The Little Rock Zoo and the McLarty Automotive Group announced on Tuesday morning the new McLarty Education Village and Garden as well as the Zoo’s Zoofari camps. As the McLarty group has become the official sponsor of both of these initiatives, they have shown their commitment to education, educational outreach, and community building.    

“It’s because of partners like McLarty Automotive Group that we are able to do our Zoofari Camp program and offer Zoofari Camp to some of our underprivileged campers,” said Susan Altrui, Director of the Little Rock Zoo. She said the sponsorship is for $75,000 over the course of five years.

“We like to touch education. We like to touch the community and we want to give back. We felt this was a natural connection for McLarty Automotive,” Keith Caldarera, McLarty’s Director of Operations. 

The McLarty Education Village and Garden, located on the northeast corner of Zoo property is the site of daily summer Zoofari camps, and will soon be the site of a working vegetable garden. Summer 2019 is the inaugural usage of these two new buildings. They will house more than 75 kids each week who come to the Zoofari camps for summer educational enrichment activities.  

The building will also be used for hosting other events such as onsite educational programming and birthday parties. Once planted, the garden will be used to grow food for Zoo animals and to teach children about healthy lifestyles and nutrition.  

The mission of the Little Rock Zoo is to create engaging experiences that inspire people to value and conserve our natural world.  Through this partnership, the McLarty Automotive group has made a commitment to help the Zoo continue to accomplish that mission every day.  

To learn more about McLarty Automotive Group and Little Rock Zoo partnership, please contact llwilliams@littlerock.gov

Watch the announcement: https://youtu.be/vBsNBuetduw​

About the Zoo
The Little Rock Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.  Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you and a better future for all living things.  With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation and your link to helping animals in their native habitats.  For more information, visit www.aza.org.