Zoo View - Winter 2023

MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES

LOS ANGELES ZOO COMMISSION

Karen B. Winnick, President

Bernardo Silva, Vice President

Margot Armbruster

Christopher Hopkins

Daryl Smith

Richard Lichtenstein, Ex-Officio Member

LOS ANGELES ZOO ADMINISTRATION

Denise M. Verret, Chief Executive Officer & Zoo Director

Mei Kwan, Assistant General Manager

Beth Schaefer, Director of Animal Programs

Dr. Dominique Keller, Director of Animal Wellness Programs

Dan Keeffe, Director of Learning and Engagement

John Goodwin, Acting Construction and Maintenance Supervisor

Dr. Jake Owens, Director of Conservation

Darryl Pon, Director of Planning and Development

Carol Armstrong, Director of Sustainability and Capital Programs

Mae Huey, Director of Human Resources

Carl Myers, Communications Director

Jess Kohring, Director of Equity Programs

Denise Tamura, Executive Assistant

GLAZA OFFICERS

Brian Diamond, Chair

Erika Aronson Stern, Vice Chair

Phyllis Kupferstein, Secretary

Gregory D. Fuss, Treasurer

Tom Jacobson, GLAZA President

GLAZA TRUSTEES

Courtney Appell, Michael Armstrong, Alma Banuelos, Esther Chao, Vivian Chow, Malissia R. Clinton, Richard Corgel, Wendy M. Denham, Rob Ellis, Justin Enbody, Sam Enoch, Heather Evans, Alfred Fraijo, Jr., Cassidy Horn, Tyler K. Kelley, Diann H. Kim, Anthony Kitchener, Richard Lichtenstein, Alan G. Lowy, Patricia Liu McKenna, Steve O’Connell, Beth Price, Naomi K. Rodriguez, Marc L. Sallus, Patricia Silver, Slash, Jay Sonbolian, Madeline Joyce Taft, Franco Terango, Ellia M. Thompson, Laura Z. Wasserman, Jennifer Thornton Wieland, Matthew Wilson

TRUSTEES EMERITI

Lloyd Levitin, Mrs. John F. Maher, Thomas R. Tellefsen

GLAZA ADMINISTRATION

Kait Hilliard, VP, Marketing and Communications

Sara Rodriguez, VP, Operations and Events

Gretchen Humbert, VP, Chief Financial Officer

Janet Dial, VP, Institutional Advancement

Rob Woolley, Associate VP, Advancement

Dawn Petersen-Amend, General Counsel

Lisa Correa, Director of Membership

Kirin Daugharty, Director of Volunteer Programs

ZOO VIEW (ISSN 0276-3303) is published quarterly by the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association as a benefit to members.

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Tiny Trooper

The L.A. Zoo’s mandrill troop expanded at the end of September with the birth of a female, shown here with mom Juliette. The largest monkey species, mandrills inhabit rainforests in western equatorial Africa.

Karen Bass

Photo by JAMIE PHAM

Brenda Scott Royce

Autumn Hilden EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

Janet Dial, Kait Hilliard, Tom Jacobson, Dan Keeffe, Dr. Dominique Keller, Mei Kwan, Carl Myers, Dr. Jake Owens, Beth Schaefer, Denise M. Verret

PHOTO EDITOR & PHOTOGRAPHER

Jamie Pham

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Lisa Brink, The Brink Creative PRINTING LithoGraphix

PROOFREADERS

Michele Goodman, Laura Parada, Lynne Richter

LET’S BE SOCIAL

Follow us @LAZoo on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TheLosAngelesZoo on YouTube. Share your memories and photos on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook using #LAZoo

ON THE COVER

FEATURES

8 VIP VULTURE

Twenty-five years after hatching here, California condor Traveler returns to the L.A. Zoo with a devastating diagnosis.

11 FIELD NOTES

A condor keeper lends her expertise to the recovery of another vulture in crisis.

ZERO-PLASTIC ZOO

A plastic-free challenge invigorates staff and exemplifies the Zoo’s commitment to sustainability.

California condor #68, also known as Tsuts, is a long-time member of the L.A. Zoo’s condor breeding program. Her name is derived from a Wappo indigenous word meaning “condor.”

