Conservation Connections: World Wildlife Conservation Day 2026

ZooTampa at Lowry Park is celebrating World Wildlife Conservation Day on Saturday, December 19, as part of its Conservation Connections series. The day runs from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM over at Manatee Circle, and this particular session is all about how to protect wildlife.

If you haven't heard of Conservation Connections, it's ZooTampa's monthly celebration of conservation, run by the ZT Saves Kids' Club and led by the Zoo's Education team. It returns on the third Saturday of each month, and every session brings a different theme, an interactive Zoo activity, a conservation message, and a suggested at-home activity—like a scavenger hunt—to keep the conversation going after you leave. The whole thing is designed to get visitors of all ages to learn about the Zoo's animals and take action to protect wildlife and wild places closer to home.

There's a bit of a long game here, too. Families collect a unique stamp each month in their ZT Saves Kids' Club Passport, which you can redeem for small prizes at the end of the year across three levels: more than four stamps, more than eight, and all twelve. This December session is one of those stamps.

New for this year is Flora the Explorer, a companion puppet you can download and print or buy in the gift shops. The idea is to take her along and photograph her on her own conservation adventures as you go through the Zoo. So, if you're heading over, you might want to grab her first. The event is on Saturday, December 19, from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM at ZooTampa at Lowry Park, 1101 W Sligh Ave, Tampa, FL 33604, with the main action happening in Manatee Circle.