animals, from introducing new toys, foods, and scents to altering the landscape of the enclosures. During this event, you can find out about our "Adopt-an-Animal" program, which is vital to helping us care for the needs of the animals. You can select the animals you wish to support and to what level. These sponsorship packages begin at $25, and include a certificate, a photo and a fact sheet, which will be sent to you. Your funds will be used for food, medical care, supplies and upkeep of our animal enclosures. The Zoo also welcomes volunteers. You can join the Trailside Docents and help us educate our visitors. You can join the League of Naturalists or the Native American Site Stewards and be part of research and conservation efforts throughout Bear Mountain and Harriman State Parks. These volunteer groups are the lifeblood of Trailside's education and science programs. For more information on sponsorship or volunteer opportunities, please call 845-786-2701 x293 Parking at Bear Mountain State Park is $6.00. Admission to Trailside Museum and Zoo is $1.00 for ages 13 and up, $0.50 for ages 6-12, and ages 5 and under are free. The Zoo is open daily from 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. The Trailside Museums and Zoo is part of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, which administers 29 parks, parkways, and historic sites for the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation in New York as well as the Palisades Interstate Park and parkway in New Jersey. For more information about New York State parks and historic sites, please visit www.nysparks.com and for more information about the Palisades Interstate Park parks and historic sites, please visit www.palisadesparksconservancy.org