Media Coverage
Collection of our coverage on established media institutions and outlets.
Media Coverage
2018
Mark Patinkin: The average Joe behind R.I.’s Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular
10.13.2018
intricately carved pumpkins marking its 30th anniversary at Roger Williams Park in Providence.
Meet John Reckner, the low-key former postman who’s the brains behind the elaborate show of intricately carved pumpkins marking its 30th anniversary at Roger Williams Park in Providence.
I’ve long thought the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular...
The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular: Should You Bring the Kids?
10.09.2018
The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular truly is a spectacular sight to behold.
Should you bring the kids to the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular? It’s a question I’ve been grappling with for a few years now.
The thing is, my children are scared of everything sensitive. We can’t watch any movie in our house, even “...
The quest to bring back the New England cottontail
10.07.2018
The effort includes some R&R: restoration (of habitat) and romance (in the form of potential mates)
SCARBOROUGH — New England cottontail rabbits like a mess. More precisely, these rabbits, which are endangered in the state of Maine, would like to hide out in a thicket of native (and edible) shrubs.
Which is why on a rainy Friday at the end of September, a dozen people were planting a...
URI student evaluates elephant sleep habits to improve zoo care
10.02.2018
South Kingstown resident’s summer research sparks interest in exotic animals
KINGSTON, R.I. – October 2, 2018 – Elephants don’t sleep much in the wild, averaging just two hours per night. Even at zoos when they don’t have to watch for predators, they are awake after dark more often than they are asleep. But no one had scientifically scrutinized what they do during those...
Is there a Doctor in the Zoo?
08.31.2018
Taking a trip to the vet with a two-toed sloth at Roger Williams Park Zoo
By Robert Isenberg
Riley needs a check-up. The medical exam is routine, but two-toed sloths can be a handful. “They’re faster than you think,” says his zookeeper, Jen Hennessey, who has worked with animals for the Roger Williams...
Rainforest Exhibit 2018 - Conducting Conversations
08.06.2018
It's creation, hours of operation, and how much fun it is for the entire family.
This week we feature The Roger Williams Park Zoo brand new Rainforest exhibit. We talk to Diane Nahabedian, Director of Marketing, P. J. Jones, and Shareen Knowlton, Director of Education. We'll talk about it's creation, hours of operation, and how much fun it is for the entire family.
Push to Weaken U.S. Endangered Species Act Runs into Roadblocks
07.29.2018
Policymakers have tried, unsuccessfully, to change this law for decades
America’s Endangered Species Act—which protects more than 2,000 plant, animal and insect species at risk of extinction—is under renewed attack from Republican politicians. But policy experts say that their efforts face an uphill battle, even though Republicans control the White House and both...
RI's Official State Insect Dodges Losing Its Federal Protections For Endangered Species
07.24.2018
The House made a sneaky move to try to roll back federal protections for the beetle.
After an effort by Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives to remove Rhode Island’s official state insect, the American burying beetle, from the endangered species list, federal lawmakers Monday decided to throw the provision out.
A Republican from Utah introduced an ...
Beetlemania on Nantucket
07.01.2018
Scientists work to bolster reintroduced endangered beetle population on the island
NANTUCKET — Lou Perrotti stands up for the members of the animal kingdom that humans tend to forget.
As the director of conservation programs at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, he’s a champion of the not-so-cute and fluffy.
And one of his favorite critters is the...
Fairman Says Roger Williams Park Zoo’s Zoobilee is “One of Best Nights of the Year”
06.27.2018
The zoo’s largest and wildest annual fundraiser
For nearly 30 years, Roger Williams Park Zoo has closed early one day per year for Zoobilee, Feast with the Beasts.
The event, which is the zoo’s largest annual fundraiser, is a fun-filled night of music, dancing, and food, all while...