GILROY
– Visitors to Bonfante Gardens this season can experience exotic
birds up close and personal.
GILROY – Visitors to Bonfante Gardens this season can experience exotic birds up close and personal.
“Wild Bird Adventure,” the first new attraction added to the family theme park, features a 20-foot tall aviary filled with 300 birds, such as cockatiels, grass parakeets, rosellas and zebra finches.
“The addition of the bird attraction definitely ties into the theme of Bonfante Gardens, which is education, but in a fun, family atmosphere,” said Holly Perez, a spokeswoman with Paramount Parks, which manages the park. “Kids can see the birds and see them flying and experience them in a natural habitat.”
Beginning in April, visitors will be able to walk through the tropical aviary and even feed the birds with seed sticks. Park associates and animal experts will help guests feed and interact with the birds, while volunteer docents will provide information about each of the bird species.
The feature is the first new attraction to open at Bonfante Gardens since its 2001 inaugural season.
“We want to keep the child engaged so they want to stay at the park, so their eyes and ears are open, and this surely does that,” said Bob Kraemer, president of the park’s board of directors. “And we want it to be educational as well.”
Increasing the amount of educational services could represent a savings to the park by making it eligible for more exemptions from its multi-million dollar property tax bill.
The park is eligible for tax relief because it is a nonprofit corporation serving educational purposes. When nonprofits want to exercise their property tax exemption rights, the State Board of Equalization and the county tax assessor’s office determine how much property can exist tax-free.
The county has given the park tax exemptions for roughly half the areas approved by the state.
“Frankly, everything we do needs to keep in mind education, but we’re not doing it for the county. We’re doing it because we need to continue to refresh the park so people want to be at the park,” Kraemer said. “And … everything we do, we need to keep an eye on it to keep it educational.
“I don’t even know if they’ll know if it’s here, or if that would have an impact.”
Bonfante Gardens will open for the season on March 27 and the Wild Bird Adventure will debut on April 3.
For more information on the park, visit www.bonfantegardens.com.
