Como Friends

We couldn't love Skeeter more! Happy 17th Birthday to one of Como Park Zoo & Conservatory's most beloved residents!

Want the chance to spend an evening with Skeeter? Join us at Sunset Affair next Thursday! You can mingle with amazing animals, dance and stroll the night away, and even share a little romaine with Skeeter.

Tickets to one of the most magical events of the season are going fast—reserve yours today! Tickets: https://bit.ly/3P6Lg56
Thursday, July 16 | 5:30 PM –10:00 PM

Experience fabulous food and drinks, fascinating encounters with Como Park Zoo & Conservatory's animal experts and educators, and wild, whimsical auction items curated just for Sunset Affair.
Most importantly, your support helps make the magic of Como possible all year long. Through Como Friends' Fund-a-Mission, you'll help fund exciting projects like new false-bottomed pools for our pinnipeds and polar bears—essential for helping young cubs and pups learn to swim. Thanks to a generous match from the Manitou Fund, your impact will be doubled.

Learn more about our Fund-a-Mission: https://bit.ly/4vHDi1V

Thank you to our generous Sunset Affair sponsors:
McGough, Travelers Insurance, Hoagland Law, Quartersawn Design Build, Xcel Energy Minnesota, Ascentek, Bartlett Tree Experts, Honeywell, Hubbard Broadcasting, Old National Bank, Stinson LLP, D'Amico Hospitality, Dolan Printing, Gunderson's Jewelers, and the Manitou Fund.

Keep Palm and Carry On
Summer shines in golden light,
With blooming days from morn to night.
The gardens hum, the flowers sing,
And palms stand tall through everything.

They've reached for sunshine year by year,
With leafy crowns held high and clear.
Their fronds sway softly, calm and free,
Like waves upon a tropical sea.

Some stretch high toward the glass above,
Some spread their fans with quiet love.
From distant shores they've found a home,
Inviting every guest to roam.

Pause beneath their cooling shade,
Where busy thoughts begin to fade.
The world slows down, the air feels warm,
Wrapped in nature's gentle charm.

So when the summer days race on and on,
With lists to check and chores not done,
Take a lesson from each palm:
Stand tall, stay rooted, keep your calm.

Here in the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory,
Every leaf tells a growing story.
Let wonder bloom where you belong—
Keep palm, and carry on.

Frond memories start here Como Park Zoo & Conservatory—365 days a year, all for free. https://bit.ly/3OepWdk

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory’s cutest little bundle officially has a name!

If you haven’t had the chance to visit yet, you can now meet the Como Zoo’s newest baby sloth, and call them by their name: Cusi (pronounced KOO-si), a Quechua name meaning ”joy.” And what a fitting name it is! Cusi has already brought so many slow smiles and plenty of joy to everyone who has visited them in the Primates Building with mom Sago, and dad, Ziggy.

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory's new sloth Cusi is the cutest new arrival this year. While keepers won’t know the baby’s s*x for quite some time, you can help get him or her off to a great start in life by becoming an animal sponsor. For a limited time, Como Friends is featuring a specially priced sloth sponsorship package that includes two cuddly sloth plush, a certificate of sponsorship, and an animal fact sheet. A fun way to get a little closer to Como’s wild and precious animals and plants, order yours today, and help all of Como’s animals thrive!

Sponsor An Animal - Como Friends Sponsoring an animal or garden is a unique way to connect with conservation efforts at home and around the world. As a sponsor, you can help Como Zoo’s animals thrive and keep the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory’s gardens and horticultural collections growing strong.