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The Point Defiance Zoos Educational Adventures

May boasts plenty of spring-bound events and entertainment, but its also home to Endangered Species Day which puts a shining light on conservation efforts to help beautiful animals both near and far thrive. Locally, you can support conservation efforts and learn more about endangered animals by visiting the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. Below, we highlight how residents of our Willow Hill apartments in Puyallup can do just that. Tiger Conservation Poaching and hunting have caused the once-thriving population of tigers to dwindle in size. Now, only two larger groups of sumatran tigers exist in the wild. Due to the efforts of organizations that are helping to reduce human-tiger conflicts, the recent numbers of tiger deaths have gone from fifteen a month to zero. Visiting zoos alone help contribute to those efforts, but you can also learn more about making specific donations over yonder . The zoo also features these majestic animals as part of their on-site exhibits, which you can learn about here . 96 Elephants The tusks of elephants are a lucrative commodity because of their ivory, which sadly leads to about ninety-six elephants a day dying from poachers. Within the next twenty years, elephants could be extinct altogether if this continues. To help with the cause, you can donate specifically to help save elephants and rhinos over here . Like the tigers above, the zoo features beautiful elephants as part of their exhibits. You can learn more about these breathtaking creatures by reading about them over here . Red Wolf Project Back in the 1970s, red wolves had nearly disappeared from the world altogether. Just one decade later, there were only about fourteen pure red wolves in existence. These wolves were brought to the Point Defiance Zoo. Because of the zoos efforts, there are now over two-hundred red wolves in existence with some being reintroduced to the wild. Though that doesnt come without its own set of challenges. You can support the Red Wolf Project by reading about it over here , and you can learn more about these graceful animals by visiting their animal fact sheet page .

Celebrate Comic Book Day in Puyallup

May is home to Free Comic Book Day, which happens on the seventh of this month. So what better time of the year to celebrate and fall in love with comics than now? Whether you havent explored comics since you were a kid in a fort with a flashlight or are looking for something new for your already-extensive collection, weve highlighted a few comic book stores for residents of our Willow Hill apartments in Puyallup to get you started. Fantasium Comics & Games Federal Ways Fantasium Comics has a little bit of everything for everyones tastes. They feature a large selection of traditional comics, more long-form graphic novels, and even a healthy amount of board and card games to add to your entertainment mix at home. The carpet and wood help make this local establishment feel homely, but its also a tidy ship if there ever was a ship full of comics. Paula is well-known to patrons for her knowledge and for creating an approachable and relaxing environment. Chances are whatever youre thinking of is here and if its not, theyll order it just the same. You can read more about them, browse their new comics, and check out their upcoming events by visiting their website . Atomic Comics For those that want a healthy mixture of all things new and old when it comes to comics and graphic novels, youll find that intersecting road between Nostalgia Road and Contemporary Lane at Tacomas Atomic Comics. With a bright, organized, and welcoming atmosphere, even so-called non-geeks will feel at home here. Come armed with a few of your favorite genres of stories, or characters in your favorite books, and expect to leave with a long list or an armful of reasonably priced comics. Youll also find some interesting toys and collectibles here. Their website is under construction, but you can read more about them over here .

Spring-y Pacific Northwestern Recipes for April

Spring brings with it more sunshine, which means a heck of a lot more fruits and vegetables are in season. Because local produce will be available and hopefully a little more affordable, theres no better time to incorporate clean and greener ingredients into your day-to-day meals to make things both more healthy and flavorful. Below, weve highlighted a few different and creative ways to do just that for the residents of our Willow Hill apartments in Puyallup. Grilled Potato & Arugula Salad When it comes to bringing out the best in vegetables, grilling is always a pretty reliable way to enhance and emphasize the more characteristic flavors in any dish. Add to that the already peppery and mustard-esque arugula, and youve already got yourself a ticket to happier tastebuds. With a bit of capers, chopped chives, lemon juice and zest, pickled red onions, and a dijon-sherry dressing, youll wonder why you dont eat vegetables like this more often. Youll find what you need to make it all happen over here . Rainbow Spring Rolls & Ginger Peanut Sauce Thai restaurants love to use spring rolls as a staple appetizer to most meals, and this rainbow variation kicks up the vegetable count in a way thats just as pretty as it is fun to make and eat. Theres something for practically every taste region of your tongue in this one. All youll need to make it is a bit of mint, cilantro, bell pepper, mango, carrot, beets, and a simple ginger peanut sauce. This recipe is packed with vitamins and nutrients, and it even brings with it the option to include quinoa, vermicelli noodles, or tofu for those that want a little something extra and substantial. You can find out how to make it all over yonder . Grilled Green Onions & Walnut Romesco The visual contrast and pairing of bright, fresh, grilled green onions with this deep and robust red walnut romesco is worth making the dish alone. But with fresh diced tomatoes, roasted red peppers, cloves of garlic, toasted walnuts, and paprika all blended together perfectly in a food processor, matched with olive oil and green onions, its hard to go wrong. This works really well as a side dish to a whole-wheat pasta of your choice or with another healthy grain like quinoa or barley. You can find what youll need to make this over here .

