Conservationist & Former Zookeeper Beth Armstrong in Conversation with Ohio Wildlife Center’s Rebecca Rose
Wednesday, July 29 on the Thurber House Lawn
You will have the opportunity to ask the speakers questions after the event, purchase books, and get your books signed. Please bring a lawn chair or blanket with you.
(Scroll down for ticket options and menus.)
About the Book
Voices from the Ape House
Exploring the history humans share with gorillas, Voices from the Ape House offers a behind-the-scenes look at the complicated social lives of western lowland gorillas through the eyes of a devoted zookeeper.
The memoir traces Beth Armstrong’s love and fascination for animals, from her childhood to her work with captive primates as an adult. Through her eyes, readers sense the awe and privilege of working with these animals at the Columbus Zoo. Individual gorillas there had an enormous effect on her life, shaping and influencing her commitment to improving gorilla husbandry and to involving her zoo in taking an active role to protect gorillas in the wild.
Through anecdotal stories, readers get a glimpse into the fascinating lives of gorillas—the familiar gentleness of mothers and fathers toward their infants, power plays and social climbing, the unruly nature of teenagers, the capacity for humor, and the shared sadness by group members as they mourn the death of one of their own. In the end, Armstrong’s conflict with captivity and her lifelong fondness for these animals helped shape a zoo program dedicated to gorilla conservation.
About the Speakers
Author Beth Armstrong
Since 2023, Beth Armstrong has been a monthly columnist for the Clintonville Spotlight newspaper. Her essays have appeared in The Columbus Dispatch and 614 Magazine. Prior to becoming a writer, she was a gorilla keeper and the first conservation coordinator for the Columbus Zoo. Those years spent observing animal behaviors taught her the power of quietly watching the world, with many of those moments becoming the basis for her stories.
Beth believes that every person has a story to tell, that stories have the power to change the world, and that stories can alter people’s perspectives by creating space for empathy to grow and thrive.
Beth earned her bachelor’s degree in anthropology from OSU while working full-time at the zoo. She has given numerous lectures at international conferences about captive gorilla behaviors and husbandry, as well as the zoo community’s conservation efforts and commitment.
Conversation Partner Rebecca Rose
Rebecca Rose is the Conservation Liaison for the Ohio Wildlife Center, which operates Central Ohio’s largest native wildlife hospital. Previously, Rebecca served the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium for 30 years as an Environmental Education Specialist and Field Conservation Coordinator, directing the Zoo’s global conservation grants program.
Rebecca is dedicated to grassroots conservation initiatives throughout the world and serves on the board of directors for the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA), and Friends of Bonobos. She is an Ohio Certified Naturalist and is trained as a presenter by the Climate Reality Project.
Rebecca has traveled throughout the U.S., Central and South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa in support of wildlife conservation initiatives. She is a member of the Ohio Bat Working Group, the Ohio Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, and the Ohio State University Environmental Professionals Network.
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‣ Picnic Social | 6:00-6:30 pm (Optional)
Enjoy a picnic dinner (ours or yours), unwind on the lawn, and take a free guided tour of Thurber House during this time frame.
Note: We do not offer tours of the Thurber House museum when we move to our rain site.
‣ Main Program | 6:30-7:30 pm
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the program! You will have the opportunity to ask the speakers questions after the event.
‣ Book Signing | 7:30 pm
Purchase books and get them signed by the author.
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‣ Full Summer Subscription for 2 (Event Only) | $185
Perfect for couples and friends, this series subscription admits up to two (2) attendees to each of the five (5) Summer Picnic Events (a $210 value!). *Does not include dinner, but you can add à la carte dinners using the “Dinner Upgrade” option.*
‣ Adult Admission (Event + Dinner) | $41
This ticket includes individual admission to the event, plus a catered boxed dinner with an entree, sides, and a drink. Regular and vegetarian options are available. For menus, visit the “Dinner Menus” tab below.
