Do your holiday shopping with the LA Zoo

Skip a trip to the mall this year with gifts affordable and extravagant from an exclusive new Holiday Gift Guide from the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA), the private, non-profit organization that raises money to support the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens.

The one-of-kind catalog connects givers and recipients to the Los Angeles Zoo and its mission to inspire conservation and care for the planet through its amazing and diverse wildlife. With something for everyone and every budget, the guide features unique and extraordinary gifts, from amazing behind-the-scenes experiences at the Zoo to pocketbook-friendly animal "ADOPTions." What's more, purchases are tax-deductible.

"All the gift guide's meaningful and surprisingly unique choices offer the rewarding experience of playing a personal role in conserving and saving wildlife," says Connie Morgan, president.

Among the collection's highlights:

AFFORDABLE

One of the Zoo' most valuable commodities is its plant collection. For $25 and $50 you can purchase a native shrub or plant to be placed along the boardwalk at the front entry plaza or the Los Angeles City Magnet School across from the Zoo. Your recipient receives an acknowledgement of your blooming kindness.

Help save a species by "adopting" a snow leopard or any Zoo animal. Beginning at $35, your recipient is recognized with an official ADOPT (Animals Depend on People Too) certificate, animal photo and acknowledgement with your personal message.

Put someone you love at the front of the line with a year's worth of visits to the Zoo via the gift of a family GLAZA membership. Your recipient enjoys benefits for 364 days, starting at $75.00.

EXTRAVAGANT

A small plot of land at the Zoo is about to be transformed into a thriving butterfly and hummingbird garden. A contribution of $1,500 makes your recipient the exhibit' sponsor.

Help discover the next Jane Goodall with attendance at ZooCamp, a popular day camp for kids age 4-13. $3,500 supports ten campers and their transportation to the Zoo in honor of your recipient.

Do a REALLY good turn for 600 LAUSD school kids: send them on a Zoo field trip with a donation of $5,000 in honor of your recipient.

What's in a name? Your recipient's, with $10,000 to name one of our delightful snow leopard cubs. Benefits include a VIP behind-the-scenes tour and recognition plaque at the snow leopard exhibit, plus more.

The amazing and much anticipated Pachyderm Forest will feature a limited number of benches along the walkways. Name one in honor of someone special for $10,000.

A double fantasy package includes two unique behind-the-scenes experiences for your lucky gift recipient: a private dinner with the Zoo Director and an exclusive Zoomobile visit to the location of their choice ($10,000).

Sponsor a hand-crafted endangered species animal for the Zoo's new carousel, available for $25,000.

Leave your recipient's mark permanently in the Zoo at a unique, new interactive education facility: the California Condor Rescue Zone ($75,000 to feature their name as a sponsor of the rock climbing wall in the Zone).

To view the entire catalog, visit www.lazoo.org.

For additional information, call 323 644-6035.