WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE POTTER PARK ZOO CELEBRATES CENTENNIAL BY CHRISTOPHER NAGY
To refer to Potter Park Zoo’s beginnings as “humble” is a stunning understatement when you understand its evolution to the popular attraction it is today. The award-winning Association of Zoos & Aquariums-accredited facility now boasts 535 animals, 99 species and 184,00 visitors each year. That, however, wasn’t the case when the zoo opened its doors in 1920. “I know we had a couple of elks, a racoon. I think we had a couple of deer. It was slim pickings,” Zoological Society Executive Director Amy Morris-Hall said before confirming that Potter Park Zoo also was home to a bear in those early days. “It certainly wasn’t what it is now, but this was a community destination back then. It was a destination because of the activities that were taking place in the park. The animals were secondary to that. The zoo has been something that just continued to develop over time.” Sitting on 85 acres of land off Pennsylvania Avenue in Lansing, with 20 of those acres the actual fencedin zoo, Potter Park Zoo remembers what it once was and recognizes how far it has come in care, conservation and education as part of the zoo’s centennial celebration this spring and summer. With the opening of the zoo’s high season on Mother’s Day weekend, Potter Park Zoo visitors will be able to enjoy educational walking tours that transport guests through the zoo’s past and themed weekends of talks and activities. They can also visit Centennial Square to learn not just about the topics related to the facility’s history but also the future focus and ambitions for the site.
“We’ve been working on this for a year and a half, collecting photos and videos and historical information,” Morris-Hall said. “It’s an educational experience to help people understand how we became a modern zoo — how we went from a collection of animals for people to see to the center of conservation that we are now. When you think of a zoo today, it’s a whole different mindset than what it was 100 years ago. Back then, the welfare of the animals was secondary.” Spring will also likely bring the anticipated public viewing availability of Jaali, the male black rhino born on Christmas Eve to international acclaim, as well as the two new baby otters born at the zoo in February. The 100-year timeline connecting the past to the present has been a long and sometimes controversial journey. However, Morris-Hall said the journey reflects how ethics and attitudes toward conservation and animal welfare have evolved through the decades as education, knowledge and a more complete understanding of the needs of and care for animals has come into focus. “I think it demonstrates the kind of path zoos took to make animal welfare their top priority. Our walking tour will exhibit that,” Morris-Hall said. “It’s meant to inspire people about animals and nature because our top priority here is animal care. “I hope Potter Park Zoo visitors walk away feeling like they learned about conservation through the animals in our care,” she added. “I hope they take actions in their own lives to improve the environment and the natural world.”
Getting that message across to the public is part of the focus of the zoo society that Morris-Hall leads. Potter Park Zoo has two overseeing bodies: the municipal side — which is an Ingham County department funded by a millage, admissions, parking and other factors — and the society side, which is a nonprofit support organization focused on conservation and education. With a background in journalism and public relations, Morris-Hall has used her experience to help further the zoo society’s mission both within the zoo and beyond the zoo’s walls. She proudly points to the Falconers program, which is for special-needs children and is sensoryfriendly, as well as the Zoo in Your Neighborhood outreach program that brings animals to local libraries and community centers and provides free passes to the zoo. Zoo in Your Neighborhood received top honors for inclusivity and diversity from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums “The goals we have for our zoo are, obviously, to provide a wonderful guest experience and customer service, but we also want to be inclusive to all — and we have programming to make that happen,” she said. “With Zoo in Your Neighborhood, we’re reaching the communities that were not coming here.” Providing the gold standard in animal care is another vital aspect of Potter Park Zoo’s mission, which is why it takes its accreditation with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums seriously. The accreditation process, which is undertaken every five years, ensures zoos like Potter Park meet the most stringent requirements to ensure animal welfare.
Photo by Kaiti Chritz - Potter Park Zoo 10 MAY 2020
