The Eco-Friendly Job

Most gardeners have had the opportunity to garden organically by hand-picking potato bugs and pesky beetles from their rose garden. (This is the 21st century spin on what my parents called “chores.”) Today I got another opportunity with my personal favorite, the bagworm.

Bagworms are nothing like the tent caterpillars or fall webworms, which form condo-nests high up in trees. These nests can be removed with the aid of a pole pruner from a distance.

Bagworms create individual homes in subdivisions and proceed to exfoliate your plants. If you are sufficiently attentive, you’ll catch up with them while the area is still rural and there are only a few to remove. Come to the problem too late, and you’ll be removing plants altogether. All of these pests are larvae at this stage, and can seriously damage trees or shrubs that they inhabit. The adult moths only serve to perpetuate the problem.

The good news is that the worms are generally species-specific, so an infestation is limited to certain plants. Unfortunately, juniper is a favored species, with lots of varieties of juniper and cedar here in the park. Just keep alert and care for your plants regularly to try to eliminate the bagworms before they become a problem. Sometimes it’s easier to just do it the good old fashioned way, and organically pick them off yourself.

Shelia
Landscaper at Busch Gardens

Meet Akisa and Adana

We have some new arrivals … two red-ruffed lemurs. “Akisa” and “Adana” were born on April 21 at Busch Gardens, Tampa. The names were chosen from Malagasy words, which is the native language of Madagascar. Akisa means playful and she definitely fits her name. Adana means peaceful and she is the more reserved of the two. The trainers are calling them Kisa and Ada for short.

Although, their main diet is a variety of fruits and veggies they have some favorites. The trainers are very popular when they have bananas and grapes to offer. The team is welcomed each morning with the lemur’s very loud raucous call that can be heard up to a mile away.

Once the treats are gone, the girls want to play and be scratched. You know when a lemur is really comfortable with you when they offer their armpit for you to scratch. You can tell a good trainer when they are willing to do it.

The team and I are currently training the lemurs to go into their kennel. We are also getting them comfortable with a leash and harness. This will be extremely important when they begin going to education programs and media events. It is kind of hard for me to concentrate on training when Kisa keeps trying to steal the banana from my hand.

Two of our trainers flew to Florida recently to pick them up. They spent a few days working with Kisa and Ada’s Tampa trainers and made sure the girls were comfortable with them before bringing them back to Williamsburg.

Guests will be able to see the lemurs August 28 and 29 during Wild Days, but don’t be surprised if they make some appearances around the park before then.

Kendell
Animal Trainer at Busch Gardens

The Ever Changing Circle Bed

My fellow landscapers at Busch Gardens call it “the circle bed” but guests know it as the large bed of flowers in front of Das Festhaus.

With each new season come new plants and a new design to the area. Through the years there have been numerous incarnations, from Maypoles to baskets elevated over the bed. This summer season, you’ll find the bed has become part of the “Clocktoberfest” experience of IllumiNights.

In winter, it has regularly featured violas over spring tulips but Christmas Town has changed that. A 50-foot tree occupies that space for the rest of the season, with an amazing light display.

No matter what the season, the plants in the circle bed have their work cut out for them. This bed receives full sun and is visible from near and far. This visibility requires a clear design to showcase the Festhaus building, while maintaining interest for photos of friends and family as they relax along the wall. Our plan involves seasonal changes of annual plant material, with routine maintenance, but otherwise very limited alterations between.

What will the next version look like? Fall normally brings lots of mums to the park. Perhaps some will make it over to Oktoberfest. Come check it out.

Do you have a favorite picture of the circle bed? I’d love to see it. Post it here.

Shelia
Landscaper at Busch Gardens

David Cook … True American Idol

American Idol is a must watch at my house every season. Both of my daughters love music, and enjoy watching the show from beginning to end. So, it was a no-brainer for me to see David Cook in concert at Festhaus Park this past Sunday. We had an opportunity to sit in the VIP Skybox for a great view of the show.

Not only is David Cook a great singer and performer, but he relates with his fans and audience. He paused between a few songs to have fun with his fans (pulling two young girls on stage that had brought a sign with them asking for guitar picks. He also pulled a father on stage that had a “man crush” on the bass player.) He performed songs from his first album and all of them were great. Toward the end of his performance, he played a couple of songs off of his new album.

