Riverbanks Zoo and Garden Offers Wild Escape for Budding Imaginations

[Columbia, SC] — Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company has contributed $200,000 to Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in support of the Zoo’s numerous educational opportunities including Summer Zoo Camp that begins on Monday, June 6.

As part of the donation, Colonial Life is now the title sponsor for the Zoo’s Discovery Center. The building is home to Riverbanks’ education division whose programs and special events reach more than 200,000 school aged children each year.

For Colonial Life President and CEO Tim Arnold, educating children on the impact of animals in our world and the significance of wildlife conservation is an important role the company plays as a strong corporate citizen.

"We’ve established concrete partnerships with local schools and nonprofit organizations to help ensure students become well-rounded citizens with the skills necessary to compete in a global economy,” Arnold said. "This investment aligns with the company’s focus on cultivating tomorrow’s leaders and providing enriching opportunities in the local community.”

Colonial Life contributed more than $1.7 million in 2015 to nonprofits across the region. But just as importantly, Arnold said, employees volunteered more than 10,000 hours during the year.

During Summer Zoo Camp, young explorers will journey to wild places through hands-on activities, up-close animal encounters, behind-the-scenes tours and more. Campers can engage in two unique topics during two one-week sessions:

• Pre-schoolers, ages 4 to 5, will dig making dino-mite discoveries and get skin deep while learning the importance of different animal coverings during KinderCamp (full and half day options available).
• Zooper Heroes, ages 6 to 7, will digest different animal appetites and their bond in the great web of life plus get a taste of what it takes to survive in the wild.
• Riverbanks Rangers, ages 8 to 9, could catch island fever while soaring to some of the world’s strangest yet most amazing islands; campers also will discover how aerodynamics makes aviation possible for some not-so frequent flyers.
• Zoo Scene Investigators (ZSI), ages 10 to 12, can’t wait to tweet, text, and talk up the art of animal communication as they improve their own interpretation skills along with job shadowing some of the hardest working creatures on the planet.

Riverbanks also offers two interactive camps in the Botanical Garden:

• Sprout Camp provides a creative way to nurture little naturalists, ages 3 to 4 (with an adult). Your camper’s imagination will blossom through art, garden adventures, games and stories.
• Seedling Camp is all-new this year for growing gardeners, ages 5 to 7. Campers will play, hike and explore while digesting the real meaning of "Garden to Table” and discovering the importance of healthy food choices.

Summer Zoo Camp will take place June 6 through August 12. Times and prices vary. Parents who enroll their children before Tuesday, March 15 will receive a 15% discount off registration (discounts also apply the week of July 4). For more information or to register for camp, visit www.riverbanks.org.

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