Morrie’s is a proud sponsor of the Minnesota Zoo’s conservation programs. During the month of May, we were pleased to present the Zoo with their brand new Mazda CX-5 field vehicle. The vehicle was used to help with Minnesota-based conservation programs working to conserve prairie butterflies and Minnesota moose.
We stopped by the Zoo last week for an update on how the field vehicle has been impacting research efforts. Butterfly conservation biologist Dr. Erik Runquist and moose biologist Dr. Nick McCann shared with us how they have been using the vehicle. Dr. Runquist traveled to areas in Western Minnesota searching for endangered species of prairie butterflies and collected eggs to create a breeding colony at the Zoo to help with the prevention of extinction. Dr. McCann visited sites in Minnesota where moose have been frequenting. He placed temperature loggers in the soil at these sites to help better understand the habitats that Moose are using. This will sustain the Minnesota Moose population by helping to understand the animals habitat requirements.
We were so thrilled to hear from the biologists about how the CX-5 has impacted these species. After the presentation we were given a tour of the Zoo where we saw a wide variety of animals ranging from baby tigers and leopards, to takin and prairie dogs.
We want to thank the Minnesota Zoo for their hospitality during our visit and Dr. McCann and Dr. Runquist for the excellent presentation highlighting their research efforts. We had a wonderful time and sincerely hope that the CX-5 continues to be a large help with the Zoo’s conservation programs. Check out some of our photos and video footage from the visit below. For more information on the Minnesota Zoo head over to their website.
