Knoxville Zoo invites you to be a part of North America's largest Earth Day celebration at Party for the Planet, a conservation-themed bash that takes place Sunday, April 25 from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. Knoxville Zoo joins more than 100 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) across the country highlighting the initiatives that make our planet a more sustainable place to live.

Party for the Planet is also a showcase for the fine art of recycling; the Recycled Art Project challenges elementary and middle school students to create art out of reused and recyclable materials to be displayed during the event. High school students can compete to see who has the best conservation-themed recycling bin in the Barrel Project, and visitor favorites will be used on zoo grounds to promote recycling.

Organizations that are making a positive environmental impact in our area, including Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, Knoxville Recycling Coalition, Knox County Air Quality Management, Ijams Nature Center, Tennessee's Water Pollution Control and the U.S. Geological Survey's National Biological Information Infrastructure will be on-site to share information about how they are making a difference in our community.

The Party for the Planet celebration is included as part of general zoo admission. Registration to participate in the Barrel Project and the Recycled Art Project is required. For more information or to register, contact Matt Robinson, Party for the Planet coordinator, at 865-637-5331, ext. 371 or by email at [email protected].

Knoxville Zoo is located off exit 392A from Interstate 40 and is open every day except Christmas Day. The zoo is nationally accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is committed to the highest standards in animal care and well-being, ethics, conservation, and education. Currently, the zoo is open weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and weekends from 9:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Admission and ticket sales stop one-hour before the zoo closes. Next-day admission is free after 3:00 p.m. For more information, please call 865-637-5331 ext. 300 or visit www.knoxville-zoo.org.