ROYAL OAK, Mich., April 13, 2007 – In observance of the global holiday celebrating life on our planet, the Detroit Zoo will host its annual Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 21, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Earth Day is an educational experience dedicated to celebrating wildlife and educating Zoo visitors about environmental conservation.

The Zoo-wide celebration will include earth-friendly crafts, animal enrichment activities, an endangered-species scavenger hunt, games, zookeeper talks, and local conservation groups.  Live performances by Marc Thomas and Max the Moose will be held at the Ford Education Center Theater at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

New to this year’s Earth Day celebration is the Green Games Gallery, hosted by the Detroit Zoo’s own conservation group, the Green Team.  The Gallery will include games using recycled materials, storytelling in a milk-jug castle, and educational displays.  The Green Team will also distribute “Zoo Doo” compost samples. 

The Green Team was started in 2002 to help minimize the ecological “footprint” of Zoo operations and to educate staff and visitors about choices that reduce harmful impact on the environment.  Green Team initiatives include the collection of recyclables and household hazardous waste (such as batteries), using products made from recycled materials, expanding composting efforts and organizing activities for Earth Day celebrations.

All Earth Day activities are free with regular Zoo admission.

The Detroit Zoological Society is a non-profit organization that operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo.  Situated on 125 acres of naturalistic exhibits, the Detroit Zoo is located at the intersection of Ten Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, just off I-696, in Royal Oak.  The Detroit Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October – with extended hours until 8 p.m. Wednesdays during July and August – and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March.  Admission is $11.00 for adults 13 to 61, $9.00 for senior citizens 62 and older, and $7.00 for children ages 2 to 12; children under 2 are free.  For more information, call (248) 541-5717 or visit www.detroitzoo.org.  The Belle Isle Nature Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March, and provides educational programming with interpretive staff support from the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.  For more information, call (313) 852-4056. 

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