Plant sale to benefit Hilo zoo this Saturday
Plant lovers become animals lovers this Saturday at the annual spring plant sale benefiting Hilo’s zoo.
A large selection of plants will be available for purchase from 20 local nurseries and vendors during the fundraiser, which supports the work done by volunteers from the nonprofit Friends of the Pana‘ewa Zoo.
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Donations enable Friends of the Zoo to provide items and services to the zoo that the Hawaii County budget is unable to accommodate. Funds go toward supplies, veterinary bills and medications, exhibit enhancements, visitor programs and animal enrichment.
Friends of the Zoo members Dolores Coulson and Jean Jasina volunteer with the animal enrichment team by giving Rowdy, a Hyacinth macaw, and Romeo, a Moluccan cockatoo, time outside their habitats at 11:30 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday. The exotic birds greet patrons, eat snacks, play with toys, and Romeo even gets to ride a custom-made skateboard.
“Romeo receives a lot of TLC, and his treat is usually oatmeal. He gets a lot of wood that he likes to chew up, which helps keeps his beak in shape,” Coulson said. “Working with these birds is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
At this year’s plant sale fundraiser, 20% of sales will go to the nonprofit organization.
Vendors will have a large assortment of plants available, including bamboo, palms, fruit trees, orchids, water plants, garden flowers, carnivorous plants and other native species. There also will be limited-edition specialty plants for those looking for something special.
Sellers also will be available to answer expert-level questions and share advice on how to best care for new plants.
For those interested in helping the zoo outside of the plant sale, Friends of the Zoo is looking for more volunteers with special skills specifically in social media utilization, community outreach, fundraising and technology.
Volunteers are always needed for the zoo’s gift shop, the petting zoo every Saturday, sand for special events like the plant sale and Tiger Fun Day, which will be on Saturday, June 29.
The Friends of the Pana‘ewa Zoo plant sale will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the entrance to the Pana‘ewa Equestrian Center
For more information aboutthe nonprofit and the zoo, visit hilozoo.org.
Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
