Enormous warty pumpkins. Carnivorous plants. Immersive arachnid displays. Slithering snakes and fluttering bats. And illuminated displays of hundreds, or thousands, of ornately carved jack-o香蕉视频直播�-lanterns.
Zoos and botanical gardens have become increasingly popular Halloween destinations. Their haunting array of natural installations and spooky events provide a fun addition, or alternative, to traditional trick-or-treating.
They also are a teachable moment, naturalists and conservationists say.
香蕉视频直播淔all is a celebration of the natural world, so Halloween and botanical gardens are an organic pairing,香蕉视频直播� says Michaela Wright, manager of interpretive content at the New York Botanical Garden, where October is 香蕉视频直播淔all-o-Ween.香蕉视频直播� The garden香蕉视频直播檚 Halloween offerings began with a haunted greenhouse tour about 50 years ago, she says, 香蕉视频直播渁nd it continues to evolve and expand.香蕉视频直播�
This year, there香蕉视频直播檚 a Halloween pumpkin patch that includes exotic heritage varieties in blues, pinks and other surprising colors, in addition to varieties covered in warts. Master pumpkin carver Adam Bierton, a sculptor from Rochester, New York, known for his life-like jack-o香蕉视频直播�-lanterns, hosts weekend pumpkin-carving events. And of course there is the annual display of giant pumpkins, some weighing in at .
At the Chicago Botanic Garden, the 香蕉视频直播淣ight of 1,000 Jack-o香蕉视频直播�-Lanterns香蕉视频直播� features elaborately painted and carved pumpkins, along with costumed entertainers, pumpkin-carving demos, and festive food. The garden香蕉视频直播檚 online adult education classes include one on 香蕉视频直播� and a Halloween Hub with information about seasonal plants and pumpkins.
ZOOS TOO
Many zoos, meanwhile, are hosting Halloween programming with names like 香蕉视频直播淏oo at the Zoo,香蕉视频直播� or 香蕉视频直播淶oo Boo.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淲e started hosting what we call 香蕉视频直播淗alGLOween香蕉视频直播� back in 2017 and it香蕉视频直播檚 become one of our biggest draws of the year, providing a huge audience for our conservation messages,香蕉视频直播� says Lisa Martin, a wildlife care ambassador for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
The event started as a single weekend in October, and was so popular it was expanded to two weekends, she says. It香蕉视频直播檚 now held every Friday, Saturday and Sunday for most of October, and Halloween has become one of the most popular times of the year at the zoo.
香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 no trick-or-treating. And we don香蕉视频直播檛 offer candy,香蕉视频直播� she says, adding that that香蕉视频直播檚 a relief for many parents.
This year香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淗alGLOween香蕉视频直播� features a 香蕉视频直播淪keleton Band,香蕉视频直播� a 香蕉视频直播淏oo Crew香蕉视频直播� of scarecrow stilt-walkers, and an illuminated 香蕉视频直播淧ython Path香蕉视频直播� through the reptile house, among other events.
An immersive display of arachnids in the Cool Critters building 香蕉视频直播済ives kids a chance to learn about something that seems scary but might not be so scary in real life,香蕉视频直播� says Martin.
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park just north of the city also features a bat house.
And at the zoo, which is also an accredited botanical garden, a 香蕉视频直播淲ildlife Explorers Basecamp香蕉视频直播� has all kinds of bugs, and bee and ant colonies. Elsewhere, horticulturists are on hand to answer questions about seemingly spooky plants like strangle-vines and vampire dragon orchids.
Fort Wayne Children香蕉视频直播檚 Zoo, in Indiana, is hosting a series of 香蕉视频直播淲ild Zoo Halloween香蕉视频直播� events. Each weekend in October has a different theme, like 香蕉视频直播淪uperhero Weekend,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淧irates and Princesses Weekend,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淲itch and Wizard Day香蕉视频直播� and, for those over 21, 香蕉视频直播淩ock and Roar Halloween香蕉视频直播� with live music and drinks.
The Bronx Zoo in New York offers 香蕉视频直播淏oo at the Zoo香蕉视频直播� events during the day and 香蕉视频直播淧umpkin Nights香蕉视频直播� after sunset. At night, guests can follow a jack-o香蕉视频直播�-lantern trail of over 5,000 illuminated pumpkins while they learn about nocturnal animal behavior.
Says Martin, of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: 香蕉视频直播淧eople learn best when they香蕉视频直播檙e having fun, and they just may come in for some Halloween fun, and go home with a better understanding of conservation.香蕉视频直播�
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