‣ Adult Admission (Event Only) | $21
This ticket includes individual admission to the event.
‣ 18 and Under Admission (Event Only) | $8.50
This ticket includes individual admission to the event for attendees 18 and under.
‣ Dinner Upgrade | $20
Add a boxed dinner to any 18 and Under ticket (or an Event Only ticket, if you change your mind later) for $20 per meal. You do not need to add a Dinner Upgrade if your ticket already comes with a dinner.
This upgrade includes one catered boxed dinner with an entree, sides, and a drink. Regular and vegetarian options are available. For menus, visit the “Dinner Menus” tab below.
Note: Some walk-in Event Only tickets will be available at the event (space permitting). However, we strongly encourage you to register in advance. All Event + Dinner tickets and Dinner Upgrades must be purchased at least several business days in advance.
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The caterer for this picnic is… Apple Spice!
If you’d like a boxed dinner for this event, make sure to select an Event + Dinner ticket when you order. Dinners must be purchased by 10 am on Monday, July 27 for this event.
‣ Regular menu:
Chicken, pear, and havarti wrap (chicken breast, sweet pears, Havarti cheese, and lettuce with apple cider vinaigrette)
Fruit
Dill pickle
Potato chips
Cookie
Choice of drink: water, pop, etc.
‣ Vegetarian menu:
Super food salad (a super antioxidant mix of kale, baby spinach, and red cabbage, topped with dried cranberries, raspberries, almonds, and feta cheese with raspberry vinaigrette)
Fruit
Dill pickle
Potato chips
Cookie
Choice of drink: water, pop, etc.
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‣ Location: This event will take place on the Thurber House lawn (77 Jefferson Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215).
Free parking on Jefferson Avenue: Free street parking is available all along the Jefferson Avenue oval. Note: Only the spots along the one-way oval are free; the spots along the two-way ends of Jefferson Avenue (near Broad Street and Long Street) are not free.
Free parking off N. 11th Street (behind Thurber House): Free visitor parking is also available in the small lot directly behind Thurber House, accessible off N. 11th Street and located here.
‣ Rain site: In the event of rain, this event will be held at Thurber Center (91 Jefferson Ave, Columbus, OH, 43215). Note: We do not offer tours of the Thurber House museum when we move to our rain site.
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Our summer picnics are held outside on the Thurber House lawn.
The most accessible entrance to the lawn and museum is usually from Jefferson Avenue (if you arrive earlier to get a parking spot closer to the entrance or do a drop off in front of the entrance).
Free guided tours are also available of the Thurber House museum. The first floor is handicap/wheelchair accessible, including the first floor restrooms. The second floor is accessible only via staircases (which are wide with handrails).
ACCESS FROM JEFFERSON AVENUE
If you can navigate one to five small steps:
Access to the lawn only requires one very slight curb step from the street. Access to the museum (optional) involves navigating an additional four small steps (with handrails).
We recommend arriving earlier to get a parking spot closer to the entrance or doing a drop off in front of the entrance. If you cannot do so, please see “Access from the rear parking lot” below for an alternative path that may be shorter.
If you need fully step-free access:
The closest “ramp” cut is the entrance to the large parking lot on the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Long Street (here). Follow the sidewalk to the Thurber House lawn.
To reach the wheelchair ramp into the museum (optional), follow the sidewalk around the left side of the House. The entrance to the wheelchair ramp is near the rear corner of the House (here). Please ask a staff member for assistance.
We recommend arriving earlier to get a parking spot closer to the entrance or doing a drop off in front of the entrance. If you cannot do so, please see “Access from the rear parking lot” below for an alternative path that may be shorter.
ACCESS FROM THE REAR PARKING LOT
If you can navigate three large steps (with a handrail):
Access to the lawn requires navigating three large steps with a handrail. Access to the museum (optional) involves navigating an additional four small steps (with handrails).
