For immediate release
Contact: Gina Stiles 904-757-4463, ext. 210

Learn How to Grow and Cook with Herbs
At the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
Gardening Class - February 3, 2007

January 18, 2007 – Jacksonville, FL – The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens announced its first in a series of gardening classes, “Growing and Cooking with Herbs.” The class is scheduled for Saturday, February 3, 2007, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Zoo’s PepsiCo Education Campus.  Linda Cunningham, master gardener, member of multiple herb organizations, and owner of Cunningham’s Floral Designs, will be the guest speaker. Class attendees can register in a free drawing to win a basket filled with gardening goodies, along with a gift certificate for a free, one-year, family membership in the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. 

 “Our goal for this series of classes is to make more people aware of our gardens and secure our position as a resource in the gardening community. We are eager to share our knowledge and the expertise of our speakers with our members and other guests,” said Bob Chabot, director of horticulture and facilities for the Zoo.  “The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has quietly become the largest public garden in all of Jacksonville.  In addition to the gardens that we’ve added over the past two years, we have plans to open a walled, garden plaza this summer, an Asian garden in spring of 2008, and 12 acres of gardens along the Trout River,” he continued.

The cost is $15 per person for Zoo members and $20 per person for non-Zoo members.  Pre-registration is required, and seating is limited.  For more information or to pre-register, visit the Zoo’s Web site at jacksonvillezoo.org.

For over 90 years, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has been dedicated to inspiring the discovery and appreciation of wildlife through innovative experience in a caring environment. Starting in 1914 with an animal collection that consisted of one red deer fawn, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has grown to house more than 2,000 rare and exotic animals and over 1,500 unique plant species. The Jacksonville Zoo is a non-profit organization and is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).  It is open year-round, seven days a week, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and is located on Jacksonville’s north side at 370 Zoo Parkway, one-half mile east from I-95.  For more information on the Zoo, log on to www.jacksonvillezoo.org.

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