Contact: Teresa Ruiz     973-621-4404                                         Anthony Puglisi  973-621-2542

February 17, 2005

West Orange, NJ - Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. announced on Thursday, February 17th that a $200,000 Livable Communities Grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection had been awarded to Essex County to create a classic farmyard animal exhibit at Essex County's Turtle Back Zoo and make the facility more handicap accessible and visitor friendly. NJDEP Commissioner Bradley Campbell joined the County Executive at the press conference in West Orange.

"Our new barn will create a safer and more appropriate environment for our animals and will enable us to create an interactive farm exhibit that can be open 12 months of the year," DiVincenzo said. "Children and families visiting Essex Farm will have an exciting and full farm experience &endash; complete with the red barn, classic weather vanes, petting zoo, pony rides and a working vegetable garden," he noted.

The County Executive expressed his appreciation to Commissioner Campbell and the NJDEP for their continued support in helping revitalize Essex County's historic park system. "Essex County's Turtle Back Zoo, and all of our parks, have benefited from the various grants we have received from the State. The Livable Communities Grant will help us create our first animal exhibit that can be open all year and maximize Turtle Back Zoo's potential as a destination education and recreation facility," he added.

"County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo continues to be a leader in providing families with more local parks and open spaces to improve their communities and quality of life," said Commissioner Campbell. "DEP is pleased to support Essex County's efforts to strengthen places like Turtle Back Zoo, which provide year-round learning and recreation for children throughout New Jersey," he added.

The centerpiece of the new modern exhibit is a 3,360-square-foot red barn that will be able to accommodate sheep, goats, ponies, cows, chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, horses, donkeys, pigs and alpacas (miniature llamas). The animals will have access to outside pens and stalls inside the barn. Visitors can view the animals outside or walk through the barn during inclement weather. The updated exhibit space also will provide room for an expanded pony ride area. The barn, designed to meet standards established by the American Zoological and Aquarium Association (AZA), will provide the animals with appropriate protection from the elements and allow the petting zoo area to remain open all year round.

The improvement project also includes resurfacing asphalt paths leading to Essex Farm to make the exhibit area handicap accessible and more convenient for adults pushing strollers. New brightly colored and kid-friendly signs and a working vegetable garden also will be installed.

The revamped Essex Farm was designed in-house by Turtle Back Zoo staff members and engineers from the Essex County Department of Public Works and a $427,233 contract was awarded to Zenith Construction Service, Inc., from East Newark. Funding for the project is being provided from the $200,000 Livable Communities Grant and the balance from the Essex County Capital Budget. Construction of the barn and other improvements will be finished in the spring of 2005.

Essex Farm petting zoo was established at Turtle Back Zoo in 1997 and immediately became a popular attraction. The farm exhibit currently features wooden shelter exhibits with split-rail and wire fencing, and is only open during warm weather.