Party for the Planet!
Mayor’s community celebration of
Earth Day and the Louisville Zoo’s 40th birthday set for April
26 with $1 admission
Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson is
inviting the whole community to help celebrate Earth Day and the
Zoo’s 40th birthday on Sunday, April 26 with Party for the
Planet: The Mayor's Community Celebration of Earth Day from 10
a.m. to 2 p.m. Special discount admission for the whole day is
just $1 per person!
With support from Wal-Mart Neighborhood
Market and Toyota Georgetown, visitors will learn about the
Zoo’s conservation efforts, see environmental displays and
participate in fun eco-friendly activities. Learn how to create
wind power, keep streams clean, dig for earthworms and build a
bat box. Also see amazing animal presentations and be sure to
pick up a free copy of the 2009 Backyard Action Hero guidebook
presented by Toyota at the Zoo’s booth.
Be one of the first 10,000 visitors to
stop by Wal-Mart’s booth on the front plaza to see what they are
doing for sustainability in our community and receive a free
reusable shopping bag!
“The Party for the Planet is a great
way for families to enjoy Earth Day while watching some of the
Earth’s most fascinating creatures,” Abramson said. “The Zoo
always does a great job of educating visitors not only about the
animals, but also the pressures those animals face in the wild
due to manmade hazards. I hope families will take advantage of
the low admission prices and spend a day learning more about our
vibrant planet.”
At 10:30 a.m. on the MetaZoo stage the
Mayor will award the first ever “Steering the Future Course of
the Beargrass Creek Award.” This award was established to honor
an individual or group that provides the vision, time and work
to ensure that Beargrass Creek becomes a destination for
recreation, relaxation and reflection. The “Steering the Future”
award is an actual steering wheel from an abandoned Volkswagen
Beetle, pulled from Beargrass Creek last year. Neighbors
estimate the car had been submerged in the creek for about 30
years. Recipients of the award are chosen based on activities
that help restore the creek’s natural systems and improve the
aquatic and terrestrial habitat. The goal of the award is to
reflect the notion that the quality of the water that flows
through our community is equal to the quality of life in our
community.
The Zoo encourages guests to ride their
bike (there will be extra bike parking available) or take TARC
to the celebration to help protect the environment. For a list
of TARC’s buses and schedules, visit www.ridetarc.org.
Visitors are also invited to bring
their old cell phones to the Zoo to be recycled. The Louisville
Zoo was recently named as the No. 1 zoo in North America for
cell phone recycling efforts in 2008, and each cell phone
recycled helps save gorillas! (For more information, visit
www.louisvillezoo.org/news/press/MR/MR%2009-01-05_cell.htm).
Cell phones can be dropped off at the designated ECO-CELL
donation receptacle at the Zoo’s entrance.
Come join the fun and learn what you
can do to help save our planet!
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS APRIL 26
10:30 a.m.
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
“Party for the Planet!” is part of a
nationwide celebration with the Association of Zoos and
Aquariums (AZA) to help visitors discover ways to connect to the
local environment and make a collective difference in
conservation on a national and global level.
The Mayor's Community Celebration of
Earth Day is made possible by support from Wal-Mart Neighborhood
Market and Toyota Georgetown (Toyota Motor Manufacturing
Kentucky).
ROAD CLOSURES: Illinois Ave.
from Trevilian to Taylor will be closed to through traffic
(except for local residents).
((EDITOR’S NOTE: This is $1 day, so
be aware of heavy crowds and traffic. Please call the Zoo’s
receptionist desk at 502-459-2181 x0 prior to coverage and sign
in at the receptionist desk. Also, there is no media plug in box
for audio during the press conference – please bring a stick
microphone to be placed on the podium for audio.))
