This Mother?s Day, let us do the cooking while you share an adventure with the family on Sunday, May 8 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Arrive at the Nyami Nyami River Lodge and enjoy a scrumptious brunch while overlooking the Africa savanna with giraffe and antelope. Event festivities include: Animal encounters upon arrival, a tasty brunch, mimosas for adults, crafts for the children, and a chance to win prizes in a special Mother?s Day trivia game. Cost includes Zoo admission. Seating is limited, and you must register and pay in advance by May 1. The cost is $27 per child (ages 6 to 12) and $37 per adult. Members receive a $7 discount per ticket. Children under the age of 6 are free. Please call 321.254.9453 x 235 or e-mail sadkins@brevardzoo.org. CLICK HERE for the brunch menu.

Quarters for Conservation is an exciting new initiative at Brevard Zoo that will greatly enhance our wildlife conservation work. Through the collection of quarters, we?ll provide funding for new and existing conservation projects. This program provides an opportunity to engage our staff and our community in the effort while also significantly expanding our contribution to wildlife conservation in our region and around the globe. Thank you to all of our guests for voting over the last three months. Your tokens have raised $15,812.00 for local conservation projects! The money produced by the Quarters for Conservation program between January ? March 2011 will support the Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network (FBMN), Mangrove Restoration in Brevard County and Oyster Reef Restoration in the Indian River Lagoon.

On January 27, Brevard Zoo recognized the more than 150 volunteers that support the Zoo day in and day out. In 2010, this core group of impressive people contributed nearly 50,000 hours to the Zoo. At the Annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, Zoo staff offered high praise, gratitude, homemade desserts, and handcrafted gifts to volunteers. Along with their respective awards, each person received a T-shirt which reads, "I Belong in the Zoo," courtesy of Toyota of Melbourne.