The OKC Zoo and Botanical Garden sends this information as posted below:
The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden’s statewide literacy and conservation program, Read for Adventure, is returning for its ninth year of inspiring a love of reading and nature in young Oklahomans.
“Through the life of the program, Read for Adventure has brought more than 70,000 Oklahomans to the OKC Zoo with free general admission vouchers,” said Dwight Lawson, OKC Zoo’s executive director and CEO. “It’s also an important part of our mission to inspire conservation action, because kids and their families get to enjoy a wonderful book about bettering the world, with a message that resonates with all of us.”
Library members who check out and read Juniper’s Butterfly Garden—A Small Start for a Better World from one of the more than 200 participating Oklahoma public or tribal library locations will receive a voucher redeemable for free general admission to the OKC Zoo for up to four people when they return the book.
Juniper’s Butterfly Garden was written by Oklahoma City resident Autumn Heigle, who previously worked as the OKC Zoo’s creative services manager. Heigle said she was inspired by the Zoo’s commitment to monarch conservation when writing the story about a child’s passion and determination to help butterflies by creating a pollinator habitat. Readers will find resources in the back of the book about planting a garden for monarchs and other pollinators along their migratory path through Oklahoma.
“Encouraging children throughout the state to understand and care for monarch butterflies can inspire them and their families to create pollinator gardens,” said Dr. Emily Geest, OKC Zoo conservation scientist and butterfly researcher. “As pollinators have declined for decades, it’s more important than ever to teach future generations why conservation matters and how they can help reserve the trend.”
Monarch butterflies are an iconic sight throughout North America, but the species is in peril, Geest said. Insect pollinator populations, including monarchs, are in a steep decline the world over. The monarch butterfly population has declined by 90 percent in the last 30 years because of habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change.
Generations of migrating monarchs travel through Oklahoma in the spring and fall. Their lengthy journey is made easier when people plant pollinator gardens where the butterflies can rest, eat, and lay eggs. Discover the OKC Zoo’s pollinator activities and learn more about how to help monarchs and other pollinators at www.okczoo.org/pollinator-activities.
The new Read for Adventure season begins Monday, June 2. Read for Adventure Zoo admission vouchers are valid through June 30, 2026 and can be redeemed at the Zoo’s ticket windows. For additional details about Read for Adventure including a downloadable coloring page and list of participating libraries, visit https://www.okczoo.org/READFORADVENTURE.
The Oklahoma City Zoo’s regular daytime hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with the last entry at 4 p.m. Purchase advance Zoo admission tickets at okczoo.org/tickets and avoid the entry lines. Located at the crossroads of I-44 and I-35, the OKC Zoo is a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the American Alliance of Museums, and Oklahoma City’s Adventure District.
Stay connected with the Zoo on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, Linktree and TikTok, and by visiting our blog stories. Zoo more with a ZOOfriends membership! As a ZOOfriends member of the Oklahoma City Zoo, enjoy free admission for 12-months, plus additional benefits and discounts. You will also be supporting the Zoo’s animal family, education programming, and conservation initiatives both locally and globally. Join or renew today at www.okczoo.org/membership.
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