Photo by JAMIE PHAM

JAMIE PHAM

Touching Tributes

Meaning “offering” in Spanish, an ofrenda is an altar created to honor loved ones who have passed away. Last October, the Zoo partnered with Plaza de la Raza Cultural Center for the Arts & Education to create a Beloved Pets Ofrenda at the Zoo. This touching memorial to cherished animal companions was so successful that it returned in 2022, with guests invited to print or draw images of their pets to place on an altar in the Zoo’s front entry. Nearly 3,000 visitors added to the ofrenda throughout the month, with many expressing gratitude at being able to share their pets’ photos and stories with the community.

In addition to our on-site pets ofrenda, the Zoo also teamed with Mujeres de la Tierra, a local environ-

mental justice group, to create an Ofrenda for Wildlife at the Los Angeles River Center & Gardens in Cypress Park. Unveiled following a Dia de Los Muertos procession on October 25, the installation remained in place for a week. This ofrenda was devoted to extinct and endangered North American species. “It was about remembering species we’ve lost, but also calling attention to those we still have a chance to save,” says Coral Barreiro, the Zoo’s Manager of Community Programs. Prominently featured were the California condor, mountain yellow-legged frog, and peninsular pronghorn—species central to the Zoo’s conservation efforts. The display was topped by an arch representing a wildlife bridge, which was populated by animals (including famed mountain lion P-22) safely making the crossing. “Because that represents hope,” says Barreiro.

CELEBRATING DIVERSITY

ON SEPTEMBER 22, THE ZOO’S FRONT ENTRANCE SIGN WAS ILLUMINATED in a rotating mosaic of colors celebrating our partnership in the City of Los Angeles’ “L.A. for All” campaign. Organized by the L.A. Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department, the campaign celebrates the City’s diversity and unity against hate. The same day, more than a dozen other iconic L.A. structures— including City Hall, Union Station, the Coliseum, Dodger Stadium, and the pylons at LAX—also displayed this colorful symbol of solidarity. The Zoo has been proudly displaying the campaign’s multicolored banners in the front entry and retail spaces since joining the campaign in April. During an event celebrating “L.A. for All” week, the Zoo was recognized for its participation in the campaign. “Our front gates are open to every single Angeleno, connecting them with nature and the vital role we all play in the conservation of species,” says CEO and Zoo Director Denise M. Verret, who accepted the award on behalf of the Zoo. “The L.A. Zoo is committed to increasing our accessibility and inclusivity to foster a safe and welcoming environment for everyone.”

Park Protectors

In October, the Zoo’s Conservation Committee partnered with the Department of Recreation and Parks to collaborate on the first of many monthly restoration events in Griffith Park. About two dozen volunteers came together at the Fern Dell West Trail to survey and remove invasive fennel and cocklebur. These non-native plants have adapted so well to our balmy California climate that they outcompete native flora, putting wildlife that depends on local plants at risk. They can also degrade soil and water quality. At 4,667 acres, Griffith Park is one of the largest urban parks in the country, home to an abundance of wildlife, including many threatened species. Restoring habitat protects our biodiversity. While it will take a long time to fully eradicate invasives from the site, the Zoo team made excellent progress, removing 1,076 fennel and 3,075 cocklebur plants in under four hours. The Zoo also plans to undertake plant and wildlife surveys to document the impact of this long-term restoration initiative.

GO THE EXTRA MILE

THE FIRST-EVER IN-PERSON FUNDRAISING WALK AT THE ZOO will take place on Saturday, February 25. The inaugural Walk for the Wild in 2021 raised more than $158,000, and hopes are high that this year’s event will be even more successful. You can join in the fun and take an early-morning trek around the Zoo as the animals are waking up—knowing your steps will help protect and care for them. Individuals and teams are welcome, and prizes will be awarded to top performers.

CAN PARTICIPATE

CARL MYERS

Finding the Spark

New member Courtney Wagner finds the L.A. Zoo a great place to walk and get fresh air. Spending time here also reignited her childhood passions. “I grew up obsessed with Animal Planet and taking photos, so when I got my membership this summer, I had a surge of inspiration,” she says. “I hadn’t done photography in years, and the Zoo was a perfect place to start again. All the animals are so beautiful and fun to photograph!”

LEFT PAGE

The gharial is a critically endangered crocodilian species with a distinctive snout and a fierce appetite for fish. “The gharial’s long, needle-like snout is what drew me and makes it a great subject for photography,” says Wagner. “I like how it looks so different compared to a crocodile.”

