Zoos and Wildlife Centers

San Francisco's Aquarium of the Bay offers free admission this week for Marin County residents, from Monday, January 25 through Thursday, January 28, 2010. Aquarium of the Bay is providing free admission in celebration of its recent transition into a nonprofit nature center. As the only aquarium dedicated to showcasing the diverse aquatic life of the San Francisco Bay and its watershed, Marin County residents are encouraged to come out and meet their underwater neighbors.

To get free admission to the Aquarium of the Bay, Marin County residents must present one proof of residency: a valid driver's license or ID card with Marin County address, utility bill, or a bank statement that includes your Marin County home address, along with photo ID.

Happy Zoo Year! January is a great month to visit the San Francisco Zoo, especially since you can take advantage of free admission for kids for the entire month! As part of its New Year's celebration, the zoo offers one free admission with one paid adult's admission for children ages 4–14 who color and bring in a penguin coloring sheet (downloadable from the zoo's website), or a hand-colored image of their favorite zoo animal.

All children must be accompanied by a paying adult, one coloring sheet must be presented per child, and this deal cannot be combined with any other offer.

The San Francisco Zoo is located at Sloat Boulevard and the Great Highway in San Francisco. Winter hours are 10 am to 4 pm (last admission at 3:30 pm). Regular admission prices are $15 adults, $12 seniors 65+, and $9 children 4–14; children 3 and under are free. For more information, visit www.sfzoo.org or call (415) 753-7080.

Looking for something for the kids to do over the upcoming winter break? Check out some of the great day camps here in Marin!

• For young nature fans, Wildcare in San Rafael offers camps for kids from kindergarten through second grade. Their first session, Nature Detectives, runs from December 21–23 and is for children in kindergarten and first grade. Campers will have fun with animal tracks, fur, feathers, and more, and will search for clues and investigate the evidence that wildlife leaves behind.
  
  Wildcare's session two, Winter Wonderland, is for students in first and second grade. Get up close and personal with our animal friends, and learn how they survive the winter.
  
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Like many long-time Bay Area residents, I've always considered the San Francisco Zoo to be "The Zoo". For some reason, going to the Oakland Zoo in the East Bay city's Knowland Park never really crossed my mind. Recently, we'd heard some great things about the Oakland Zoo, so we decided to make the trip across the Richmond Bridge and check it out.

Located off Interstate 580 in the southeast part of Oakland, the Oakland Zoo is fairly small and compact, and easy for a family with small children to take in. It's pleasantly designed, too with an overall African theme to it. Many of the buildings have an African style to them and bear Swahili names. There's even an African village area with a replica of a tribal women's house.