Friends of the National Zoo

Holiday Gift Guide

Shopping to help save species has never been easier with our annual Friends of the National Zoo Holiday Gift Guide. From Adopt a Species packages to giving the gift of membership, we have a little something for everyone—even you!

Give the gift of a Mobile Vet Unit

The veterinarians at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute save animals every day. If an animal needs medical attention, the vets provide it with world-class care at the Zoo’s veterinary hospital.

We want to help our vets deliver even faster care. With a new Mobile Vet Unit, vets can bring the hospital to the animals. Donate today—even as a gift on someone's behalf!

We are hoping to raise $175,000 by the end of this year to ensure we can purchase the Mobile Vet Unit, which will be the next step in providing excellence in animal health and wellness care.

This brand-new vehicle will allow for easy, safe transport of cutting-edge medical equipment, veterinary staff and the Zoo’s animals when necessary.

Click the button below to learn more about this important project!

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Give the gift of an Adopt a Species package

While a real giant panda won't fit under your tree this holiday season, an adorable Adopt a Species panda plush most certainly will!

Adopt packages at the $75 level include a 12-inch stuffed animal and a card set including a postcard, two animal fact cards, a certificate, and a new Build a Zoo Animal activity.

Shipping is always free, and packages are shipped anywhere within the contiguous U.S. Your symbolic adoption shows your support for the shared species-saving mission of FONZ and the Zoo. Purchase by Friday, Dec. 13 to ensure your package arrives in time for the holiday!

ADOPT TODAY

Give the gift of FONZ membership

Looking for a great holiday gift? This holiday season, you get a discount when you give a FONZ membership!

FONZ membership ensures that friends and family enjoy a full year of fun at the Zoo with free parking, members-only experiences, discounts on purchases and events, priority registration for camps and classes, and so much more.

For just $99, you can give a Premier Plus membership. That's $15 off the regular rate!

It’s fast and easy to sign up, and your gift of membership activates immediately. You’ll get a confirmation email with a cute downloadable certificate you can present to your lucky friends.

Put a smile on their faces with a gift that gives all year long!

GIVE A GIFT MEMBERSHIP

Give a gift to the animals

Enrich the lives of the Zoo's animals by making a donation to the Enrichment Trunk! Donations are used by the animal keepers to purchase enrichment items or materials.

These items range from $15 for chew toys, kongs, and training tools to $500 or more for climbing structures and heavy-duty toys that will withstand play from larger animals such as elephants, tigers, or bears.

DONATE TO THE ENRICHMENT TRUNK

Give the gift of your time—volunteer!

Are you a natural educator with a love for animals? Join the corps of FONZ volunteers that donate more than 90,000 hours of time each year, providing invaluable support to the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

Volunteer categories include education, special events, Zoo support, teens, and groups. Sign up today!

APPLY NOW

Photos (left to right): Janice Sveda, FONZ Photo Club; Smithsonian's National Zoo

Other ways to gift the gift of conservation

There are plenty of ways to show your support for animals at the Zoo and around the world this holiday season. Need more ideas? Check out this list, courtesy of Conservation Nation, a FONZ initiative donating money directly to conservation projects. And feel free to donate, too!