Party for the Planet

Celebrate Earth Day at the Museum as we throw a giant party for the planet! Local conservation groups and our friends at Paperhand Puppet Intervention will join us for a day of environmentally friendly festivities. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., you can check out our info fair, explore backyard conservation in The Lab, enjoy keeper talks, visit the puppet petting zoo, and even join a parade through campus! The parade will start at noon, leaving from the Butterfly House stairs.

Want to get your hands dirty? We’ll be planting a pollinator garden across from the Museum and welcome volunteers. To participate, you must be available at 2 p.m. and pre-register. Families are welcome, limited spaces available.

ACTIVITIES AND PARTNERS

• Paperhand Puppet Intervention uses diverse styles of puppetry to inspire and promote social change. Visit their puppet petting zoo and join them for a parade through the museum park celebrating our environment.
• City of Durham Water will be on hand with activities and their mobile H2O station (bring your water bottles to refill!). Giveaways include hose nozzles, shower timers, soil moisture meters, and a rain barrel raffle. Durham Saves Water mascot, Wayne Drop, will head up our parade route!
• Visit The Lab where we"ll be featuring backyard conservation science.
• Join our animal keepers for special talks about the Museum’s work protecting at-risk species.
• Learn about the Butterfly Highway from the NC Wildlife Federation: South Wake Conservationists.
• Meet our friends from the Hub Farm and learn about their 30-acre farm, forest, and aquatic educational center.
• Compost Now will have information on how to manage your own composting system at home!
• Durham County Master Gardeners will be giving away seeds and coloring books.
• NC Department of Agriculture: Pest Control and Pesticides Division will have coloring books and activity sheets.
• Triangle Land Conservancy will host an animal matching game.

Party for the Planet is a series of nationwide celebrations hosted by AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums to celebrate the Earth’s biodiversity and support nature and the people who depend on it. Learn how you can take action to make a difference through education and conservation presentations, keeper talks, service, and more! The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of conservation, education, science and recreation at zoos and aquariums.