Earth Day at the Zoo on April 22

ASHEBORO — The North Carolina Zoo is hosting a Party for the Planet on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22.

And it’s offering a way to help save gorillas in the wild at the same time.

Activities on Earth Day throughout the Zoo include:

— The popular Kidzone Playground, which will be a “hive” of busy-ness, hosting Pollinator Friendly activities and encouraging nature learning for kids of all ages.

— A chance to earn a Zoo Trekker Badge. Just stop by Zoo Trekker booths and pick up a scavenger-hunt activity book for your day at the Zoo. 

— Pop-up programs and keeper talks will be happening at various locations throughout the day.

You can also learn about the NC Zoo’s conservation efforts to help save gorillas in the wild. 

For more than a decade, the NC Zoo has been working with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) on implementing a range of cutting-edge technologies and approaches to conserve these endangered animals.

One project the Zoo partners in is the global recycling effort entitled “Gorillas on the Line” (GOTL), which is celebrating its 5th Anniversary in 2023. 

Many cell phones and entertainment devices contain recyclable materials, including a critical substance called coltan. Coltan is a metallic ore found mainly in the African forests that gorillas call home. The strip mining for this essential material for our smart devices is devastating gorillas’ natural habitats in the wild.

Visitors can help by bringing an old cell phone, tablet, iPod, MP3 player or e-reader to the Zoo’s gorilla habitat in Africa on Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. for recycling and receive fun keepsake items for helping save gorillas. Devices can be in any condition, working or non-working.

The Zoo’s gorilla keepers will also be on hand to answer any of your burning questions about gorillas.

The Zoo is home to a bachelor troop of five western lowland gorillas: Silverback Mosuba, blackback (sub-adult) Hadari, and adolescent males Apollo, Bomassa and Dembe.

Devices acceptable for recycling 

- Cell Phones, iPhones, Androids, bar phones, flip phones, bag phones
- Tablets, iPads, E-Readers (Kindle, etc.)
- Kid’s e-readers and tablets
- MP3 Players, iPods, Zunes, or any other music player
- PDAs, PALM Devices and any personal Digital Assistant Devices
- Digital Cameras: small, retractable, or fixed-lens digital cameras

- Digital Audio: Any of the XM/Sirius type radios n Roku-type boxes & Video
-Small Laptops and any devices with a screen smaller than 15” Diagonal  

Not acceptable for recycling 

- Wireless Home Telephones
- Flat-Screen TV/Computer Monitors
- Non-digital Cameras
- Satellite converter boxes
- Desktop Computers
- Large Laptops