COLUMBUS – Summer ends, unofficially, this weekend but most of Ohio’s children have been back at school for weeks. That doesn’t mean summer fun ends or that learning is confined to the classroom.
Through October 20th, families receive a free kid’s pass to the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium and other participating Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited facilities with the purchase of a Frito-Lay 2 Go Variety Pack.
Heart of Africa is one of the exhibits at the Columbus zoo that remains open.
“We have zebras and giraffes, all unobstructed views like you would see on an African safari, so you’re going to have fun, you’re going to explore,” said zoo president and CEO Tom Stalf, who says a new program, begun by the AZA, emphasizes the message of conservation.
S.A.F.E – Saving Animals From Extinction – tries to pass along the message of coexistence and protecting endangered animals, especially to young children, he said.
“It’s a great opportunity to be inspired, to connect them with wildlife and wild places,” he said.
Stalf says, in addition to regular exhibits, the zoo also accommodates school groups and features programs like Little Explorers Base Camp for ZooTots for children as young as three months.