FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 19, 2011

Contact: AnthonyPuglisi
973-621-2542
Lauren Shears
973-621-1590

ESSEXCOUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO ANNOUNCES TREETOP ADVENTURE COURSE WILL OPEN ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24TH
AerialObstacleCourseFeaturesRopeBridges, Zip Lines and Climbing Features

West Orange, NJ - Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. announced
that the new Treetop Adventure Course at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo will
open to the public on Saturday, September 24th. The first of its kind in New
Jersey, the Treetop Adventure Course is an aerial obstacle course with rope
bridges, zip lines and other climbing features built into the trees 35 feet
above the ground.
"Zip lines and climbing courses are popular attractions and provide visitors
with an action-packed and hands on experience. The Treetop Adventure Course
will provide visitors with a different dimension to get close to nature and
expand the audience for Turtle Back Zoo," DiVincenzo said. "This is an
exciting attraction that we are pleased to offer the public. Our South
Mountain Recreation Complex with the Zoo, Codey Arena, miniGOLF Safari and
now the Treetop Adventure Course is a destination that has something every
member of the family can enjoy. We invite the public to visit, spend a day
and experience what EssexCounty has to offer," he added.
The Treetop Adventure Course has 22 stations that are elevated above the
ground. Participants move from platform to platform by traversing a variety
of obstacles that include rope bridges, zip lines, zigzag boards and logs,
to name a few. It is estimated that the average person will take about 90
minutes to complete the course. (Participants can exit the course midway
through the journey.) The course is designed to teach about treetop
exploration and is geared for older children and adults. It has a separate
entrance so it can remain open after Turtle Back Zoo closes.
Admission to the Treetop Adventure Course is $20. This is separate from the
Turtle Back Zoo entrance fee. There are a few requirements for participants
who want to experience the Treetop Adventure Course. They are as follows:
. Participants must be at least 54 inches tall and weigh no more than
250 pounds.
. Children under 12 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
. Children under 18 must have a consent form signed by a
parent/guardian.
. Participants must wear appropriate shoes. Flip flops and sandals are
not acceptable.
. Other restrictions may apply.
The attraction will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to one
hour before sunset through the Thanksgiving weekend, weather permitting. To
make a reservation, please visit Group reservations
are available.
The Treetop Adventure Course was being constructed in conjunction with the
Big Cat Country Exhibit, which features jaguar and cougars. Big Cat Country
is scheduled to open in October. The engineering firm of French and Parrello
from Wall, NJ, received a $138,897 contract to design the Treetop Adventure
Course and the Big Cat Country Exhibit. Shauger Property Services of East
Orange was awarded a competitively bid contract of $3,056,808 to construct
the new attractions. The Essex County Department of Public Works monitored
the project and worked with the contractors. Design services were paid by
the Zoological Society of New Jersey. The construction was funded through
the Essex County Capital Budget and with a grant from the Essex County
Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund.
Turtle Back Zoo is open Mondays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and
Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Regular Zoo admission is $7 for children
and senior citizens, $10 for adults and free for children under 2 years. For
additional information, please call 973-731-5800 or visit

Revitalizing Essex County Turtle Back Zoo
In addition to the Treetop Adventure Course and Big Cat Country, there are
other new attractions being opened at the South Mountain Recreation Complex
this fall, including McLoone's Boathouse Restaurant in October and a Sea
Lion Exhibit with a shark touch tank in 2013 to coincide with Turtle Back
Zoo's 50th anniversary.
EssexCounty earned its first five-year accreditation from AZA in 2006 and
was re-accredited in 2011. Since taking office in 2003, DiVincenzo has
spearheaded over $20 million in upgrades to Essex County Turtle Back Zoo,
which have included developing the Carousel, which features 33 figures of
endangered animals; building the Tam-ring Gibbons Reserve with Gibbons apes,
Reeves muntjac and white naped cranes; Australian Exhibit that features
kangaroos, wallabies, emus and over 500 birds in the Aviary; Reptile and
Education Center, open air dining pavilion and playground, Penguin Exhibit,
Otter Exhibit, Wolf Exhibit, Alligator Exhibit, North American Animal
Exhibit, Black Bear Exhibit, Animal Hospital, Essex Farm Petting Zoo and
South American Animal Exhibit; renovating the Pepsi Pavilion for year-round
use and making upgrades to the entrance as well as fencing and
infrastructure to meet AZA requirements. Funding has been provided through
Green Acres grants, existing capital improvement bonds, or donations from
the Zoological Society, Essex County Parks Foundation, corporations or
private foundations. Corporations that have provided support include
Prudential Financial, Inc., Wells Fargo, PNC Bank, PSE&G, Verizon, Horizon
Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Coca Cola, Capital One Bank, TD Bank,
Aramark and OxyMagic carpet cleaning.
The Essex County Park System was created in 1895 and is the first county
park system established in the United States. The Park System consists of
more than 6,000 acres and has 20 parks, five reservations, an environmental
center, a zoo, ice skating rink, roller skating rink, three public golf
courses, golf driving range, miniature golf course, three off-leash dog
facilities, a castle and the PresbyMemorialIrisGardens. Turtle Back Zoo
is located in EssexCounty's South Mountain Reservation and was opened to
the public in 1963.