Celebrate the Earth over the next few months at Utah’s Hogle Zoo, starting Saturday, April 18.
The zoo’s Party for the Planet programming runs through June, celebrating Earth Day in April, Endangered Species Day in May, and World Ocean Day in June. “And the initiative is all about the themes of clean, create, connect,” said Tori Bird, community conservation and impact specialist at the zoo, “cleaning habitats, creating habitats and connecting communities to the habitats around them.”
For the April event, Bird said the zoo will host community partners — such as Utah Friends of Paleontology, Girl Scouts of Utah, and Wasatch Gardens — who will host activities and offer educational information.
Bird said she will also be there to share information about the zoo’s volunteer conservation programs. She said the current projects include the Western Toad Conservation Program, where participants can join the zoo’s biologists to document information about the toads and their habitats for management agencies; Jordan River Conservation and Restoration Events, a partnership with the Jordan River Commission to maintain areas around the river; and an American pika survey project, where those 10 and older are invited to help document vital information on pikas and their habitats.
Rachael Eames, marketing and public relations manager for the zoo, said families will be able to listen to talks by animal experts and see animals interact with enrichment items prepared for the event.
A schedule of the animal-related events throughout the day can be found here.
Eames said she expects 3,000 to 6,000 guests for Party for Our Planet, and activities are included with zoo admission or membership.
Bird added that the zoo will partner with Utah Recycling Alliance to collect hard-to-recycle materials from 9 a.m. to noon in the north parking lot (no admission required). And if you can’t make it to the zoo on April 18, she encourages you to stop by sometime soon to recycle small electronics, such as cell phones, smart watches and tablets, for the Gorillas on the Line… Answer the Call campaign, which aims to recycle coltan, an element mined near gorilla habitats, while raising money for their conservation.
Overall, Party for the Planet is a chance for the family to connect with local organizations, learn about the endangered animals at the zoo, and enjoy the start of spring at the mouth of Emigration Canyon.
Read more stories like this and all of our Community coverage. And while you’re here, subscribe and get six issues of Salt Lake magazine, your curated guide to the best of life in Utah.
