ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park Celebrates Earth Day 2021
Zoo Naturalists Educate about 5 R's to Restore our Earth This Year
Today, April 22, is Earth Day, an annual event to demonstrate support for environmental protection. ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park is celebrating the important occasion by educating the public about 5 R's to restore the Earth this year - Refuse, Reduce, Repurpose, Restore, and Responsibility. Learn more about how you can do your part to respect the Earth below.
Refuse
Refuse the plastic straw, plastic bag or bottle if they are not needed. Some companies even offer the option to reduce the packaging for your online shopping order. Check out this video of a ferret refusing to play with plastic.
Reduce
Reduce your carbon footprint by buying locally, growing your own food, avoiding pesticides or using natural deterrents for pests.
Also, purchase seafood responsibly by choosing environmentally sustainable products. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program helps consumers and businesses make choices for a healthy ocean.
This will help to keep our oceans clean and healthy, and in turn, protect our marine friends like Cocoa in the video below. Cocoa is an Atlantic Harbor Seal that guests can see during the Our Friends from the Sea show at the Aquatheatre inside Hersheypark.
Repurpose
Before throwing something away, consider how to repurpose it! Countless items are repurposed at ZooAmerica for animal enrichment, animal habitats and even Halloween decorations.
Restore
While DDT had a devasting impact on the environment, many people have worked to reverse the negative effects and restore the ecosystem. This includes the return of the peregrine falcon from certain extinction. Check out the ZooAmerica Facebook page for a Facebook Live recording about this bird of prey.
Responsibility
Let it be Earth Day, every day! It is our responsibility to be good stewards of this planet so humans and animals can thrive together in a healthy environment. If you helped the Earth this week, we encourage you to share your efforts on social media and tag us at @ZooAmerica.
