Chicago Zoological Society

News Release

April 21, 2010
Contact: Sondra Katzen
Public Relations
708.688.8351
sondra.katzen@czs.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Note: Images of Party for the Planet activities at Brookfield Zoo may be downloaded at www.CZS.org/pressroom.

4th Annual Party for the Planet at Brookfield Zoo
Chicago Zoological Society Raises Awareness That Everyday Is Earth Day

     Brookfield, IL—Celebrate Earth Day at Brookfield Zoo’s 4th annual Party for the Planet on Saturday and Sunday, May 1 and 2. The event will connect people with wildlife and nature and is sure to have everyone thinking “green.” Fun environmentally friendly activities for the entire family, including live Earth-themed musical performances, crafts and games, a tree-planting ceremony, and bird watching, will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day.

Joining this year’s celebration is the ChicaGO Green Expo presented by Emmis Communications. Located at the zoo’s Pavilions, guests can meet representatives from a variety of companies that offer environmentally friendly consumer products and services, including public transportation, home insulation, and energy efficient vehicles, to name a few.
Also at the Pavilions, youngsters can participate in an activity that will teach them how to plant by placing a seed in a cup and taking it home to watch it grow, courtesy of JULIE, Inc. Additionally at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., kids can enjoy listening to Earth-themed music by Old Town School of Folk Music performers Karen Banks-Lubicz on Saturday and Rob Newhouse on Sunday.

Zoogoers can help prepare a garden bed for this year’s planting season by turning the soil in the Butterfly Garden exhibit. They can also help reduce CO2 levels in the atmosphere by joining in a special tree-planting ceremony in front of Perching Bird House at 1:00 p.m.

The Earth Day extravaganza would not be complete without a few Fisher-Price® Planet Heroes™ characters. Working to save the world from the powerful Black Hole “Professor of Darkness”™, “Ace”™ from Planet Earth and “Digger”™ from Planet Mars are heroes who strive to protect their environment. Digger and Ace characters will be available for photo opportunities throughout the weekend’s festivities.

Guests will not need to hold their noses if they take a tour of the zoo’s odorless compost facility. Tours, which will take place at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 1:30 p.m., begin aboard the popular Poop Tram at the east end of Pachyderm House. Additional activities include writing Earth Day resolutions in chalk on The Carousel Plaza and bird watching at the front of Perching Bird House from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

In Hamill Family Play Zoo, children can participate in a variety of Earth-themed activities and games, including creating an Earth Day birthday card and learning about the importance of protecting the environment by playing a recycling sorting game. Admission for activities taking place at Hamill Family Play Zoo is $3.50 for adults and $2.50 for children 3-11 and seniors 65 and older.

In addition, there will be informal Zoo Chats that will allow guests to learn about some of the animals and how the keepers care for them. Animals being featured are kangaroos, bats, alligators, binturongs, giraffes, birds of prey, big cats, lemurs and camels.

Joining in the celebration all weekend long will be representatives from the Joliet JackHammers, a professional baseball team for the Northern League, who will be hosting giveaways and prizes for zoogoers, and be sure to stop by Nicor’s booth to meet “Super Reader” and to pick up a green grocery bag (while supplies last). In addition, on Sunday the Chicago Fire and Arlington Park Racecourse will join in the festivities.

When coming to the zoo, guests can bring their old cell phones and accessories, pagers, handheld games, e-readers, and laptops to recycle at one of the recycling bins located at the North and South Gates. The Chicago Zoological Society, which manages Brookfield Zoo, hopes to bring awareness to guests that the cell phone industry is threatening gorillas’ and other forest species’ habitats in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where 80 percent of the world’s supply of coltan is mined. Cell phones and other electronic devices contain this metallic ore. The greater the demand for these products, the demand for coltan increases and, sadly, the greater the destruction of the forests and their inhabitants. All funds raised through this program will benefit the Chicago Zoological Society’s Conservation Fund, which supports conservation efforts at Brookfield Zoo and around the world to help species, including primates.

As visitors enter the zoo, they will receive information detailing all of the Party for the Planet activities. In addition, the complete schedule is posted on the zoo’s Web site, www.CZS.org. General admission to Brookfield Zoo is $13.50 for adults and $9.50 for children 3-11 and seniors 65 and older. Children 2 and under are free. Parking is $9. Brookfield Zoo’s Party for the Planet is sponsored in part by American Airlines, JULIE, Inc., Fisher-Price®, and ChicaGO Green.

Celebrating its 75th year, the Chicago Zoological Society, which manages Brookfield Zoo, inspires conservation leadership by connecting people with wildlife and nature. Open every day of the year, Brookfield Zoo is located off First Avenue between the Stevenson (I-55) and Eisenhower (I-290) expressways and is also accessible via the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), Metra commuter line, CTA, and PACE bus service.

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