FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 24, 2014
Contact:
Anthony Puglisi
973-621-2542
Lauren Shears
973-621-1590
ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO ANNOUNCES ESSEX COUNTY PARKS
DEPARTMENT RECEIVES THREE AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE AT NEW JERSEY
RECREATION AND PARKS ASSOCIATION CONVENTION
Environmental Center’s Gingerbread Homes and Habitat Contest and Turtle Back
Zoo’s Prehistoric Playground and Gina Zullo Receive Excellence Awards
Essex County, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. announced
that the Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs received
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.
“I am so proud of our Parks Department for the statewide recognition they received from
the NJRPA. 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. “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,” he pointed
out.
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.
Regina “Gina” Zullo, who was the Zoo Supervisor at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo in
West Orange for many years, passed away on January 25th. She was especially
involved in the development of the Wolf Exhibit and Bobcat Exhibit, helping the animals
successfully transition into their new homes. Ms. 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.
About the Essex County Parks System
The Essex County Park System was created in 1895 and is the first county park system
established in the United States. It consists of more than 6,000 acres and has 22 parks,
five reservations, an environmental center, a zoo, Treetop Adventure Course, paddle
boating, ice skating rink, roller skating rink, three public golf courses, golf driving range,
two miniature golf courses, three off-leash dog facilities, a castle and the Presby
Memorial Iris Gardens.
About the New Jersey Recreation and Parks Association
The New Jersey Recreation and Park Association is dedicated to enhancing the lives of
all New Jersey residents by supporting outstanding park, recreation, and natural
resources management programs. Since 1928, the efforts initiated by NJRPA and its
membership have resulted in tangible benefits for communities throughout the state.
The mission and goals of NJRPA are pursued by the 700 volunteer members of the
association: professionals and citizens working in state, county, municipal, non-profit
and private park, recreation, health and conservation agencies; students and faculty at
colleges and universities; and commercial suppliers of parks and recreation products
and services.
###