Hope Zoo - November 2010

Hope Zoo in November 2010

Update: Investor Moving  Ahead at Hope Zoo

A crocodile enclosure at Hope Zoo

We have neither summer nor winter, neither autumn nor spring, said HD Carberry in his poem, Nature. At Hope Zoo, we have neither lion nor panda, neither elephant nor elk, but we have grinning crocodiles who "neatly spread their claws and welcome little fishes in with gently smiling jaws."

Juvenile iguana

Last week I was on hand to observe a brave zookeeper enter a crocodile enclosure and encourage the massive occupant to move away from the corner where he lurked. The reptile was waiting for an opportunity to heave himself over the barrier that separated him from another enclosure that housed the object of his attention, a female...and another large male.  It was the first time that I heard a crocodile issue a loud, annoyed sigh.

The Hope Zoo at one point was being promoted as a place featuring animals of the West Indies and Central America. It boasts several exhibits of locally endangered species. A visit to the zoo gives some reassurance that there are specialists devoted to the long-term survival of these creatures in the wild. It is pleasure to see juvenile and mature iguanas being brought back from the brink of extinction, the Jamaican Boa and the feared American Crocodile.

Until a few months ago, these unlovable creatures were the largest animals on display at Hope Zoo until they were joined by an ostrich pair. It is nice to have these outstanding birds in residence and hopefully they can bring more visitors into the zoo.

Near to the zoo entrance is the aviary of the loudest residents, the Jamaican black billed and yellow billed parrots. The furthest enclosures are the birds of prey in Jamaica including the Jamaican Owl, that looks like it has horns, and the small hawk that we call the Killy Killy.

There are big cats that are endemic to Central America, and perhaps one day the zoo will be the home of a jaguar, provided we can provide a suitable environment for it. Aside from appreciating a small collection of animals, the zoo is in a natural beauty spot and a stroll across its well-maintained grounds is time spent in the beauty of nature.
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Review - Bad Girls In School

Children's Book Reviewer, Summer Edwards, took on reviewing Bad Girls In School at the link below.

Overall, Bad Girls in School was an okay read. It will certainly appeal to young Caribbean people who have a need to see Caribbean youth represented in literature in contemporary ways. It's key contribution I would say, is the way it challenges adultist perceptions of why young people behave the way they behave. Indeed, the figure of the Jamaican "bad gyal" is somehow demythologized, made understandable, human and therefore, sympathetic. I wouldn't call it a page-turner, but I'm glad that Harold swum against the current in writing a book about young Caribbean (Jamaican) people!

Taken from Summer Edwards Caribbean Children's Literature

Summer Edward is from Trinidad and Tobago and currently lives in Philadelphia. She founded Anasesem, an online magazine of Caribbean children's literature, in May, 2010. Her vision was to create a space to highlight the unique flavor of children's writing and illustration by Caribbean people and to thereby recognize and stimulate the children's publishing industry in the Caribbean. She earned a BAMagna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa in Psychology from Temple University and is currently a Master's student in the Reading, Writing, Literacy programme at the University of Pennsylvania, where she is also in training to become certified as a Reading Specialist. Her poetry and art have appeared in publications such as BIM: Arts for the 21st Century, tongues of the ocean, St. Somewhere, The Columbia Review and Philadelphia Stories. She previously blogged about children's literature in general at Well-Loved Tales.