Brookfield, Ill.—Every day is Earth Day at Brookfield Zoo, but the zoo is hoping to make a big impact on one very special day as it highlights orangutans and the effects that palm oil is having on these gentle creatures in their native Indonesia. This year’s Party for the Planet celebration will be on Sunday, April 22, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and will feature fun and engaging activities for the entire family while educating them about everyday actions they can do to be green and help the environment. The event will include electronic recycling, music performances, crafts and activities, professional kite-flying demonstrations, an appearance by the Clean Air Club Bus, and special animal Zoo Chats.
Before entering the zoo, or on the way out, guests can help protect the environment by recycling their unwanted electronics, which are now banned from Illinois landfills and illegal to discard in regular trash. Representatives from Vintage Tech Recyclers will be stationed in the zoo’s Main Lot at 31st Street and First Avenue accepting such items as VCRs, telephones, video game consoles, stereo equipment, monitors, and more, between 1:00 and 6:00 p.m. on April 21 and 22.
Once inside the park, zoogoers can begin their visit at the Eco Expo on the zoo’s North Mall, where representatives from eco-friendly companies will share the latest environmentally friendly products in their fields and discuss tips on how to use them.
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On The Carousel Plaza, guests can share their conservation-inspired artistry and help create a sidewalk chalk mural by drawing or writing their wishes and personal resolutions on how to adopt a greener lifestyle. Chalk will be provided. Also on the plaza, guests can climb aboard the whimsically decorated Clean Air Club Bus, a recycled 1980s-era school bus, where they can discover ways to help the environment, explore the best option for renewable fuel used to run vehicles.
Joining in the celebration is the band Green Thirteen, who will entertain guests of all ages with its “recycled” music during performances at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. Guests will also have a chance to meet and greet with Fisher-Price® Little People® Sonya Lee and Eddie from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
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Zoogoers can fly by the zoo’s West Mall to watch professionals from Chicago Kite demonstrate their kite flying skills with 2-line and 4-line stunt kites that, through a steering technique, can be maneuvered to do various tricks. The kites being highlighted come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including an 8-foot-wide kite.
In Hamill Family Play Zoo (separate admission applies), youngsters can join in a variety of green-themed crafts and activities. Beginning at 10:00 a.m. in the exhibit’s workshop, kids can create and take home their own clay bugs courtesy of Sculpey, Inc. Outdoors in the family gardens area, children can plant seeds in newspaper pots (while supplies last) provided by The Goddard Schools to take home and plant in their own yards. Additionally, acorns will be available to plant in take-home cups or pick up an oak sapling for planting at home. At 11:00 a.m. guests can also join the zoo’s groundskeepers in planting a tree just east of the kangaroo yard.
The zoo’s animal keepers will give Zoo Chats that inspire conservation leadership by sharing insights on how our actions at home impact animals across the globe. Chats take place at various times and animal exhibits during the event, including orangutans in Tropic World at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., Bears at Great Bear Wilderness at 11:30 a.m., and Humboldt penguins at The Living Coast at 3:15 p.m. A complete schedule of Zoo Chats will be posted at the zoo’s entrances.
Party for the Planet is sponsored by Fisher-Price, Polyform Products, The Goddard Schools, and American Airlines. For further information, visit www.CZS.org/Events or call (708) 688-8000.
General admission to Brookfield Zoo is $15.00 for adults and $10.50 for children 3-11 and seniors 65 and older. Children 2 and under are free. Parking is $10.
The Chicago Zoological Society, which manages Brookfield Zoo, inspires conservation leadership by connecting people with wildlife and nature. The Chicago Zoological Society is a private nonprofit organization that operates Brookfield Zoo on land owned by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County. Open every day of the year, the 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.
Voted Lake County's Best by the Daily Herald, The Goddard School offers a program that focuses on building a strong and balanced foundation of emotional, social, cognitive and physical skills for each child. Goddard provides children with a nurturing environment and a curriculum that encourages learning through play. Families have the convenience of extended hours from 6:45-6:00, the flexibility of either half or full-day schedules and Quality Assurance standards that are monitored corporately.
Parents are encouraged to drop in for a tour or call directly to arrange a personal appointment
John Burnett, Round Lake Goddard 847-201-1880
David Raye, Third Lake Goddard 847-543-9075
About Goddard Systems, Inc. www.goddardschool.com
Recently named #1 Childcare Franchise in the United States, by Entrepreneur magazine, for the eleventh consecutive year (January 2012) and one of the Top 200 Franchise Systems (in worldwide sales), by Franchise Times, for the fifth consecutive year (October 2011); Goddard Systems, Inc. (GSI) is expanding The Goddard School® network throughout the United States. Headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, GSI currently licenses 380+ franchised schools with more than 45,000 students in 35 states. With a successful system in place and dedicated franchisees, GSI is the acknowledged leader in franchised childcare and a premier educational childcare provider in the United States.
