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HOW DO GIVING TREES WORK

HOW DO GIVING TREES WORK

All throughout the zoo and the Topeka community, you will spot Christmas Giving Trees that will go up around Thanksgiving with ornaments on them. There are items associated with each ornament that will benefit our animal ambassadors! Take a tag home with you and purchase that item. The item can then be dropped off at the zoo or local, participating businesses that are listed below.

Check out what our animal ambassadors need this holiday season and have fun helping them celebrate the holidays all year long!

ITEMS NEEDED FOR OUR ANIMAL AMBASSADORS

FOOD ITEMS
(Must be Unopened and In Date) 

  • Animal Crackers, plain
  • Applesauce, unsweetened
  • Apple Juice
  • Baby Food - meat, fruit, veggie (straight, not mixed)
  • Barbecue Sauce
  • Beans, dry
  • Bread, multi-grain
  • Cat food, canned, paste/pate
  • Cereal (non-sugared)- Cheerios for example
  • Coconut, shredded (sugar-free) 
  • Coconut, whole
  • Coconut water
  • Crackers, unsalted
  • Dried Fruits (Craisins, etc.)
  • Fig Newtons
  • Fruit, canned, in 100% juice
  • Fruit Snacks
  • Fruit, canned, in 100% juice
  • Gatorade (powdered mix preferred, fruit punch or glacier freeze)
  • Gelatin, unflavored
  • Granola Bars without Chocolate
  • Granola
  • Honey
  • Jell-O/Gelatin sugar free and regular
  • Jelly/Jam
  • Ketchup
  • Kool-Aid, powder, .013 oz packets, unsweetened
  • Mustard
  • Nuts, in shell, not salted
  • Oatmeal packets, low sugar
  • Oats
  • Pasta, dry
  • Peanut Butter, creamy or chunky
  • Peppermint Candy – incl. candy canes
  • Peppermint Patties
  • Pickles
  • Pistachios
  • Popcorn Kernels, not microwaveable
  • Pretzels
  • Rice Cakes
  • Salad Dressing, non-oily (e.g., Ranch, thousand island)
  • Sunflower seeds, in-shell, unsalted
  • Tuna, canned, in water
  • Vanilla Wafers
  • Yogurt Covered Raisins
  • Soft ferret treats 

HOUSEHOLD / PET / HARDWARE ITEMS 

  • Aspen Snake Bedding 
  • Bedding, Small Pet, by Carefresh (white) 
  • Reptibark
  • Small Blankets/fleece for ferrets 
  • Blender 
  • Bolts/Washers/Nuts, in good condition 
  • Children's Board Books
  • Coffee Grinder 
  • Cordless Drill 
  • Cuttle Bones
  • Ferret Toys, hammock 
  • Food Processor 
  • Forest Floor Bedding (reptile) by Zoo Med
  • Screw eyes (3/8 by 3-4 inches)
  • Hedgehog Toys 
  • Large Ferret Ball
  • Lunch or Grocery Sacks, Paper (new) 
  • Portable CD player  
  • CDs for player- nature sounds 
  • Natural/Realistic plants, aquatic & terrestrial
  • Padlocks- masterlock 
  • Parrot Toys 
  • Peat Moss, plain, no additives 
  • Pillowcases – incl body pillow sized  
  • Popcorn Popper, Air Pop type 
  • Quick Links, (3/8 or 5/16) (for chain)
  • Realistic foliage
  • Socks, new
  • Screw eyes (3/8,  3-4 inches long)
  • Sphagnum moss 
  • Spring Links, (3/8 or 5/16)(for chain)
  • Terrarium Hides  
  • Silicone animal/fun theme cake molds  
  • Paper bags, lawn size 
  • Bubble bath/foam 
  • Bubble machine  
  • Bubbles for bubble machine  
  • Cash register tape 
  • Chalk 
  • Crepe paper 
  • Tissue paper 
  • Wrapping paper (any) 
  • Glue sticks 
  • Radio/CD playerHand pruners  
  • Loppers 
  • Heavy duty chain (3/8 or 5/16)
  • Staple gun/staples
  • Pruning Saw

GIFT CARDS

  • Ace Hardware 
  • Amazon 
  • Bomgaars
  • Chewy.com 
  • Dillons 
  • Harbor Freight 
  • Hobby Lobby 
  • Home Depot 
  • Hummert Int’l 
  • Hy-Vee 
  • Lowes 
  • Mastercard
  • Menards 
  • Michaels 
  • Natural Grocers 
  • Petco 
  • PetSmart 
  • Sams Club 
  • Seabrook Apple Market
  • Sutherlands 
  • Tarwaters
  • Visa
  • Walmart

TREE & DROP OFF LOCATIONS

Zoo Giving Trees are at each of these local businesses! You can also drop off your purchased items at these locations as well or at the zoo!

  • 785 Breer Co.
  • Amused Gallery
  • Bomgaars
  • Burlingame Animal Hospital
  • Cafe Quetzal
  • Camp Cowabunga
  • Domino's Pizza (SE 29th)
  • Family Pet Hospital
  • Hair Productions
  • Happy Basset Barrel House
  • Happy Basset Brewing
  • Hy-Vee
  • Petco
  • Qdoba
  • Seabrook Apple Market
  • Specks
  • Stone House Animal
  • Tarwaters
  • University Veterinary Hospital
  • Westlake Ace
  • Wild Bird House
  • Zoo Gift Shop (in the zoo)