At the (pre-pandemic) Houston Zoo, guests under 18 could turn in up to 3 natural objects in exchange for points, which could be used to buy items such as this in the shop.
The following items ware allowed: inorganic rocks, fossils, minerals, and sands; clean skeletal material including bones, teeth, antlers, and shells; dead arthropods; footprint casts; seeds and other plant matter; and photography.
The following items were not allowed: avian material such as feathers and bird eggs (ostensibly due to the MTBA); “arrowheads and Native American artifacts” (and presumably any archaeological items); taxidermic specimens and intentionally killed animals; live organisms; items from Zoo grounds; and items from state and national parks.
I never did participate in the program; in fact, 2017 was the second and last year I ever went to a proper zoo.
@Birdsage This sounds like an interesting program, and I am curious to hear why you have only visited zoos in 2017 and one other year. I wonder if you may hold a record for least regular zoo visits out of all active zoochatters
