AquaZoo collects used Christmas trees to decorate a new area like North America. On Jan. 2, the zoo will hold a Return Day, where anyone can return Christmas trees with root balls in exchange for a free ticket. Submitted trees will then be planted in the newly created Churchill area.
Construction on the Churchill area has been in full swing since November this year, and the area is expected to open in spring 2024. “Education, stories about native animal species, invasive alien species and climate change will play a very important role,” says manager Jeroen Lumijer. “We want to inform our audience about these topics in an inspiring and educational way.”
Named after a river in Canada
“The Churchill area is named after a river that stretches over 1,600 kilometers in Canada and has a focus on North American fauna and flora. Of course, the pine trees fit in perfectly,” continues Lumiger. “Aquaju already has many trees. Sustainably decorating the new area with reclaimed Christmas trees that would otherwise end up in the landfill fits well with the message we want to spread as a zoo.
Last year's campaign was a huge success. Later, despite the bad weather, about 250 Christmas trees were handed out. AquaZoo staff sorted the Christmas trees and brought some of them to the park for planting the same day. “We used a small portion of the trees as enrichment for the animals,” says animal care manager William Kriegks. “In this way we stimulate the animal's natural behavior by providing new stimuli from the environment.”
The return time will take place on Tuesday, January 2, 2024 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm in the parking lot of AquaZoo Leeuwarden. You will receive 1 free ticket per Christmas tree/person, valid until Friday February 16, 2024. Free tickets cannot be exchanged for cash. Additionally, the Christmas tree must have a root ball, be viable (so brown branches and remnants of Christmas decorations, artificial snow and/or glitter, etc.) and be at least 1.5 meters tall.
For more information and all conditions, visit the website: aquazoo.nl .
