The Nature Exchange, located inside Robert J LaFortune WildLIFE Trek Life in the Cold, is open daily 10am-3pm! Stop on by to look at our natural collection (including rocks, fossils, sea life and animal parts) or trade in natural treasures found while exploring nature. If you have any questions about our program, please contact us at natureexchange@tulsazoo.org or call us at (918)-669-6218. We can’t wait to see what you find!
The Tulsa Zoo’s priority is to keep everyone within our gates healthy and safe while providing a fun and educational environment. We are limiting high touch areas, like Nature Exchange, to follow state and local guidelines for safeguarding against the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Take a walk in the woods, in your back yard or keep your eyes open while you're on vacation. Look around for something that sparks your interest like a cool rock, fossil, plant, insect or shell and bring it to the Exchange. Bring no more than 5 items at a time. Leave the rest where they are, nature still needs them!
Our trained staff and volunteers will initiate a discussion about your item; together we will learn what it is, where it came from and what purpose it serves. The trader will then earn points for the item plus the knowledge they share or learn about their items while at the Exchange.
We encourage research to be done at home about the item. The more you know, the more points you'll earn. Reports, journals, posters and pictures are all great tools to share what you have discovered.
Use your points in our well stocked swap shop like money. We'll put your earned points in your very own account; the points never expire. Spend some, save some; it's all up to you! (Please note: no dollar value is assigned to the points.)
We cannot accept items that are protected by law. This includes items from city, state or national parks (including from zoo grounds), bird items (like feathers, nests or eggs) or cultural items (like arrowheads).
For more information, call (918) 669-6218 or e-mail us at natureexchange@tulsazoo.org