It may be National Zookeeper Week, but there is so much happening at the zoo these days you need a scorecard just to keep up. We want to make sure we give the zookeepers their due. We are finalizing the touches on our largest event/fundraiser of the year, Bacon & Brew, that will be here in two short weeks. Also, within the next week or two, the zoo should learn the results of recent projects out for bid that can impact the zoo in so many ways. And then there are the projects that have already started or are currently under construction. Change is in the air and over the next couple of weeks, we should understand how much.

I can’t start the article without saluting the hard work that the zookeepers are out there doing regardless of the weather, and now that summer has arrived, their work is even more critical. They are working hard to not only take care of the animals’ needs but also prepare for the zoo’s annual Bacon & Brew event that is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 8. Restaurants and other food vendors from throughout the region have volunteered their participation to compete to see who can create the best bacon-enriched dish among all the participants. At this point, tickets are still available for the event, but only a limited number are sold. Contact the zoo about tickets.

The zoo is also waiting to see the outcome of a couple of bid openings for projects tied to the flood mitigation project. By next week we should know the future of phases MI-7D and MI-7E, both of which would impact the zoo directly. MI-7D is a package that includes three separate projects within the zoo. These include the moving of the Discovery Barn from the children’s zoo area to a space across from the bear exhibit. Next is the construction of a new concession stand that will be located across from the Amur leopard exhibit near the current train station. And finally is the remodel of the kangaroo and serow habitats that will be reconfigured to hold the Bactrian camels currently residing in the North Trails area. The reason this package is important is directly tied to the MI-7E phase that includes the levee and wall construction. If bids are accepted, work may begin as early as this fall and would include a new perimeter fence along the river side of the zoo so contractors can begin clearing the riverfront for wall construction.

Progress can often turn into a waiting game because so much of what’s to come is out of our control. By the time Bacon & Brew kicks off we should have a clearer picture of what’s ahead for the zoo’s campus. The goal is to make sure that as we go through this process we are always focusing on the animals and the community that cares so much for them.