I met a young lady at the show who is a big fan of David Cook. She truly appreciates all that he stands for and all he does to support cancer research. She is a survivor herself, and wanted to pass on her appreciation to him. He is a lot more than a performer to many people … he is truly an American Idol.

At the end of the show, he and his band mates took some time to meet with fans and take pictures and sign autographs. We got a chance to be a part of this experience, and what a treat it was. Although my youngest daughter portrays a shy image at first, she was the most excited to get to meet David Cook and quickly came out of her shell.

It was a great show to be a part of. I look forward to enjoying more concerts at the park, and to hearing more of David Cooks new CD!

Renee
Park Operations Manager at Busch Gardens

Tips from the Inside

I have two little boys so we visit Water Country USA many times during the summer. Small children don’t like to wait long lines, so we always have a plan for our day.

The first rides to open, that are convienently located close to the entrance, are Jet Scream and Malibu Pipeline. We start off our day with these rides then quickly head to Big Daddy Falls and Aquazoid. Ride lines get long pretty quick at the family attractions so do those first. Also, something to keep in mind, Rampage and Wild Thang are two great rides that are often missed, so even in the middle of the day the lines are shorter. After we ride a few big slides we visit the children’s areas so the boys can just play.

My favorite place to hang out at the park is Hubba Hubba Highway. The boys love it and we just float around, there is no wait and you can stay in as long as you want.

When it comes time for lunch, I love to eat at Launch Pad because the subs are so good. However if you just want to snack on something small and keep going, check out Traveler’s Treats. My top pick is the shrimp cart. It smells amazing and tastes even better.

The most important tip I can give you is to remember to stay hydrated and drink lots of water. The summer has been a scorcher and simply playing in the water will not keep you hydrated. Cups of water are free at all fountain drink locations, so don’t hesitate to ask. Your safety comes first.

Also, remember that sunscreen wears off so reapply often. We wouldn’t want sunburn to ruin your day of fun. And if you own them, bring water shoes. They may not look “cool” but they’ll keep your feet comfortable with all that walking. It’s a big park, so you’ll want to protect your feet.

I hope these tips will help you plan a fun and safe trip to our park. I’d love to hear some of your suggestions of tips for the park. The more we know, the more fun we can have.

See you soon at Water Country USA.

Cynthia
Park Operations Manager at Busch Gardens

Q and A with David Cook

Fans and followers,

Thanks for sending in all of your questions for David Cook. He put on two great shows over the weekend, and then took the time to answer some of your great questions. Hopefully he answered one of yours.

What is your favorite song you have ever performed?
Don’t really know about a favorite song, but one of my favorite performances was “Permanent” at the season 8 AI finale. There were a lot of moving parts involved in putting that together, and to see everyone involved give of themselves to make that moment happen… that meant a ton to me.

Do you have any rituals or traditions that you have to do before you go on stage?
Before we go on, we (the band) do the whole “hand-in, hoo-rah!” thing. My rituals are more a part of the “on-stage” portion. Cinnamon gum, for some reason, has to be on my amp. Chewing gum keeps some moisture in my throat, for on, but it’s also a bit of a mental crutch.

What’s your favorite hobby?
Anymore, my hobbies revolve around relaxing and turning my brain off. Hanging with my pup, family, and friends is always good, but I’m not big on the going out thing. Low key is perfect.

What do you miss the most at home when you’re on the road?
Two things: My bed and my dog

What are your plans for 2011?
New Record, New Tour, New People, New Places

A Special Message from Busch Gardens

To our fans and followers,

At approximately 7:30 p.m. Thursday, a quickly moving storm caused a weather-related incident at our park. A sudden gust of wind knocked an inflatable prop into the path of a Griffon coaster train, which came to a stop at the top of the coaster’s second hill. We escorted our guests safely from the coaster train and treated them on site for injuries. Five of those guests were transported to the hospital where they were treated and released.

Since then we have taken all of the necessary precautions to keep our park safe. Griffon was inspected and is running smoothly, and the inflatable props have been removed from the area.

Safety is our highest priority. If you have any questions related to this incident, please e-mail us at socialmedia@buschgardens.com.

The Loch Ness Monster Finally Sighted

 That was the headline back in 1978 when The Loch Ness Monster first opened.  At the time, John B. Roberts, General Manager of The Old Country, stated, “There has never been anything like it.  For openers, it’s the tallest and fastest coaster-style ride with the steepest drop in the world … and the only one with interlocking loops.  On top of that, part of it’s in total darkness.”