Photo by COURTNEY WAGNER

RIGHT PAGE

BOHLMANN

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Shy flamingo by RASMIEH ABDELKARIM; Asian elephant Billy by SCARLET PAROD; American alligator Tina by ARTHUR BOHLMANN; poison dart frog by COURTNEY WAGNER; male giraffe calf by PEGGY KLINE; Eastern bongo by ARTHUR

SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS

To be considered for inclusion in future installments of Zoom-In, submit your best images taken at the L.A. Zoo. No more than two images per member per month, please. Include your name in the file name for each photograph (e.g., Giraffe-John Smith). Do not send images that include people unless you will be able to provide a signed release from all parties pictured in the event your photo is selected for publication. If there’s a special story behind the photo, let us know!

SUBMIT PHOTOS BY EMAIL photos@lazoo.org

MEMBER PHOTO GALLERY

Twenty-five years after hatching here, a California condor returns to the L.A. Zoo for life-saving treatment.

TIM HUNTINGTON –WEBNECTAR.COM; INSET: MEREDITH EVANS/VENTANA WILDLIFE SOCIETY

VIP Vulture

by BRENDA SCOTT ROYCE

California condor 171 was seriously ill— most likely due to lead poisoning. The 25-year-old condor—the oldest in the central California wild flock—had been trapped by biologists at Pinnacles National Park because she was behaving strangely. She was transported to the Oakland Zoo for treatment, but despite their best efforts, days had passed without improvement.

Time was running out. “If a bird has lead poisoning, and there’s a lead fragment in their digestive tract, they’re not going to be any better than they are in that moment,” Clark explains. “Until the fragment comes out, they’re only going to decline.”

While every member of this critically endangered species is important to the species’ recovery, this one hit Clark espe-

cially hard. Hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo in May 1997, 171 (also known as “Traveler”) was released in Big Sur that December and has spent most of her life in the wild. The Zoo’s condor keepers have visited her nest sites in the course of assisting with field work. “We know her from hatching her here, we know her from the wild, we know her history,” says Clark. “We consider her a VIP.”

It was his day off, but Clark quickly took action, calling Joe Burnett, supervising biologist at Ventana Wildlife Society (VWS), and other partners in the California Condor Recovery Program. “I said, ‘You need to get her down here, like yesterday.’ And they agreed.”

Next, he reached out to LightHawk, a nonprofit aviation company that provides free flights to conservation organizations. “They specialize in transporting endangered species,” Clark says. “By the end of the day, they found a pilot who was willing

to do it. I coordinated with Oakland Zoo’s keepers and our vets, and we had that bird here in less than 24 hours.”

Traveler earned her nickname from the miles she logged flying across the state. Now, she was taking a different type of flight—as passenger on a Cessna 182 light aircraft flown by volunteer pilot Mark Dedon. They were met at Van Nuys Airport by keepers, who rushed 171 to the Zoo’s condor facility.

HEAVY METAL

Lead poisoning is the number-one killer of California condors. As scavengers, condors depend on carrion (animal carcasses) as their only food source. If the animal was shot with lead bullets, the condor may consume dangerous amounts of lead.

Radiographs taken at Oakland revealed 171 had swallowed metal fragments, and while the condor team couldn’t yet confirm the fragments were lead, they knew they

“It’s a call you don’t ever want to get,” says Los Angeles Zoo

Condor Keeper Mike Clark.

had to come out. Surgery was an option, but it was viewed as a last resort. “Surgery can be pretty catastrophic for a bird that's just hanging on already,” says Clark. “We want to avoid it if at all possible.”

First, they tried a procedure called casting therapy, which involves feeding a condor animal hair to stimulate a natural behavior called casting—which is similar to an owl coughing up a pellet.

Birds of prey regularly regurgitate the indigestible parts of their diet. But condors consume far less fur and feathers than other raptors. “Unlike a hawk that eats rats and rabbits, condors eat cows and deer and other large-bodied animals,” Clark explains. “So, they really don't get a lot of hair in their food. If you're not eating a lot of hair, you don't create a casting.”

“If they can’t cast, then the lead just sits there in their stomach,” adds Condor Keeper Debbie Sears, “and it continually poisons the bird.”

Oakland Zoo had tried casting therapy on 171 but it wasn’t working. Clark and his colleagues, who pioneered the procedure at the L.A. Zoo (and have had success with other condor patients), gave it another go. “We take a bunch of hair from a rat or rabbit, soak it in bloody water with some meat so it’s all slimy,” says Clark, who likens the process to hiding a pill in a dog’s food to help the medicine go down.