Exhibit A Why Art Is Alive and Well at the Tacoma Art Museum Contd

Last week, we discussed some of the exhibits available to peruse at the Tacoma Art Museum. Today, weve highlighted a few more things to check out there this month for residents of our Willow Hill apartments in Puyallup. TAMs Annual Book Sale Because of the high-quality imagery involved with most art books, they usually cost a significant amount more than your standard paperback novels. But making a trip to the Tacoma Art Museums annual used book sale is a great way to find something thats a lot more affordable. Whether youre looking for art instruction to learn some new hobbies or improve your craft, want to learn more about a certain artist through an exciting biography or art history collection, or just want a book filled with some compelling artwork, youre bound to find something great here. There are even a few books with subjects beyond art as well, in case youve got any friends or family in tow that are looking for something else. Everything will be going down on the 21st of April from 5PM to 7PM. You can find more information about the event over on the TAMs website . TAM Symposium Artists Drawn West Though its often nice to learn about art in any way, shape, or form, understanding whats happening in your little corner of the world can give a living context to the art that introduces an entirely new dimension of both connection and appreciation. Like symposiums here in the past, this one will feature film historians, a Native American scholar, a working artist, and an architectural historian. To those that come, youll be able to learn how passing through the American West has influenced trends in film, art, and even how this area has influenced a new type of so-called parkitecture in national parks throughout the country. Tickets for the event are twenty-five dollars for non-members and fifteen for students and members. Itll be happening on the 23rd of April from 10AM to 5PM. You can find more information about it all over here .

Green with Envy Local Earthy Events Near Puyallup

April features an entire day that gives back to the earth, and even a day dedicated to planting more trees in local cities and parks. So it shouldnt be that surprising that there are lots of great ways in the community to get involved and help keep things as clean and preserved as they deserve to be. Below, weve highlighted a few of the different ways residents of our Willow Hill apartments in Puyallup can spend some time with nature. Greener Ways to Spend April Point Defiance Beach Cleanup Saturday, April 16th 9AM 12PM Events like this are perfect for those that cant take part in more universal park appreciation activities happening later in the month. Like many work parties, which we talk about below, these cleanup efforts happen once every month. This particular event for the Point Defiance Marina happens every third weekend. Theres no registration required just show up by yourself or with family or friends to help pick up trash and keep the quality of the marina at its very best. When youre done, you can take that sense of gratitude and service with you on a boat rental ride, a walk along the waterfront, a lunch in town at one of the restaurants nearby, or on the trail at the adjacent Point Defiance Park. You can read more about the event over here and more about the marina itself here . Metro Parks Work Parties Like the event above, these monthly work parties rotate through all of the parks within the Metro Parks network, relying on city workers and volunteers to come together to do some park-specific upkeep. This month on Saturday, April 16th you can help clean McKinley Park and Oak Tree Park from 9AM until 12PM. You can find more information about each of the events, and where they are meeting up, by clicking on their respective links above. They recommend bringing long sleeve shirts, work gloves, long pants that you dont mind getting dirty, and closed-toe shoes. They will provide any of the tools or litter bags to help with the clean-up efforts there.

Exhibit A Why Art Is Alive and Well at the Tacoma Art Museum

April is the time for early spring picnics, hanging out at your favorite park, spring cleaning routines, and the like. But its also an opportunity to muscle out of hibernation and spend some time in new places learning or experiencing new things. The Tacoma Art Museum offers all of the above and more with their exhibits and rotating events. Below, weve highlighted a few things to check out there this month for residents of our Willow Hill apartments in Puyallup. Edvard Munch and the Sea Opening This opening is built to further acquaint you with one of the worlds most famous nordic artists, Edvard Munch, who is perhaps known best for the classic and iconic The Scream . The exhibit is also intended to demystify the influence that the sea had on his body of work as a metaphor for powerful and relatable emotions, a backdrop for summer holidays and important memorable events, and as a subject unto itself. There will be hors d'oeuvres, a bar, live music, and a photo booth. You can learn more about the event over here . It will be held on the 9th of April from 6PM until 9PM. The price of admission for non-members will be twenty dollars to the general public, ten dollars for students who bring a valid identification, and free for members with the exception of the cash bar. Printmaking with Craig Cornwall Though this one is a little more spendy, youll be learning just about everything you could hope to learn when it comes to printmaking from a very capable teacher or at least as much as you could learn in one class. Craig Cornwall will be going over the basics of etching and dry point techniques, along with a walkthrough of lithographs. Craig works in a printshop and with local artists helping to produce limited quantities of art. The cost of this class is sixty dollars for the public and fifty dollars for members. It will be held on the 16th of April from 12PM until 4PM in the afternoon. You can get more information about the event over yonder . Check back in a few weeks for more TAM events!