Photo credit: Houston Zoo
If the mall is a zoo, why not go to the zoo?
Nov 22, 2010Silver Spring, MD – This year, go wild and do your holiday shopping at the
Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoo or aquarium near you.
Gift shops are always stocked with fun toys, beautiful ornaments and unique environmentally-friendly
products you won’t find anywhere else.
“Spend Black Friday with a black rhino or blacktip reef
shark; do your shopping at the zoo or aquarium,” said AZA Senior Vice President
for Marketing, Jill Nicoll. “Not only will you find gifts that will make your
friends and family feel warm-and-fuzzy, you will also be supporting wildlife conservation.”
“While others claw their way through crowds at the mall, you
can have a peaceful shopping experience with the animals at a zoo or aquarium,”
Nicoll added.
While you shop, you and your family can get in a festive
mood at the holiday celebrations of your local AZA-accredited zoo or aquarium
this season. Not only will you find special gifts, but your entire family will
enjoy Zoo Lights or a meeting with Santa. Many zoos and aquariums are open 365
days a year, including Thanksgiving. Find a great zoo or aquarium near you at www.aza.org/findzooaquarium.
Unique, affordable holiday shopping
ideas from the AZA-accredited zoo or aquarium near you:
- Eco-friendly Products
Zoos and aquariums are going green and have the gifts to prove
it. With everything from bird-friendly coffee to colorful totes,
jewelry and stationery made from recycled materials, you will be sure to
find something for the person who seems to have everything!
- Animal Creations
Forget ‘Made In China’-
How about made by your favorite zoo or aquarium animal? Animal art painted
by waddling penguins or majestic elephants is sure to bring a smile to
anyone’s face.
- Holiday Cards and Ornaments
Send holiday greetings with cards featuring your favorite wildlife. You
can also decorate your home with hand-painted glass ornaments and even
ones made from reindeer droppings!
- Zoo or Aquarium Family Membership
Membership is the gift that keeps giving the whole year round! Membership
will give an entire family one full year of free entry to the zoo or
aquarium and lots of other great benefits such as magazine subscriptions,
in-store discounts, and special events tickets.
- Adopt–an–Animal
From aardvarks to zebras, give the gift of honorary parenthood to your
loved one. With your gift, the zoo or aquarium can buy treats, toys,
and medical supplies for a special feathered, furry or scaly friend.
- Name-an–Animal
Name a favorite zoo or aquarium resident after a friend or family member
and contribute to the zoo or aquarium’s conservation efforts.
- Toys and Games
At the gift shop, you will find toys for boys and girls, and for the young
and young-at-heart. Whether your loved ones are into computer games,
puzzles, stuffed animals or sports, you will be sure to find a fantastic
gift.
- Books
Learn about exotic animals in far-away lands or the nature in your own
backyard. Whether you’re buying for a new or avid reader, the zoo or
aquarium gift shop is bound to have a book they will love.
Founded in 1924, the Association of Zoos and
Aquariums is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and
aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation.
Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance
that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for
animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things.
The AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, and your link to helping
animals in their native habitats.
AZA Members: Submit your Zoo & Aquarium News