• become a Zoo member
• make a donation
• become a Zoo volunteer
• be an educated voter
• make your purchase count
• travel with the Zoo

Take Action

Invite Them In

To get rid of destructive bugs in your garden, create habitat for the "good ones" and leave the pest control to the birds. More >

Perk Up Your Plants

A cup of joe will chase away that "slug"-ish morning by giving your garden a wake up call. More >

Make It Official

If you've been having a life-long love affair with wildlife, it's time to take the next step. More >

Go Native!

Prepare to be dazzled by nature on a visit to some of the Brandywine Valley's best backyard habitats. From spectacular urban gardens to stunning old growth forest, this unique Philadelphia Zoo excursion will reveal the secrets of how you can garden with native plants and enhance wildlife habitat, regardless of the size of your property or budget.

Our intimate private garden tour begins in Wilmington with a charming duplex that features a welcoming flower garden in the front and a miniature woodland park and man-made stream in the back. A delightful cottage garden rich with native flowers, shrubs, trees and birdhouses follows next.

Lunch will be provided at our third location, a ten-acre country place set in the rolling hills of Montchanin. Here you will be free to explore and discover diverse wildlife habitat. Bald eagles, great blue heron, pileated woodpeckers, fox and beaver are among the many species known to frequent the wildflower meadow, pond and native hedgerows that characterize this "work in progress."

The restoration of the largest stand of old growth forest in Delaware is underway at our last site. 150 year-old trees, a spring fed wetland garden, amazingly diverse backyard habitats, and five woodland enclosures where native plants are being cultivated and protected from deer can all be found on these 115 acres.

A visit to Styer Nursery rounds out the day. After receiving a few tips on buying and planting practices, budding gardeners and seasoned horticulturalists alike will enjoy the opportunity to choose and purchase natives for their specific gardening needs.

To register, or for more information, email Valerie Peckham at peckham.valerie@phillyzoo.org.