12 Days of Giving
‘Tis the season of giving, and Reid Park Zoo is here to help you spread the holiday cheer. Read up on our tips for sustainable gift-giving and check back every day now through December 22 for 12 wonderful ways to give, gift, and give back!
1: Gift Membership — Give the gift of the Zoo this year! Right now, you can purchase a Zoo membership for a person you love for as little as just $27! Memberships include unlimited free daytime admission to the Zoo year-round, discounted admission to more than 150 other zoos and aquariums around the country, discounts on Zoo camps and events, exclusive members-only activities, and so much more! If you want to receive your gift membership in the mail by December 25, please place your order by Wednesday, December 18.
2: Enrichment Tree — Want to include your Zoo favorites in your holiday shopping? Stop by the Conservation Learning Center on your next visit to the Zoo, and grab an ornament from the Enrichment Tree! Your ornament will come with an item one of the Zoo animals would love to receive (instructions on where to find, say, an elephant-sized puzzle feeder will be included, of course)! Prefer to do your holiday shopping online? We’ve got that covered! The Zoo has a wish list on Amazon as well, filled with fun items sure to enrich the lives of the animals at the Zoo. (P.s. Did you know you an give to the Zoo anytime you shop on AmazonSmile? Find more details here.)
3: Asian Lantern Festival Tickets: Looking to give the gift of an experience? Our famed Asian Lantern Festival is coming back this February and March for another year with more than 80% all-new displays, plus cultural performances, and delicious specialty foods. You may even get lost in magical worlds as you dive deep into the sea, then emerge to walk among the dinosaurs and finally stumble into the wild plains of Africa! Tickets are on sale now! Enjoy hundreds of beautiful Chinese lanterns while immersing yourself and your family in a full springtime lantern festival!
4: Adopt an Animal: Win the holidays with this unique gift you won’t find anywhere else in Tucson! Adopt an animal here at the Zoo and a special person in your life will get a beautiful, personal gift package about their favorite animal at Reid Park Zoo.
5: Spend time with your loved ones at Zoo Lights: There’s nothing more meaningful than quality time! Bring the whole family to Zoo Lights where you can stroll through our holiday wonderland while sipping hot cocoa and enjoying the slight chill in the air. Have a big family? No problem! Parties of 20 or larger get a very special bulk ticket discount.
6: Donate your browse: During visits to the Zoo you’ve probably seen animals such as the elephants and giraffes munching on browse — but did you know that you can donate your browse to the animals at the Zoo?! Leaves, branches, and tree bark are part of a high fiber natural diet and also provide natural enrichment, foraging opportunities for the animals! Check out this handy guide for the types of browse we’re able to accept.
7: Go Green Kits: Do you want to change up your day-to-day routine and do right by the planet at the same time — or help those on your gift list do so? Check out our Go-Green kits! Each kit comes with a plethora of eco-friendly products that will make your daily routine a little more green. Kits come with products such as bamboo toothbrushes, bento boxes, mesh produce bags, and so many other incredible options. The Zoo Crew (the teen volunteers) are selling these kits at Zoo Lights, just outside of Santa’s Workshop. Stop by, support these young conservationists, and make the move away from single-use items and towards sustainable, reusable options.
8: Honorary Donation: Recognize a loved one’s passion for animals, nature, and conservation by making a holiday gift in their name. Visit our donation page or contact Reid Park Zoological Society’s office at (520) 837-8217. A card will be mailed to your honoree (or to your home for you to personally give to them). A gift in honor or memory of a friend, family member or a beloved pet is a wonderful way to remember them while recognizing their love of wildlife, conservation, and education!
9: Behind the Scenes Tour: Looking for a wild gift for the Holidays? Invite 1 to 10 of your closest friends on a special behind the scenes tour! With plenty of choices such as Elephant Experiences, Tamandua Encounters or Animal Care and Nutrition, there is sure to be a behind the scenes experience for those special people in your life. Registration required. Please see complete experience descriptions and book your tour online at
10: Conservation Donation: At Reid Park Zoo, conservation is a part of everything we do, and we believe that our role as a conservation organization starts with our actions at “home” and extends beyond the gates of the Zoo. Did you know donations made to Reid Park Zoo’s conservation fund support conservationists working in the wild? The Zoo’s conservation fund supports in-situ efforts like the Tarangire Elephant Research Project, which creates corridors for elephant migration, and the Anteaters and Highways project, which works to provide a better understanding as to why giant anteaters are the animals that are most frequently killed on roads in Brazil. As you the year comes to a close, consider giving to the Reid Park Zoo Conservation fund to support our mission to protect wild animals and wild places.
11: Volunteer Your Time: If you love your Zoo and want to spend even more time here, becoming a volunteer is a great way to give back! There are many, many areas of the Zoo that utilize the valuable work of volunteers from our community. Take a look at the list of Volunteer & Internship Opportunities (and pay attention to when applications open for each position!) and see what kind of volunteer work you might like to do. There are so many ways you can use your skills and passion for wildlife to benefit Reid Park Zoo.
12: When you’re at the Zoo, you can give too! Have you stopped by our new Quarters for Conservation kiosk near the front of the Zoo? Quarters for Conservation is an inclusive new-to-the-Zoo conservation program that gives visitors the opportunity to help wild animals in wild places. Guests can purchase a token at the front gate when they enter the Zoo, or simply use their pocket change and cast their “vote” for their favorite project in the kiosk located in the Front Plaza. All of the money raised here, or when donating during visits to the cafe and gift shop, benefit our Conservation Fund.
Thank you for joining us for the 12 Days of Giving! We’re so lucky to be a part of such a wonderful and supportive community.