MARCH 29, 2023 www.wintertexantimes.com 6 WINTER TEXAN TIMES Palm Resaca Park 100 Tangerine Blvd, Brownsville www.palmresacapark.org Ph (956) 546-7423 | Fax (956) 504-5745 Thank you for making Palm Resaca Park Your Winter Home! We look forward to seeing you and your friends again next year. Local Texas Master Naturalists talk about native plants Local Texas Master Naturalist experts will be featured speakers during the 32nd Annual Rio Grande Valley Home and Garden Show at the McAllen Convention Center March 31 through April 2. South Texas Border Chapter Texas Master Naturalist members will present informative talks about environmental lighting and the beneficial use of native plants in home landscapes. The scheduled talks during the three-day event are as follows: Friday, March 31 2:45 p.m., Friendly Outdoor Lighting, presented by Thomas Butler. Outdoor lighting can save money and be environmentally friendly. Designs that are attractive and effective while minimizing negative effects on the environment will be described and illustrated. 4:30 p.m., The Passion Vine Diaries, presented by Bill Rich. Adventures with growing passion vines in his garden in McAllen is an entertaining tale of pink flowers, orange butterflies, giant bees, spikey caterpillars, the ant police, and a killer stink bug. Saturday, April 1 10:45 a.m., Don’t Kill It ‘Til You Know What It Is, presented by Anita Westervelt. Many random and annoying plants seem to infiltrate lawns and gardens. This presentation is meant to pique curiosity and encourage people to consider the benefits of these volunteer native plants and their importance to native wildlife. 11:45 a.m., The Passion Vine DiaArt Lounge on SPI to host exhibit South Padre Island has a new art gallery, The Art Lounge, and it will be hosting an exhibition called Bloom. The exhibit will take place on April 8, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. The high-end art gallery is turning one-year-old and they are giving the community flowers to celebrate. They are turning the gallery into a garden party for the art opening. Just in time to be held the Saturday before Easter. This is a free event with fine art, live classical cello music, libations, finger sandwiches and pastries. Organizers are encouraging attendees to dress in their best florals for the show. They also plan to have a floral installation on the ceiling to look like flowers raining down and a floral selfie wall. Owners say the gallery is quite Gladys Porter Zoo implements new pricing The Gladys Porter Zoo has implemented a new dynamic pricing model. Zoo admission prices will now vary through July, depending upon the day of the week. This dynamic model is currently used nationwide at various attractions and is intended to encourage visitorship from Monday through Thursday when the attraction is generally less crowded. At the same time, the slightly higher cost to attend the Zoo provides an inflation-based increase in income at the front gate. Since 90 percent of the Zoo’s operating income is derived from admission sales, this adjustment is needed to maintain a world-class facility, purchase nutritious food for the Zoo’s 1,600 inhabitants, and retain topnotch experts by paying competitive wages. In addition to the need for increased income to cover daily operating expenses, dynamic pricing will also benefit Zoo guests in the future. In October of 2022, a $30 million master plan was adopted that will revitalize the park, add new, exciting exhibits and visitor amenities, as well as provide larger, more naturalistic exhibits for lions, mandrills, gorillas, and many other animals. The Zoo’s first project is a zip line that will take guests over the waterways and treetops to a height of 150 feet, returning them to ground level at nearly 30 mph. The cost of installation for this attraction has more than doubled in cost since the concept was first approved over a year ago, but it will more than pay for itself after two years in operation. This investment will pay off in terms of attracting more visitors to the area and will provide a unique outdoor experience for children, teenagers, and adults from near and far. The Gladys Porter Zoo has always been committed to providing an enjoyable, educational, and affordable experience to the community of South Texas, and this commitment will never change. Through July, adult prices will now range from $14 to $19, child prices will range from $8 to $13, and senior prices will range from $12 to $17. Children under the age of two will still be free. To avoid confusion at the time of your visit, the new dynamic pricing calendar can be found at www.gpz. org, and on all of the Zoo’s social media platforms. See NATURALIST pg. 15 See EXHIBIT pg. 16
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