Community Corner

Turtle Back, Sustainable Housing Earn Essex Awards

The New Jersey Recreation and Parks Association also honored the late Zoo Supervisor Gina Zullo.

The Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs was presented with three awards of excellence at the New Jersey Recreation and Parks Association convention held in Atlantic City earlier this month. 

The Essex County Gingerbread Sustainable Homes and Habitat Contest received an Excellence in Educational or Interpretive Programming Award, the Prehistoric Playground at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo received an Excellence in Design Award and the late Regina “Gina” Zullo was posthumously recognized as Employee of the Year, according to Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. 

“Our parks are tremendous community assets that enhance our residents’ quality of life and make Essex County an attractive place to live, work and visit. These awards validate why our Environmental Center and Turtle Back Zoo have become focal points for environmental education and recreation,” DiVincenzo said.  

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Started in 2005, the Essex County Gingerbread Homes and Habitats Contest incorporates the Environmental Center’s mission to raise awareness about nature with a holiday theme. This hands-on, family-oriented contest lets people of all ages learn about the environment by incorporating at least three identifiable sustainable building design elements, such as candy glass skylights, rainwater reuse, solar panels, etc. and/or a natural habitat component in their entry. There were 65 entries in the 2013 contest. 

The Prehistoric Playground opened at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo in July 2013. Sponsored by Investors Bank, the children’s playground is another example of how recreation activities are being introduced at Turtle Back Zoo that promote its mission of conservation and animal awareness. The Prehistoric Playground gives young visitors the opportunity to play and climb while raising their interest in prehistoric animals. The Prehistoric Playground is situated adjacent to the Essex Farm Petting Zoo and its climbing features are geared for children ages 2 to 12 years. Visitors will follow a boardwalk path and enter the playground through a portal with a pterodactyl theme. Featured in the playground are climbing apparatus with themes involving sabre-tooth tigers, prehistoric tree of life, dinosaur fossils and rock structures. There is an area where children can simulate a dig for fossils and fossil imprints are stamped in the walkways and retaining walls. The playground has a rubberized safety surface and there is a parking area for strollers. It was designed by Suburban Consulting Engineers, Inc. from Mount Arlington and constructed by Shauger Property Services from East Orange.

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Regina “Gina” Zullo, who was the zoo supervisor at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange for many years, passed away on January 25. She was especially involved in the development of the Wolf Exhibit and Bobcat Exhibit, helping the animals successfully transition into their new homes. 

“These awards are possible because of the dedication and hard work of our employees. Gina Zullo was one of those people who enjoyed coming to work, always gave her best while caring for our animals and helped transform Turtle Back into a destination attraction," DiVincenzo said.

Zullo was involved in animal rescue and rehabilitation as well as animal rights. She belonged to the American Association of Zoo Keepers and was director of the Essex County Emergency Management team.


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