On July 23rd, the Department
of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) sponsored “A Day at The Bronx Zoo”.
The event was open to all DYCD funded fatherhood programs across the city and
well attended by UpNext staff and participants.
The day at the zoo definitely brought
families and friends together. Past and present participants caught up with one
another and fathers from different programs got to meet for the first time.
Highlights included a ride on the Wild Asia monorail into Jungle World where they
watched in amazement as an Ebony Langur balanced itself on top of a tree
(pictured). The group got to experience the Congo Gorilla Forest, where the
children saw the gorillas up close.
During the trip, the fathers not only
bonded with their children but they stopped by each animal habitat to read to
them about certain species and their attributes. The Bronx Zoo staff also
explained to the group about the dangers of poaching and animal extinction.
The fathers and children ate lunch after
a long and fun day at the zoo. It was a beautiful day that our hard-working
dads spent by committing to one of UPNEXT’s missions, which is enjoying quality
time with their beloved children. We thank DYCD and the Bronx Zoo for making
this a memorable day.
