Sustainable Wine+Dinner Series 

The Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association’s (GLAZA) annual Sustainable Wine+Dinner Series returns with a spotlight on the institution’s ongoing commitment to conservation with four upcoming evenings on Thursday, March 22, April 28, May 31, and June 28, 6 to 9 p.m. The Zoo is partnering with local, environmentally friendly vineyards whose wines serve as the inspiration for custom four-course, farm-to-table dinner menus created by Zoo Executive Chef Brad Robertson. The series focuses on sustainability – from agriculture to food and wine production to wildlife conservation. Each evening explores a different topic and features conversations with a curator or keeper, up-close animal encounters, and wine introductions by winery representatives.

“Native and Natural,” held inside the Amazonian stilt house of the Rainforest of the Americas on May 31, features Robert Hall Winery.  Some of the Robert Hall Winery’s sustainability practices include preserving and restoring the property’s native oak trees, and offering protected habitat for wildlife. Cover crops are grown between the vines to decrease soil erosion. Located throughout the vineyards are owl boxes that are specifically designed to attract barn owls, which manage pests. Learn about the importance of native plants and natural pest control with Lili Singer of the Theodore Payne Foundation for Native Plants and Wild Flowers and Curator of Birds Mike Maxcy.