This path is typically shorter only if you cannot arrive earlier to get a parking spot closer to the Jefferson Avenue entrance or do a drop off in front of the Jefferson Avenue entrance.
If you need fully step-free access:
Follow the sidewalk between the handicap parking signs (here). The sidewalk will take you around the north side of our multipurpose building, Thurber Center.
Continue east past Thurber Center toward the street (Jefferson Avenue) and turn right toward Thurber House. Follow the sidewalk through the Thurber House front gate to reach the lawn.
To reach the wheelchair ramp into the museum (optional), follow the sidewalk around the left side of the House. The entrance to the wheelchair ramp is near the rear corner of the House (here). Please ask a staff member for assistance.
For an alternative step-free path, please see “Access from Jefferson Avenue” above.
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If we move indoors to our rain site, Thurber Center, the step-free and usually shortest entrance is from our back parking lot, reachable off N. 11th Street.
The first floor of Thurber Center is handicap/wheelchair accessible, including the first floor restrooms.
Note: We do not offer tours of the Thurber House museum when we move to our rain site.
ACCESS FROM JEFFERSON AVENUE
If you can navigate four small steps (with handrails):
We recommend arriving earlier to get a parking spot closer to the entrance or doing a drop off in front of the entrance. If you cannot do so, please see “Access from the rear parking lot” below for an alternative path that will be shorter and eliminates all steps.
Access to Thurber Center from Jefferson Avenue requires one very slight curb step from the street and an additional four small steps (with handrails). You can also bypass the four steps by using the wheelchair ramp, which involves walking a slightly further distance.
If you need fully step-free access:
The closest “ramp” cut is the entrance to the large parking lot on the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Long Street (here).
Follow the sidewalk through the Thurber Center front gate. Take the sidewalk around the porch on the right side of the building. The entrance to the wheelchair ramp will appear on your left, past the porch.
ACCESS FROM THE REAR PARKING LOT
Fully step-free access:
Follow the sidewalk between the handicap parking signs (here). The sidewalk will take you around the north side of our multipurpose building, Thurber Center. The ramp will appear on your right and leads up to the front porch.
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For any questions that are not answered here, please contact Jess at jcox@thurberhouse.org or 614-412-5955.
‣ How will I receive my tickets? You will receive an email order confirmation containing your ticket(s). You can print or show your ticket(s) on your phone. If you are unable to do so, we will manually check you in.
‣ Can I order tickets by phone? Yes, although online orders are encouraged. To order by phone, call 614-412-5955.
‣ Can I purchase books and get them signed at the event? Yes, books will be available for purchase and signing at the event.
‣ How do the picnic dinners work this year? If you order a ticket that includes a dinner or a dinner upgrade, your boxed meal comes with an entree, sides, and a drink. Various meal options are available. At this time, we cannot accommodate allergies.
‣ Is outside food/drink permitted? Yes! You have the option of bringing your own picnic dinner.
‣ Do I need to bring a chair with me? Please plan to bring your own lawn chair or blanket. A limited number of extra chairs will be available. Note: If we move indoors to our rain site, you do not need to bring a chair or blanket.
‣ Is there a bathroom? Yes, bathrooms will be available, including accessible bathrooms.
‣ Will Thurber House be open for free tours? Yes, the Thurber House museum will be open for free tours during the picnic social (if the picnic is held outdoors on the lawn). Note: We do not offer tours of the Thurber House museum when we move to our rain site, Thurber Center.
‣ What is your refund policy? All ticket sales are final and non-refundable.
‣ What is the Columbus ticket fee? The total ticket price includes the Columbus Arts and Culture Fee as required by the City of Columbus. The Arts and Culture Fee provides public funds to support artists and arts/cultural organizations like Thurber House that educate and engage audiences of all ages. Click here for more information.
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Disclaimer: Views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by event and program speakers in all mediums are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Thurber House, its affiliates, or its staff/board.