ZOO MAGNET CELEBRATES THE ENVIRONMENT

Written by Nora Feldman, Youth Arts Editor

When I think of Earth Day, a picture pops up in my mind - - long-haired hippies in tie-dyed t-shirts and long flowing cotton gowns; but maybe I have the image mixed up with Woodstock. At any rate, with Earth Day upon us once again - - feeling like I should be participating in some ‘official’ event in order to save the world, and not just limiting my participation to recycling newspapers and the like - - I thought I’d write an article about an Earth Day event taking place at one of our local LAUSD schools - - the North Hollywood Zoo Magnet Center.

“Since its inception, April 22, 1970, Earth Day has been an annual event for people around the world to celebrate the earth and renew our commitment to building a safer, healthier, and cleaner world for all of us.” It was established by former Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson and organized by then Harvard grad student, Denis Hayes. The first Earth Day is often credited with launching the modern American environmental movement and was described by American Heritage Magazine as “one of the most remarkable happenings in the history of democracy.”

This year, Zoo Crew, a student service organization at the North Hollywood Zoo Magnet Center, will present Earth Day Festival 2005, Friday, April 22, 2005, 8:00 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., for students at the Zoo Magnet campus in Griffith Park.

Several prominent organizations from around the greater Los Angeles area will be making presentations, sharing their work and their missions in support of protecting earth’s environment for plants and animals alike for generations to come. Students will participate in workshops on a variety of topics run by representatives from Heal the Bay, the Audubon Society Conservation Committee, the Moorpark College Exotic Animal Training and Management Program, LADWP Green Power Program, the Wildlife Waystation, the Amanda Foundation (non-profit dog rescue), The Nature Wildworks, Friends of the Island Fox, the California Native Plant Society, and the LA East Valley Animal Shelter. There are some ‘live’ surprises in store as well.

For over twenty years, the Zoo Magnet Center has been a model small learning community and proud member of the North Hollywood High School family. A unique learning environment established in 1981, the Zoo Magnet Center offers a challenging curriculum in animal and biological sciences with strong emphasis on student research and the development of analytical thought. Graduates of the program have enjoyed success at many of the finest colleges and universities in the nation including: Brandeis, Cornell, Harvard, Howard, MIT, Penn, Princeton, Reed, Smith, Stanford, Swarthmore, USC, and all of the campuses of the University of California.

For further information about Earth Day Festival 2005 or the Zoo Magnet Center please contact Lee McManus at (323) 660-0165. You can find out more about Zoo Magnet at their web site: www.lausd.k12.ca.us/NH_Zoo_Magnet.