Traveler swallowed the concoction but failed to cough up the fragments, and her condition continued to deteriorate.

“She’d lost almost three pounds—that’s about one-fifth of her body weight,” says Condor Keeper Chandra David. It’s a pattern she’d seen too many times before. “Sadly, we have too many of these stories, and we lose so many birds. It just shows you how devastating lead poisoning is to the population.”

ROAD TO RECOVERY

The decision was made to proceed with surgery, which was performed on July 6 by Dr. Stephen Klause, one of few surgeons who perform this highly specialized surgery. The procedure was a success; all the fragments were removed.

While not swift, Traveler’s recovery was steady. Her appetite returned, but it would be a while before she could return to her usual diet. “Getting the digestive system to start functioning normally again—that’s the biggest challenge,” says Sears. “You need to feed them something that’s very high density, high calories, but as easily digestible as possible.”

The team had tried commercially available pet food products with limited success. “We’ve lost a lot of birds by not being able to get them to eat or digest,” says Clark. He consulted an avian vet specialist, who suggested chicken livers. “So,

we bought a bunch of chicken livers, and started feeding her those,” says Clark. “And she bounced back really fast.”

Traveler regained some of the weight she’d lost, and on August 24 she was given a clean bill of health.

Rehabilitated condors may remain at the Zoo for up to a year, especially if they’re younger, but the team felt it was important to return Traveler to the wild as soon as possible. “She’s pretty integral to the wild flock,” says Clark. “She has a territory to defend and a mate she may lose if she’s not out there for a long time. So, we wanted to get her back out there quickly.”

On September 6—just over two months after that first fateful phone call—Traveler departed the Zoo. VWS staff transported the condor back to their Big Sur sanctuary, and she was released the following day. According to VWS (which monitors the wild population through transmitters and condor cams), she quickly reunited with her mate, 209 aka “Shadow,” and reasserted her position in the wild flock.

Clark and crew are quick to point out that 171’s successful return to the wild was part of a joint effort involving the teams at Pinnacles, VWS, the Oakland Zoo, LightHawk Conservation Flyers, and the Zoo’s own condor team and veterinary staff. Thanks to their combined efforts, this veteran of the skies is back where she belongs.

Left to right: Dr. Klause and Veterinary Technician David D’Souza review Traveler’s radiographs, photo by MIKE CLARK. The numbers on a condor’s wing tag represent the last one to two digits of the bird’s ID number. Condors with red tags belong to the “100 series”, photo by JAMIE PHAM. All wild condors are tagged with transmitters that allow biologists to track their movements, photo by JAMIE PHAM.

FIELD NOTES

Ihave always wanted to learn about one of the rarest vultures in the world. The bearded vulture population is decreasing, with an estimate of 1,675 to 6,700 individuals worldwide. In Africa, there are believed to be just a few hundred pairs in Ethiopia, and less than 10 pairs in Kenya and Tanzania. A subspecies (Gypaetus barbatus meridionalis) inhabits South Africa and Lesotho, with an isolated population of about 200 to 250 individuals. The serious decline of this population has left these birds with the unfortunate label “critically endangered.”

But there is hope.

Five years ago, I received a grant from GLAZA’s Ornato Animal Keeper Advanced Studies Fund. This funding allowed me to attend the 2017 Annual Bearded Vulture Meeting in France. It was there that I met Shannon Hoffman from the African Bird of Prey Sanctuary and the Bearded Vulture Recovery Programme.

A team of experts began the program with the support of the South African government to save their native vulture. As manager of the breeding program, Shannon is tasked with harvesting eggs from wild nests and hatching them. (Bearded vultures often lay two eggs but raise only one of the chicks, so the collection of the biologically redundant egg is not detrimental to the wild population.) Once hatched, the chicks will be part of a breeding program. The goal of the “Bred 4 the Wild” program is to serve as a genetic backup and supplement the wild population.

