Celebrating Earth Day with a Weekend Full of Activities April 20-22
Como Park Zoo & Conservatory will celebrate Earth Day with a three-day Party for the Planet sponsored by Xcel Energy on April 20-22. Visitors will find a myriad of free activities focusing on fun, creative ways to save energy, money and the planet with plant and animal ambassadors, interactive games, creative crafts and more! Plants and animals are experts at conserving energy. Visitors to Como’s Party for the Planet will be encouraged to follow their lead by visiting themed energy stations learning ways to reduce energy use at home while preserving habitats near and far.
Xcel Energy will premier its new Polar Bear video providing a sneak peak inside the Polar Bear exhibit that includes energy efficiency tips and information. They’ll also encourage people to take the “Efficiency Proficiency” quiz on Facebook to be entered into a contest to win a $1,000 gift certificate for an ENERGY STAR qualified appliance.
“We’re happy to partner with the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory to show people not only how easy it is to save energy and money but how big the environmental impact of small improvements can be,” says Crystal Manik, Xcel Energy senior marketing business consultant.
Guests can also visit Disneynature’s CHIMPANZEE booth to participate in activities on how to protect habitats and wildlife in our own community and to play plinko for a chance to win CHIMPANZEE prizes! Disneynature’s CHIMPANZEE will be in theaters April 20th.
Party for the Planet is a nation-wide celebration to help visitors discover ways to connect to the local environment to make a collective difference in conservation on a national and global level.
Hey party animals, it’s cool to conserve!
Gorillas and cell phones are connected—but not by a wireless carrier. The eastern part of the Congo is a prime source for an ore called Coltan (columbite-tantalite), used as a coating for cell phone components and other electronics. Illegally mined by rebel bands, the quest for Coltan has contributed to the destruction of gorilla habitat—a trend you can help reverse by bringing your old cell phone or handheld gadget to Como, The funding Como receives for every phone is then used to support Como’s conservation partnership with Gunung Palang Orangutan Project, a research effort studying the feeding ecology of orangutans. So, when you bring in your phone or gadget you’re supporting both gorillas and orangutans in the wild. Como has earned “Silverback” status as a major cell phone recycler, collecting more than 5,000 cell phones from the community since it joined the program in December 2005. Recently added to the items visitors are welcome to drop off for recycling are:
• iPods & other MP3 players
• Laptops
• Handheld game systems
• E-readers
• GPS handheld units
• Portable hard drives
