PRESS ROOM

ROYAL OAK, Mich., 

Detroit Zoo guests are invited to “seas” the day on Monday, June 10, by celebrating World Oceans Day. Special activities from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. will provide visitors the opportunity to learn about the world’s oceans, which cover more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface. Learning activities and zookeeper talks will highlight the animals who live in these waters and the dangers they face due to pollution, as well as what people can do to help conserve them.

“Humans are responsible for making sure our oceans are healthy for the animals who inhabit them and depend on them for survival,” said Scott Carter, chief life sciences officer for the Detroit Zoological Society (DZS). “World Oceans Day gives us a chance to shed some light on the impacts our actions can have while celebrating the biodiversity of oceanic life.”

Zookeeper talks will feature penguins in the Polk Penguin Conservation Center at 11:30 a.m., polar bears in the Arctic Ring of Life at 1:30 p.m. and seals in the Arctic Ring of Life at 2:30 p.m. The Zoo’s Science On a Sphere – a spherical display system in the Wildlife Interpretive Gallery that projects simulations of the Earth and its atmosphere – will showcase short movies on ocean currents, marine debris and ways to protect these waters. Learning activities in the Polk Penguin Conservation Center and the Exploration Station of the Arctic Ring of Life will demonstrate how debris enters the ocean and the dangers marine animals face due to plastic waste.

The DZS is committed to being a green leader and reducing plastic waste through its award-winning sustainability initiatives. Sixty thousand plastic bottles are being kept out of the waste stream annually since the decision to no longer sell single-use bottled water on Detroit Zoo grounds. Instead, visitors may bring their own water bottles or purchase reusable bottles at Zoo concessions, which can be refilled for free at one of 21 filtered-water stations. Additionally, the DZS no longer provides plastic bags for gift shop purchases and instead offers wildlife-themed reusable bags for a nominal fee.