Dino Buddies LLC

08/30/2024

🌿 Get Wild with Dino Buddies! 🦎 🌿

Looking for a thrilling adventure that’s both fun and educational? Dive into the world of Dino Buddies, where kids get up close and personal with our incredible ambassador animals! 🐍🦖

Our hands-on wildlife encounters are designed to ignite curiosity and inspire a love for the environment. Whether it's learning about slithering snakes, exploring the world of reptiles, or discovering how to protect our planet, Dino Buddies brings the excitement of wildlife right to you!

🎉 Book an Encounter Today! Let’s make learning an unforgettable experience. 🌟

👉 https://calendly.com/dinobuddies513

Join the adventure. Protect the planet. Love wildlife! 🐢💚

08/23/2024

Come see us!

08/19/2024

🌟🌟Exciting update regarding our herpetological survey at Gorman Heritage Farm!!

This summer, with the invaluable assistance of their dedicated summer camp interns, our herpetological survey yielded some fantastic results. We successfully identified five distinct species:

American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)🐸

Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina serpentina)🐢

Black Ratsnake (Pantherophis spiloides)🐍

Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina)🐢

Butler's Garter Snake (Thamnophis butleri)🐍

To ensure the accuracy of our findings, we will be continuing the survey across multiple seasons. We are thrilled with these initial discoveries and look forward to sharing more insights as our research continues! 🐍🐢🌟

08/11/2024

Kidchella 2024 was an amazing experience! A huge thank you to Cincinnati Family Magazine for hosting such a fantastic event. We had the pleasure of meeting hundreds of incredible kids and inspiring them to embrace their curiosity about all things creepy and crawly. What a great day! 🐍

08/11/2024

We love visiting Ziegler Park! What an awesome summer!

08/10/2024

We had so much fun at Clifton Recreation Center Back to School Bash!!!

🌟 Did you know? Dino Buddies offers engaging, nature-based programs for classrooms from pre-K through high school! Our hands-on activities make learning fun and exciting. Discover how our programs can bring the joy of nature into your classroom today! 🌿📚

Scheduling link: https://calendly.com/dinobuddies513/dino-buddies-classroom-encounters

07/29/2024

🌟 Big shoutout to our amazing Director of Outdoor Education, Kassandra Paige Whittington! 🌟 This summer, Kassandra has been on a mission, gathering crucial data about local reptiles and amphibians at Gorman Heritage Farm.🦎🐸

By day, she's a zookeeper at the Cincinnati Zoo, but on her days off, she dives into her passion for wildlife with Dino Buddies, leading our outdoor programs and research. Her dedication is truly inspiring—thank you, Kassandra! 👏✨

Conservation is cool!

Discover how two local organizations are partnering up to promote environmental awareness and sustainability, here:

https://cincinnatifamilymagazine.com/in-the-know/dino-buddies-gorman-heritage-farm-partnership

🐸🐍🐢🦎🐸🐍🐢🦎🐸🐍🐢🦎🐸🐍🐢🦎

07/24/2024

We are so excited for Kidchella 2024!!! Come see us on August 11th!

Kidchella Spotlight!!!

Come meet Dino Buddies LLC at Kidchella on Sunday, August 11th from 1 - 4 p.m.

🦎🐢🐍🦎🐢🐍🦎🐢🐍🦎🐢🐍🦎🐢🐍

Dino Buddies offers the most exciting and educational animal encounters- they are the perfect addition for any event where curious minds are gathering. You can book them for your families parties, classroom visits, scout events, an overnight, etc. Cincinnati Family Magazine is so excited to have Dino Buddies at Kidchella; be sure to bring your Cincinnati Family to the event to meet some awesome animal ambassadors!

🦎🐢🐍🦎🐢🐍🦎🐢🐍🦎🐢🐍🦎🐢🐍

Can you please RSVP to Cincinnati Family Magazine's awesome Kidchella event, so we know you are coming? We want to make sure we pack enough snacks* for everyone... 🤣

https://fb.me/e/23CeUgMSh

*Seriously, we are bringing some FREE snacks for everyone to try at our awesome FREE event... details to follow...

07/22/2024

It’s National Zookeeper Week!!!

What many people may not know is I have had the chance to work with lots of animals (and not all of them have scales)!