In July/August 2022 (South Africa’s winter season), Shannon had her hands full harvesting eggs, raising chicks, and supervising the construction of two new flight pens. We decided this would be the perfect time for me to visit. The opportunity to exchange ideas and information with biologists working to save the bearded vulture was very exciting to me. I could apply the skills I’ve developed over 28 years of experience with the California Condor Recovery Program to

Clockwise from top left: Two bearded vulture eggs in a wild nest heavily lined with sheep's wool, Maloti-Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa, photo by GREAME BRUSCHI; Shannon Hoffman and Chandra flying into the Maloti-Drakensberg Mountains to search for bearded vulture nests, photo by CHANDRA DAVID; Chandra belays Greame Bruschi as he rappels down to a nest, photo by SHANNON HOFFMAN.

by

A condor keeper travels to South Afri-

ca to lend her skills to the recovery of another vulture in crisis.

CHANDRA DAVID L.A. Zoo Condor Keeper

NEW LIFE

Chandra lent her condor expertise to the task of incubating bearded vulture eggs and helping raise the newly hatched chicks.

P hoto by CHANDRA DAVID

another rare vulture. If similar programs can share information gathered from years of research leading to success, while avoiding past failures, we can streamline the process and benefit the recovery of both species.

With the support of the Zoo’s Conservation Division and the Diane and Mark Montgomery Conservation Fellowship, the trip was quickly arranged. Once I landed in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, we hit the ground running. Chicks were hatching earlier than usual this season, and it became imperative to get to the nests as soon as possible. Two eggs had already been harvested, and Shannon’s goal was to collect four more. We had a helicopter waiting to fly us into the Drakensberg Mountains of South Africa—these are the immense valleys and sheer cliffs the bearded vultures call home.

We identified a cliff face that contained a nest, and the pilot landed the helicopter above it. I took a moment to view the vastness from the mountaintop. It was as if I could see the entirety of the African continent from this singular spot. And then they glided by—first a Cape vulture, then a bearded vulture. I was sharing the same space as these masters of the sky.

Time and effort eventually provided us with two more successful nest harvests to complete the season. All five of the eggs we collected this season successfully hatched, putting the founder population at 18 individuals. While bone tired, we were one step closer to saving a species.

As I readied for departure, construction was about to begin on three more flight pens, and I considered how the landscape, these birds, and this community had built their own permanent place in my soul. As I look back now, it’s incredible to think that this passion for a vulture allowed me the opportunity to meet Shannon and to help bring five more bearded vultures into a world that is better off with them than without them.

While collecting one egg, feeding one chick, or building one flight pen may seem like an insignificant task, in conservation, each of these accomplishments brings us one step closer to preventing extinction. Every step matters. I hope to return to South Africa next year to carry on with this incredible program.

ON THE HORIZON

PUPPET FEEDING

Bearded vulture chicks are fed by a puppet to prevent them from imprinting on their human caregivers.

P hoto by CHANDRA DAVID

The wind chill was significant, and we had difficulty finding a place to set the climbing anchors. There were numerous small rocks with no shrubs or trees in sight. We eventually found a few boulders we felt would be safe to anchor our descent. With the ropes set up, I secured myself to one of the anchors to belay as my climbing partner, Greame Bruschi, rappelled. (Belay is a technique in climbing in which one partner keeps tension on the rope to keep the other climber safe).

Greame called over the radio that there were two eggs in the nest. He weighed them, took measurements, and put one into a canister to keep it cushioned, warm, and safe as he climbed back up the cliff. Shannon then took over responsibility for the egg’s transport to the sanctuary—a four-hour journey via helicopter and car.

In the last issue of Zoo View, we reported on a $2.21 million state budget allocation secured by California State Senator Anthony Portantino, which will fund a number of improvements at the Zoo, including a new Cape vulture habitat. The new habitat will expand the birds’ living space, facilitate a breeding program, and provide visitors with the rare opportunity to view these birds, which are vulnerable to extinction in their native South Africa. Stay tuned!

MASKED MAVERICK

Bearded vulture chicks have light downy feathers and mask-like markings around their eyes. This chick was the last to hatch in the 2022 season.

P hoto by CHANDRA DAVID

Over the next several days we continued to search for nests, dodging freezing temperatures and frozen waterfalls. While we scaled cliffs, there was always the rush home to feed chicks. In anticipation of our chicks’ futures, we were also delivering building supplies to the new breeding center in Underburg to ensure completion of the first two flight pens.

SWEET REWARDS

On August 6, eight Girl Scouts visited the Zoo to present an oversized check to koala keepers Kevin Gorowski and Krissy Parada. “The check was bigger than my arms!” says Dottie R. of Studio City, one of the Girl Scouts chosen to represent her region that day. Even more impressive than the check’s size was its sum: $12,667—all raised through the Girl Scouts’ time-honored tradition of cookie sales.

