Take Action

Taste the Difference

The trouble with turkeys is that you don't know where they've been. Finding out, however, can be as easy as pumpkin pie, when you buy local. More >

Learn Your Labels

Certified organic, farm-raised, free-range, grass-fed... the list seems endless. But what do these eco-labels really mean? More >

Eat Seasonally

Eggplant out of season? Not to worry, winter squash is a worthy replacement. Learn the secrets of eating sustainably without sacrificing your favorite dishes. More >

Let's Talk Turkey

Monday, November 15, 2004; 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Whole Foods Market, 20th and Callowhill Streets, Philadelphia, PA
$30 per Zoo member; $35 per nonmember. Food and beverages provided.

Is your lettuce wilted? Do your tomatoes lack luster? They could be jetlagged. The average meal travels 1,500 miles before reaching your plate; that's a fair distance considering how many foods are available from farms less than an hour away.

This holiday season, the Philadelphia Zoo's conservation lecture series, Wildlife Matters Presents, invites you to Whole Foods Market at 20th and Callowhill Streets in Philadelphia's Art Museum area to join in a discussion about the health and environmental benefits of buying locally grown and raised food products. This festive program will introduce you to the techniques used in sustainable farming that protect wildlife habitat. Join the Zoo's director of animal nutrition, Barbara Toddes, in a dialogue with White Dog Cafe Foundation and Fair Food Co-Director Ann Karlen, Steve and Nicole Shelly of Somerton Tanks Farm, Peg Botto, owner and chef of Cosmic Catering, and longtime Fair Food Farmstand patron Mary Ann Flaherty. Then, take part in the joy and fun of cooking (and sampling!) an assortment of holiday dishes made with sustainably-harvested ingredients. If our panel can't convince you to buy local, your taste buds will!

All program participants will receive a selection of delicious seasonal recipes, complete with wine recommendations, to help you with holiday meal planning.

Thanks to the Independence Foundation for their generous support of Wildlife Matters.