Reflecting on my journey in animal care, it all began in agriculture! At 12, I started volunteering at local farms, and by 16, landed my first paid gig at Gorman Heritage Farm. Pursuing my passion, I studied Equine Sciences at The Ohio State University while working at a dairy barn.

Post-college, I joined the Cincinnati Zoo, advancing to become a zookeeper in the Children’s Zoo department. From goats to red pandas, I cherished every moment caring for animals like skunks, chickens, and kangaroos!

I was incredibly fortunate to be part of a team of passionate individuals dedicated to their craft. Their love for the animals was truly inspiring and evident in their unwavering dedication.

07/17/2024

For the first time in Dino Buddies history we were able to offer outdoor wildlife education programs!!!!!!

Thanks to our incredible team we were able to teach kiddos all about salamanders. We even went on a salamander hunt in the woods! We first started by cleaning up trash, then looking for salamanders, then we cooled off inside with a fun craft activity!

Our hope is that we will continue to provide outdoor education programs for daycares, summer camps, schools, scout programs and more!

Huge shout out to my friend John for allowing us to use his salamanders for this incredible program!

07/16/2024

It’s World Snake Day!!! 🐍🐍🐍

If you know me you know just how much I love snakes! I have had so many incredible opportunities to work with and around some of the most beautiful, dangerous, and fascinating species on the planet!

My love for snakes started shortly after attending The Ohio State University while I was majoring in Equine Science. I was fortunate enough to have a friend who offered me my first ever pet snake. That moment changed my life and over the past 5 years my collection grew from 1 to over 50 animals!

I’ve since dedicated my life to educating the public about these incredible animals! I feel so honored to have worked with so many passionate, dedicated, brilliant reptile keepers. Everything I learned I now pour into my own team, and I could not be more proud of our success!

07/12/2024

Booking an event at Gorman Heritage Farm?? Add-on a Dino Buddies encounter to your next farm visit!!

07/10/2024

Check out our partners at Gia’s Balloon Buddies LLC! We are proud to partner with Gia and her incredible team!

July is Disability Pride Month, and our owner, Gia, recently had the opportunity to talk to Bold Journey about her experience as the proud owner of a disability-owned and led company.
♿️
In her own words, Gianna tells Bold Journey, “Rather than seeing my differences as obstacles, I’ve embraced them as assets, bringing a fresh perspective to the table,” and her goal is to make an inclusive and welcoming environment for all artists and clients by accommodating a range of needs to ensure everyone can be successful.
♿️
At Gia’s, “embracing sensory tools, such as fidgets and noise-reducing headphones, has played a transformative role [in her business’ success].” At Gia’s, we strive to tailor our environment to best fit the needs of each client and artist, making for a wonderful experience for all parties involved every time.
♿️
Read Gianna’s full interview here: https://boldjourney.com/meet-gianna-prestol/
…
Visit us at www.giasballoonbuds.com to book!🎈
…

07/02/2024

We love We Rock the Spectrum - Cincinnati!! It is always such a joy to hang out with these awesome kiddos!

Fun fact! Nearly 60% of Dino Buddies clients are kiddos who are on the autism spectrum!

06/29/2024

Haven’t had a chance to see us yet this summer? No worries! Come see us at Kidchella on August 11th!

We are so excited to announce that Zak Morgan will be headlining our annual Kidchella event!

This family fun music festival takes place on Sunday, August 11th from 1 - 4 p.m. at Cottell Park.

Highlights include:
🎸live music
🛍local attraction booths and a market in the park
🦎an animal ambassador meet and greet with Dino Buddies LLC
🎈balloon animals and facepainting with Gia’s Balloon Buddies LLC
🍧sweet treats from Snowie and SO much more!!!

If you want to learn more about getting a booth at the event, email [email protected]!

Click here for more info on Kidchella!
https://cincinnatifamilymagazine.com/our-events/kidchella-2024

06/24/2024

We have a lot of fun and exciting library events coming up! From reading with reptiles or our classic mixed species display. You won’t want to miss out on this!

Experience critters, reptiles, and more with Dino Buddies LLC! Check out what's happening at a location in your neighborhood --> https://cinlib.org/3pKqGed

06/19/2024

A few weeks ago, Dino Buddies hosted our first ever Turtle Workshop with Girl Scouts of Western Ohio!

