From the desk of MC Flamingo… My Aunt Phyllis is a talker.

From the desk of MC Flamingo…

My Aunt Phyllis is a talker.  She’s the talkingest Flamingo in our entire flamboyance , to use the proper jargon.  How talking is she?  

• They say if you crossed Aunt Phyllis the flamingo with a centipede, you’d get a Walkie-Talkie.  
• They also say if you crossed Aunt Phyllis with a shark, you’d have a bird that would talk your head off.
• They say Aunt Phyllis’ favorite game is Hide and Speak.

Needless to say, she loves her cell phone.  I remember once she was at the doctor’s office to talk about 

possible throat surgery.  She was talking on that phone in the admitting area, in the waiting room, and even ‘shushed’ the doctor until she could finally finish her call.  

She did eventually pay attention, at least long enough to ask the throat doctor, “How will they keep my mouth open during the surgery?”

The doctor replied, “Oh, that part’s easy, we’ll just keep a phone in your hand.”

If you love your cellphone like Aunt Phyllis does, you probably like the newest model, right?  Flamingo Gardens now has a way to let you upgrade “for good.”  That means upgrading for wildlife!

You can donate your old, outdated iPhone, Android, other smartphone or tablet to Flamingo Gardens and know that your old phone is going to support rescue and rehabilitation efforts.  The Flamingo Gardens animals get the benefit, and you get the tax deduction!

That old phone sitting in a drawer, or that phone you’re ready to get rid of, well, it isn’t obsolete or worthless… you can donate your old devices right through our website.

Imagine your old phone doing some good right here, right now… and donating it takes less than a minute… just Click here!

This is called an in-kind donation, and phones aren’t the only thing you can donate. You can also donate old vehicles, stock, bonds, unused gift cards, even property! Aunt Phyllis always gives me gift cards I never use, so I like to donate them to Flamingo Gardens. Like the phones, these get converted to cash and the cash is donated to Flamingo Gardens. If you’re interested in learning more, check out the Flamingo Gardens donation page here.  Every season can be a season of giving!

And speaking of seasons:  Ahhhh…. fall.  December is here, and so is cooler weather.  If you missed all the Harvest Fest events in October, you missed a lot of fun.  But no worries, because December is the month of giving, and nowhere will you be more giving of your time than when you're at our own Flamingo Gardens in December. Check out all the Holiday Fun! Ride the Holiday Express Train to visit Santa and help Mrs. Claus pass out treats to the animals at 3pm on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 10, 11, 17 & 18. Or come visit the Garden of Lights after dark and see the music and light show on December 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, & 18 from 5-8pm. 

And make sure you check out the new North American River Otter Habitat which is now open!

Okay, time for a quiz, AND a chance to win a prize:

So we already covered the fact that a group of flamingos is called a “flamboyance.”  What is a group of otters called?  A __________ of otters.

Visit our Facebook page and answer all correctly.  One of the right answers at www.facebook.com/flamingogardens.org will get 4 free passes to Flamingo Gardens!

This is MC Flamingo, signing off for Flamingo Gardens!

Flamingo Gardens is a 60 acre Botanical Garden and Everglade Wildlife Sanctuary. The Flamingo Gardens botanical gardens in Fort Lauderdale, (Davie) Florida, features over 3000 species of rare & exotic, tropical, subtropical, and native plants and trees. Flamingo Gardens wildlife sanctuary is home to the largest collection of Florida native wildlife including alligators, bobcats, eagles, otters, panthers, peacocks, and of course… flamingos!​

Flamingo Gardens is owned and operated by the Floyd L. Wray Memorial Foundation, Inc. which was established in 1969 by Mrs. Wray in honor of her late husband. Her wish to preserve the core property for future generations and emphasize the flora, fauna, and history of the Florida Everglades is the core of Flamingo Gardens' mission still today.