Red River Zoo Celebrates Earth Day

Zoos affiliated with the AZA all celebrate Party for the Planet in their own ways.

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – Earth Day is meant to raise awareness for environmental concerns and celebrate our one and only planet – and there are perhaps no organizations more invested in that cause than zoos.

The AZA, or the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, puts on “Party for the Planet” every year.

It’s the largest combined Earth Day celebration in North America.

Fargo’s installment of Party for the Planet took place at, of course, the Red River Zoo.

The event featured plenty of educational opportunities – something zoo staff is important for children, as they might not always think about certain animals in their natural habitats.

“We look around and we see a lot of animals in this room that people might think of as pets,” explained Paige Tetzloff, education manager for the zoo.

“It’s really important for us to be able to explain the natural history of a lot of these animals, and where they lived and how they lived their lives before we started to know them so familiarly. Our education programs are a really good way to do that,” she added.

The zoo additionally said one of their main goals with Party for the Planet was to increase public awareness of the conservation efforts of local businesses and organizations.