These awesome kiddos learned how to help turtles safely cross the road, how to identify native turtle species, as well as how to care for turtle and tortoises in captivity! We had over 40 kiddos sign up for this one of a kind event.

During this time of year, it’s likely you’ll see turtles crossing the road. Our hope is that encounters like these will inspire the next generation to lend a helping hand to our shelled friends. 🐢

We were so lucky to have animals donated to us for this event by Ryan Dumas— Conservation Biologist with Great Parks.

06/18/2024

It’s been an exciting summer so far!

Our Summer Reading Program is off to a great start!
On Monday, June 10th, we had Bouncing Babies Story Time with 4 children and 3 adults present.
On Tuesday, June 11th, we had Toddler Time with 15 children and 18 adults present.
On Wednesday, June 12th, we welcomed the owner of Dino Buddies LLC, Tiffany, for our preschool and K-5th grade program. She brought several different animals for the children to interact with throughout the program. She was FANTASTIC!
For the preschool program, we had 10 children, 9 teens, and 9 adults present.
For the K-5th grade program, we had 56 children, 9 teens, and 35 adults present.
On Thursday, June 13th, we had a game day for the teenagers, there were 15 teens present.

We would love to have your child join us this summer! Please give us a call to register for Bouncing Babies Story Time, Toddler Time, and our teen program!
No pre-registration is required for preschoolers or grades K-5th.

Picture: The owner of Dino Buddies LLC Tiffany and Miss Meghan

There will be no preschool or K-5th grade program on Wednesday, June 19th.

We hope to see you this summer!

06/13/2024

Wow we had so much fun at this one!! Thanks for having us! ☀️🐍🦎🪳🕷️☀️

06/13/2024

Our survey is in full swing! This is going to be an awesome summer! ☀️ 🐍🦎🐢

🌟 Welcoming Dino Buddies: Our New Educational Partner! 🌟

Dino Buddies is a passionate educational outreach organization specializing in reptile education, dedicated to fostering environmental stewardship, promoting responsible pet ownership, and nurturing an understanding of native reptile species among children. 🐢🐍

Together, we are embarking on a comprehensive herpetological biodiversity survey across our 122-acre farm. This study aims to gather crucial data on the diverse array of reptiles and amphibians that inhabit our land. 🌿🌼

Through this collaboration, we aim to further our respective missions, contributing to the greater cause of environmental awareness and sustainability. We hope to enhance our educational programs and contribute to a greater understanding and appreciation of native reptile species. Together, we are committed to making a positive impact on environmental awareness.🌍✨

Join us on this exciting journey as we work together to protect and celebrate our natural world! 💚

06/07/2024

Here at Dino Buddies, we are all about inspiring the next generation! We accomplish this by coming up with creative ways to teach complex topics about wildlife and the environment! We not only bring animals, but we also bring games, crafts, and a lot of enthusiasm.

There’s nothing quite like a Dino Buddies encounter! Be sure to book yours today!

Scheduling link: Calendly.com/dinobuddies513

06/06/2024

We spent some time with Gorman Heritage Farm Summer Camp counselors teaching them snake handling! Gorman’s sits on a 122 acre property and like most farms it’s not uncommon to encounter the infamous black rat snake! We used our ambassador snake, Patrick, the Mexican Black Kingsnake, to teach the counselors how to easily and safely move snakes out of precarious situations.

We also wanted to have a little fun, so we brought Cersei our Burmese Python!

Throughout the summer, Gorman’s Summer Camp staff will be assisting us with our biodiversity survey! We are so excited to provide this unique experience for these environmental educators!

05/31/2024

Exciting News 📢

In line with our commitment to conservation, we are thrilled to announce our collaboration with Gorman Heritage Farm for a comprehensive Herpetological Biodiversity survey. This endeavor is geared towards gathering essential data on the diverse array of reptiles and amphibians inhabiting Gorman’s expansive, 122 acre farm located in Evendale, Oho.

For those unfamiliar, Gorman Heritage Farm is a non-profit, educational working farm, providing farm-based education and experiences about food, sustainable agriculture and the natural world. Gorman welcomes all members of the community to visit the farm and engage and enjoy what farm has to offer.

Through this partnership, both organizations aim to further their respective missions, contributing to the greater cause of environmental awareness and sustainability.

