As our mission states we aim to connect people with nature in hoping to spark a deeper understanding of the world we live in. In turn; hopefully encouraging actions big & small that help conserve this beautiful planet we all share. Join us on our campaign for conservation!
Reduce – Reuse- Recycle
This is now a well known phrase but here are a few ways to introduce or incorporate this practice into your everyday life.
Recycling
Did you know this phrase was established in that order for a reason? It’s purpose is to put it in affect in that order to cut down on the amount of waste we throw away. It helps conserve natural resources, landfill space and energy.
Reduce – Be a Conscious Consumer & notice how much plastic & waste you produce & practice those easy swaps.
Re-use – find creative ways to reuse many items. Buy second-hand or donate your items instead of tossing them in the trash.
It might not be in the most obvious way! Check out how car cover material is being repurposed to make face masks! (Thank you to a student in Ms. Jones’ class for this article)
Recycle – Many items can be recycled but you need to know what can and cannot be recycled in your county. Check the numbers on the bottom of items for the code before putting in the recycle bin.
Recycling helps to reduce the amount of resources taken from the environment & helps to limit the amount of waste we produce.
- How can I help? Click the image to find out!
The world has a plastic pollution problem! A 2015 study by UC Santa Barbara calculated that every year, 8 million metric tons of plastic end up in our oceans. It’s equivalent to five grocery bags filled with plastic for every foot of coastline in the world! This affects every aspect of ocean life.
Good news is that we can do something! Making sure items are recycled or disposed of properly or reducing the amount of plastic we use on a daily basis is a great & easy step to take!
Compost
There are lots of good reasons to compost. Save money, save resources, improve your soil and reduce your impact on the environment. Regardless of your reasons, composting is a win/win scenario. Good for you and good for the environment. Adding compost to your garden will not only fertilize, it actually feeds your soil with a diversity of nutrients and microorganisms that will improve plant growth. Chemical fertilizers on the other hand provide a quick burst of a limited number of nutrients that can wash away into our rivers and streams. Compost also increases soil stability, improves drainage and helps retain moisture.
We compost poop, food scraps, hay, straw & all other organic material at the Zoo and then use the compost to help feed our plants around the facility.
- Learn How to Start Composting
- What can be Composted? Click the image to find out!
Be Conscious
“The People who make the biggest difference are the ones who do the little things consistently.”
Easy Swaps
By being a conscious consumer we can make a huge impact. Small daily choices can easily become habits that lead to big changes in the world.
It’s as simple as foregoing the plastic bags you put your produce in or using a reusable water bottle instead of plastic ones. Remembering to grab your reusable grocery bags or reaching for a cloth towel instead of a paper one; it all adds up to changes that help this planet and the animals that live on it.
Being a conscious consumer can help us to reduce the amount of resources we use in our daily lives & ultimately reduce the amount of trash, plastic etc. that ends up in the landfill and worse–our oceans. Check out the article on trash free waters & where all that excess waste is going & ways to help.
Palm Oil
Palm Oil is now one of the most common vegetable oils in the world and is found in everything from shampoo to donuts. It is sadly also the leading driving force of deforestation.
Palm oil is extracted from the fruit of the oil palm tree, Elaeis guineensis, which thrives in humid climates. The large majority of palm oil production occurs in just two countries, Malaysia and Indonesia, where huge areas of tropical forests and peatlands (carbon-rich swamps) are being cleared to make way for oil palm plantations, releasing carbon into the atmosphere to drive global warming while shrinking habitats for a multitude of endangered species including Orangutans & Sumatran Elephants & Sumatran Tigers.
We challenge you to check your cupboards and pantries to check to see which items are made with palm oil and then check to see if that company uses & supports sustainable palm oil.
Download the app “Sustainable Palm Oil Shopping” to help you guide your purchases & see which companies are leading the way using sustainable Palm Oil.
Giving Back
We donated a portion of select programs booked in January and February to Wildlife Warriors.
And THANK YOU!! We were able to donate $750 towards Australian Wildfire Relief.
Why did we choose Wildlife Warriors?
Wildlife Warriors is part of The Australia Zoo and created in legacy by the family of the wonderful Steve Irwin. Currently, their Wildlife Hospital takes in animals from all over Australia. Most of the patients they have seen affected by the fires are grey-headed flying foxes, a species vulnerable to extinction. With all of the Wildlife Warriors generosity, help and support they are expanding their plans to expand the hospital to cope with the influx of patients they’re experiencing. The hospital recently treated its 90,000th patient, something Steve Irwin would have been extremely proud of. To cope with so many animals being admitted to the hospital, in 2019 they opened a sea turtle rehabilitation centre, sea snake ward and are about to complete a new bird recovery area, but it’s still not enough to keep up with wildlife affected by human impact, drought and wildfires.
Thank you for helping us make a difference in the world and continuing Steve’s legacy.
Why Pollinators? Because even the little things make a big difference.
Pollinators have a huge impact in our daily lives and we don’t even know it!
They are crucial to the growth of our food supply as well as playing a key role in ecosystems.
Pollinators
In 2019, we were able to donate $1500 to Pollinator Partnerships!!
We are excited to announce that we will be donated a portion of our proceeds from part of our Bugology Butterfly Feeding Experience to Pollinator Partnerships, a non-profit whose mission is to promote the health of pollinators, critical to food and ecosystems, through conservation, education, and research.
Check out our letter from Pollinator Partnerships!
We are slowly growing our Volunteer program if you are interested in joining our team of volunteers please email [email protected]
We ask that Volunteers be 16 or older.