| For the past 20 years, members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) have celebrated our planet with annual Party for The Planet® events. This year, with support from the Disney Conservation Fund, members will be helping their communities “spring into action” with opportunities for families to volunteer to improve our planet from Earth Day (April 22) to World Oceans Day (June 8), including a weekend festival, trash clean-up, bioblitzes, habitat restoration, and native planting activities. April 27 and 28, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.: Earth Day Festival at Aquarium of the Pacific. Activities include: E-waste recycling, tips to protect the planet, and an opportunity to learn how to be a community scientist by documenting organisms spotted during Explorer Time: Harbor Critters shows in the Marine Life Theater. April 27 and 28, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.: City Nature Challenge and Spring Fling at L.A. Zoo. This event highlights conservation and sustainable living in celebration of Earth Day. Activities include: recording biodiversity using iNaturalist, live entertainment, crafts, special animal feedings, an Earth Expo, educational activities, photo ops, and more. April 28, 9 a.m.–11 a.m.: Los Cerritos Wetlands BioBlitz. Become a community scientist with the Aquarium using iNaturalist to record animal and plant biodiversity in our wetlands, home to endangered species. May 4, 9 a.m.–11 a.m.: Griffith Park Restoration. At 4,310 acres, Griffith Park is four times the size of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park and nearly five times the size of New York’s Central Park. Participants will be restoring trails and habitat—from trash removal to planting native plants. Advance registration required. Space limited. June 1, 10 a.m.–12 p.m.: Los Cerritos Wetlands Restoration. Join Aquarium staff and the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority in restoring this vital habitat at the mouth of the San Gabriel River. June 4 or 5, 8 a.m.–6 p.m.: During this one-day adventure on Santa Cruz Island with the L.A. Zoo, participants will help conservation organization Channel Island Restoration restore crucial island habitat. Suitable for ages 13 and older. Advance registration and deposit required. Space limited. June 8, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.: Party for the Planet will wrap up with a World Ocean Day Celebration at the Aquarium highlighting ocean conservation and inspiring us all to work toward a better future for our planet. In total, over 120 AZA members will be hosting Spring Into Action events during the 48 days. “AZA-accredited facilities are experts at connecting families to nature. Party for the Planet™ offers families the perfect opportunity to visit their local AZA-accredited facility, celebrate the Earth’s biodiversity, and learn how they can take action to make a difference,” said AZA President and CEO Dan Ashe. “AZA-accredited facilities are working to help save species worldwide, and inspire the next generation of conservations to action. We are so grateful to the Disney Conservation Fund for helping AZA members make an even bigger impact this year with their grant support. The events our members have planned are inspiring and impactful, and I encourage families everywhere to find their local event and get involved!” For more information about Aquarium of the Pacific events, visit www.aquariumofpacific.org/events. For more information about L.A. Zoo events, visit www.lazoo.org/partyfortheplanet. Some Griffith Park and Santa Cruz Island events require advance registration and space is limited. For more information about Party for the Planet, visit www.aza.org/party-for-the-planet. In addition to events happening in Los Angeles, signature events will also happen in five other cities across the country: Brevard, Fla., Chicago, Ill., New York City, N.Y., Philadelphia, Pa., and San Francisco, Calif. |
| Credit: The L.A. Zoo and The Aquarium of the Pacific. |
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