05/28/2024

Happy birthday to Dino Buddies!!!! 🎂🥳🐍

Can you believe it’s been 4 years! 🤯🎉 It’s so hard to believe that this much time has passed. Over the years we have met thousands of kiddos, traveled well over 10,000 miles, and inspired countless of people with our educational outreach programs! We are forever grateful to our community for all of the love and support we receive online and at events.

This summer is shaping up to be one of our bests! Take a look at the public events we have lined up already! We look forward to seeing you all this summer! 🐍☀️🐢🦎

6/3 3-4pm Symmes Branch Library 11850 Enyart Rd. Loveland, OH 45140 Mixed Species Display

6/8 12-2pm Erlanger Branch of the Kenton County Public Library 401 Kenton Lands Rd Erlanger, KY 41018 Mixed Species Display

6/10 5-6pm Erlanger Branch of the Kenton County Public Library 401 Kenton Lands Rd Erlanger, KY 41018 Creepy Crawly Display TEEN Event

6/12 11:30-12:30 Sylvester Memorial Wellston Public Library 135 East 2nd Street, Wellston, Ohio 45692 Mixed Species Display

6/12 1-2pm Sylvester Memorial Wellston Public Library 135 East 2nd Street, Wellston, Ohio 45692 Mixed Species Display

6/13 1-2pm Milton-Union Public Library 560 S. Main Street West Milton, OH 45383 Mixed Species Display

6/18 2-4pm Anderson Branch Library 7450 State Road Cincinnati, OH 45230 Creepy Crawly Collection

6/19 1-3pm Happy Hangouts 2041 Anderson Ferry Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45238 Reading With Reptiles

6/26 12-1pm Oakley Branch Library 4033 Gilmore Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45209 Reading With Reptiles

7/9 10-11am location is Madeira Branch Library 7200 Miami Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45243 Reading With Reptiles

7/12 10-11am City of Independence 5409 Madison Pike Independence, KY 41051 Mixed Species Display

7/22 10-11am Sharonville Branch Library 10-11am 10980 Thornview Dr. Cincinnati, OH 45241 Mixed Species Display

05/09/2024

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Come on out to Gorman Heritage Farm for their May Farm Fest and get up close with our Dino Buddies!!!

We will be there from 11:15 to 1:15! We will bring some familiar faces and some news ones! You won’t wanna miss out on this!

Register for tickets here: https://gormanfarm.doubleknot.com/event/may-farm-fest/3028958

05/05/2024

There’s nothing like a surprise visit from Ohio Division of Wildlife!

Don’t worry, recently Dino Buddies applied for permits that will allow us to house and collect native Ohio species. The Division of Wildlife performs “surprise” checks on those who apply for these permits to ensure we have the proper housing, equipment, and supplies.

Of course, Dino Buddies passed inspection with flying colors! They mentioned that not only did we have proper enclosures, but all of the animals in our collection were happy and healthy.

It’s always an adventure here at Dino Buddies!

05/04/2024

In partnership with Girl Scouts of Western Ohio, Dino Buddies hosted an Animal Science Career Exploration Event!

About 1 year ago we were hosting our animal handling workshops when a troop leader asked if we would create an encounter that showed the girls all the different jobs that are available to them in the animal science industry. That thought immediately took me back to the time I was a child and knew I wanted to work with animals but wasn’t sure what my options were. We gladly accepted the challenge and designed an expo where we invited real life animal science professionals for the Girl Scouts to meet and ask questions. We invited a veterinary technician, researcher, and zookeeper!

We also provided them with resources on jobs that are available.

This event was a huge success and we look forward to hosting it every year. Our hope is that we will continue to inspire these kids to pursue their passions and follow their dreams!

05/02/2024

You may have notice that Dino Buddies was out of the office this last weekend… well we wanted to catch you all up on what we’ve been up to!

I took it upon myself to take a venomous snake handling course in Kalamazoo, Michigan! While on my trip I also stopped by some of my favorite zoos with the most incredible reptile collections. These facilities include Toledo Zoo, Detroit Zoo, and The Reptarium.

The time I spent away for professional development has only made me more passionate about Dino Buddies and our mission to excite, inspire, and educate! We are more excited than ever to provide our fun and exciting educational programming!

04/30/2024

Woohoo! This sure was a fun one!