Thread: Oregon Zoo Says "Bienvenidos" To Spanish Speaking

www.medfordnews.com

:55 am PT, Monday, Aug 15, 2005
Oregon Zoo Says "Bienvenidos" To Spanish Speaking Visitors By Offering Spanish Language Map

Portland, Oregon - In an effort to embrace Oregon's vibrant and expanding Hispanic communities, the Oregon Zoo has recently made Spanish-language zoo maps available with funding from sponsor KeyBank. Visitors are provided a map at time of admission ticket purchase and can find maps at the zoo's reception office.

In the past decade, Oregon's Hispanic population has more than doubled, making Hispanics the state's largest minority group. Most live in the tri-county area (Washington, Multnomah, and Clackamas counties), with the greatest concentration in Washington County.


"The zoo has always made real efforts to serve the needs of its visitors," said Zoo Director Tony Vecchio. "We hope the new map, added to our already-established foreign language programming, allows our Spanish-speaking visitors to have a more interactive and enjoyable zoo experience."

The pocket-sized Mapa del Zoológico has an easy-to-use layout and design identical to the English-language version. In addition to information about exhibit locations, the map also shows where first aid and emergency phones can be found.

The Oregon Zoo has taken past initiatives to reach several different cultural communities. In October 2004, the zoo unveiled KeyBank's new ZooKey "talking boxes" that were formatted with both English and Spanish recordings. Among this year's ZooTeens volunteers are speakers of Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, and American Sign Language; most wear a button that says what other language they speak. And in May 2005, English as a Second Language students from Aloha High School volunteered in the zoo's Winged Wonders butterfly exhibit. Not only did the students get the opportunity to practice their own English skills, they served as interpreters for visitors. The majority of them spoke Spanish as their first language.

"Diversity speaks to the basic elements of who we are, whether an individual, an organization, or a society," said Deborah Sakamoto, KeyBank's Vice President of Public Affairs. "As a relationship-based company, Key places great value in understanding itself and the people and communities we serve."


To learn more about the Oregon Zoo, visit their website at http://www.oregonzoo.com/VisitorInfo/main.htm

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It's been over 10 years since I went to the Portland Zoo. I won't be going back!

Hasta la vista, baby.

Oregonians, let me be the first to say, "Welcome to Miami".