It is truly amazing how The Loch Ness Monster, dwarfed by its coaster counterparts today, was once the epitome of technology, speed and thrill.  Don’t get me wrong, she is still an awesome ride that has thrilled guests for years.  It just helps show some of the remarkable changes and improvements in technology over the years.

Riders love the unique feeling they get when riding the legendary coaster.  This is due, in large part, to the design and technology used back in the 1970s.  The Loch Ness Monster was the first and is the only remaining coaster with interlocking loops. Also, the train runs on the inside of the rails, compared to modern coasters, which run on the outside.  This gives the sensation of a ‘looser’ ride and adds to the thrill.

The construction took months, as engineers welded sections of track together, totaling 3,240 feet.  As the team worked their way around the track, following the direction of travel, they noticed a big problem.  The last section of track, leading from the second loop to the station, was curved the wrong way (toward what is today, Alpengeist).  Engineers had to heat up the track and bend it back in the right direction.  If you ride the coaster today, you may feel a very slight jolt to the right.  This is where the track was corrected. 

In the 1970’s engineers used slide rules, mapped the layout of the ride by walking the proposed ride area, and cut/welded the track by hand.  Today’s modern thrill machines are designed and constructed using the most sophisticated technology.  Roller coasters are now designed by computer, the track is cut by laser and shipped in sections, and the track is bolted together instead of welded.  This technology offers better accuracy and a smoother ride for the guests.

The Loch Ness Monster opened to rave reviews, but has undergone numerous changes throughout the years.  The manufacturer planned to operate the ride with 4 trains, each with 6 coaches, but realized there would not be enough time to dispatch the trains.  Instead, the ride was modified to 3 trains with 7 coaches each.  There is still the body of a 4^th train underneath the ride, that can be switched with another train if necessary. 

In my opinion, one of the most interesting history points of The Loch Ness Monster was that the operators used to manually stop the train in the station.  If for some reason an employee did not stop the train in time, the train would have to go all the way around again. That gave some lucky guests two rides in a row on the famous Nessie.

Original press release from the ride’s opening in 1978.

Feel free to share your memories about The Loch Ness Monster.  She is one fantastic ride that is still a favorite today.  Stay tuned for more park history. 

Rob
Park Operations Manager for Busch Gardens

Beat the Heat

This summer has been a hot one, but it’s nice to work at a water park, because when it gets too hot, you can always cool off in one of our many pools. The water always looks so refreshing when it’s warm. It is amazing to be able to step in and cool off.

 Our Shallow Water Guards and Lifeguards wear bathing suits and can enjoy cooling off throughout the day. We even put some towels on ice that they could drape around their shoulders. We provide water coolers at all of our attractions for our employees to stay hydrated. We even gave popsicles out to team members on their breaks recently.

This weekend we saw a huge crowd at our park trying to beat the heat. I spoke to many guests who just wanted to cool down. I always recommend Hubba Hubba Highway but I saw many people lying on the beach of the wave pool. I even walked by H2O UFO many times this weekend and saw parents sitting in the water while their children played.

There are many ways to keep cool this summer, so why not do it while having some fun? Come see us at Water Country USA, the best place to beat the heat.

Cynthia

Park Operations at Water Country USA

Meet Pindari

Pindari is our common wallaroo. I know some of you are scratching your heads thinking, “Did she mean wallaby or kangaroo?” You read it correctly. They are not a cross between the two, but are sized right in the middle. Someone wasn’t very creative when coming up with their name.

When these animals are first born they are about the size of a jellybean and will continue to grow in their mother’s pouch for an entire year.

Pindari is 5 years old and has lived at Busch Gardens since he was about 9 months old. At 9 months, Pindari still occasionally wanted the protection of a pouch, so we made him one out of material. He is definitely past the pouch stage now and mostly likes to lounge in the sun.

A common wallaroo’s main diet is grasses and shrubs, but Pindari absolutely has some favorites. He has a sweet tooth. He adores fruits such as apples, pineapple and pears to name a few.

Pindari can often be seen in Jack Hanna’s Wild Reserve at Busch Gardens. When you visit the park this summer, make sure to stop by and see him. He’s super cute.

Kendell
Animal Trainer at Busch Gardens