Approximately 130 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) are joining together for the largest combined Earth Day celebration in North America—the 10th Annual Party For the Planet™.
“Party For the Planet™ offers families a unique opportunity to visit their local AZA-accredited zoo and aquarium, celebrate the Earth’s biodiversity, and learn how they can take action to make a difference,” said AZA Interim President and CEO Kris Vehrs. “AZA-accredited facilities are working to help save species worldwide, and it is our hope that the 183 million annual visitors to AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums will continue to help us raise awareness about endangered species and the threats they face by treating every day as Earth Day.”
In 2014, AZA-accredited institutions contributed $154 million annually in support of 3,145 field conservation initiatives in 130 countries. These projects focused on conserving habitats, as well as on species-specific initiatives. Based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) statuses of these species, five are extinct in the wild (Guam rail, Kihansi spray toad, Socorro dove, scimitar-horned oryx, and the Wyoming toad), 102 are critically endangered, and 121 are endangered.
On Earth Day, April 22, and throughout the rest of the month, AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums across North America are hosting events to raise awareness about conservation, sustainable living and protecting our Earth and its inhabitants for future generations. Scheduled Party for the Planet™ events include education presentations, keeper talks, environmental activities and more!
To help you find the Party for the Planet™ event nearest you, below is a list of participating zoos and aquariums. (Please be sure to check their websites for additional information.)
Abilene Zoo
Adventure Aquarium
Akron Zoo
Alexandria Zoo
Aquarium of the Pacific
Assiniboine Park Zoo
Audubon Nature Institute
Birmingham Zoo
Blank Park Zoo
Brandywine Zoo
BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo
Brevard Zoo
Buffalo Zoo
Butterfly Pavilion
Buttonwood Park Zoo
Caldwell Zoo
Calgary Zoo
Cameron Park Zoo
Cape May County Park and Zoo
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens
Chehaw
Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo
Children's Zoo at Celebration Square
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Como Park Zoo and Conservatory
Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo
Cosley Zoo
David Traylor Zoo of Emporia
Denver Zoo
Dickerson Park Zoo
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park/ The Seas with Nemo & Friends
El Paso Zoo
Ellen Trout Zoo
Elmwood Park Zoo
Erie Zoo
Essex County Turtle Back Zoo
Franklin Park Zoo
Fresno Chaffee Zoo
Georgia Aquarium
Gladys Porter Zoo
Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natural History
Greenville Zoo
Henry Vilas Zoo
Henson Robinson Zoo
Houston Zoo
Hutchinson Zoo
Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
Jenkinson's Aquarium
John Ball Zoo
John G. Shedd Aquarium
Kansas City Zoo
Knoxville Zoo
Lake Superior Zoo
Lee Richardson Zoo
Lehigh Valley Zoo
Lincoln Children's Zoo
Lion Country Safari
Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens
Louisville Zoo
Maryland Zoo in Baltimore
Memphis Zoo
Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden
Milwaukee County Zoo
Mystic Aquarium
Naples Zoo
Nashville Zoo
National Aquarium
National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium
North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
NEW Zoo & Adventure Park
North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
North Carolina Zoo
Oakland Zoo
Ocean Park Hong Kong
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society
Peoria Zoo
Philadelphia Zoo
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium
Potawatomi Zoo
Racine Zoo
Red River Zoo
Reid Park Zoo
Ripley's Aquarium of Canada
Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden
Roger Williams Park Zoo
Rolling Hills Zoo
Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park
Sacramento Zoo
Saint Louis Zoo
Salisbury Zoo
San Francisco Zoo and Gardens
Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park
Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo
Scovill Zoo
Sea World San Antonio
Sedgwick County Zoo
Seneca Park Zoo
Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay
Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
South Carolina Aquarium
Stone Zoo
Sunset Zoo
Texas State Aquarium
The Jackson Zoo
The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk
The Oklahoma City Zoo & Botanical Garden
The Palm Beach Zoo
The Phoenix Zoo
The Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium
The Virginia Zoological Society
Toledo Zoo & Aquarium
Tracy Aviary
Tulsa Zoo
Utah's Hogle Zoo
Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre
Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
Virginia Living Museum
Virginia Zoo
WAVE Foundation at the Newport Aquarium
Wildlife Safari
Zoo Miami
About AZA
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, animal welfare, education, science, and recreation. AZA is the accrediting body for the top zoos and aquariums in the United States and eight other countries. Look for the AZA accreditation 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 saving species and your link to helping animals all over the world. To learn more, visit www.aza.org.