The official mascot of the 2022 cookieselling season was the koala, so what better place to partner with than the Los Angeles Zoo, home to two of these iconic Australian animals (two-year-old Maya and nine-year-old Burra). “What makes the donation extra special is that this money came from girls who gave up

tangible prizes (from tech gear to theme park events) to donate,” says Natalie Poveda, Development Manager for the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association.

“This was only our second year offering a philanthropy option,” says Alisa Abrenica, Senior Product Program Manager for Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles. “And this year, a total of 3,245 girls opted to donate the value of their rewards to the animals. We're really proud of them. To be philanthropists at such an early age is very special.”

"When I heard that the Girl Scouts of Greater L.A. wanted to fundraise for the koalas, I was both delighted and honored,” says Gorowski, senior keeper of the Zoo’s Australia section. “The staff and I are very passionate about all the animals in our care, and when guests step up and support the Zoo with the same enthusiasm, it’s always thrilling. Meeting the Girl Scouts and seeing their generous

for me. Through their hard work we hope to plant additional eucalyptus trees (koalas’ only diet), modify their habitats to enhance their wellbeing, and purchase more tools for the continued care and maintenance of the Zoo’s off-grounds eucalyptus tree farm.”

The koala’s cuddly appeal may have motivated the Girl Scouts to sell more cookies, and the girls also learned some facts along the way. “I learned that koalas don't actually drink water,” says Caitlyn H. of Agoura Hills, one of the lucky eight selected to present the check. “They absorb the liquid in the eucalyptus that they eat.”

During their visit, the group enjoyed a keeper chat and learned how their donation will benefit the koalas. “It was the first time I’ve ever seen koalas in person,” says Dottie. “I saw them sleeping up in the trees, and I thought, ‘Wow, giving money to this— it’s so much better than just having a prize.”

Los Angeles-area Girl Scouts Contribute to Koala Care at the Zoo

JAMIE PHAM

JANET

S. DIAL

EXPERT PERSPECTIVE

Ion the role of the L.A. Zoo’s first Director of Sustainability and Capital Programs. Together with Darryl Pon, Planning and Development Manager, we work to ensure that our plans and projects are crafted in the context of responsible natural resource management and stewardship. This includes developing a Sustainability Framework for the Zoo that will inform the design and implementation of the new facilities that will be built as part of our long-range Vision Plan.

Although there are many different definitions of sustainability and ways to measure progress toward it, fundamentally, it means conserving resources so that you can sustain a healthy way of living today that allows for enough resources to be available in the future. Sustainability re-

quires us to think outside of our own circumstances as we share resources such as water and energy, reduce our impacts, eliminate waste, and protect resources from threats–including saving animals from extinction. An important aspect of sustainability that became evident during the COVID-19 pandemic is regeneration. When human impact was restricted, natural areas were able to heal and regenerate. This is inspiring new approaches in the tourism industry, which is extremely promising!

Focusing on promising strategies is essential since much of the news surrounding sustainability can be negative. Given this, it has never been more important to seek out and celebrate the good that is happening. The L.A. Zoo and its peers in the species-saving community are playing an important role—regenerating in our guests each and every day the empathy, compassion, and motivation to take the positive steps that our changing climate demands. And the L.A. Zoo is uniquely positioned as a global sustainability influencer because it is anchored

CAROL ARMSTRONG

Director of Sustainability and Capital Programs, L.A. Zoo

B.A., Purdue University

Master of Public Policy, International Political Economy, Georgetown University Ph.D. in Planning, USC

within the second-largest city in the U.S. So, what we do here every day has a heightened impact: The eyes of the world are watching us.

One example of positive Zoo action on sustainability happened in July, when we joined the international Plastic Free Ecochallenge. This monthlong challenge involved 310 teams from 189 organizations in 46 countries, and the L.A. Zoo’s Team Angeleno Plastic Eliminators (Team APE) with 246 members came in second! During the challenge, team members were encouraged to report on actions they were taking to reduce plastic and to communicate about those actions with others.

This action to reduce plastics is consistent with existing and emerging City Zero Waste policy, which includes being equipped with appropriate recycling infrastructure as well as eliminating the use of single-use plastics and ensuring that all events held at the Zoo are plastic-free. Under new State rules, cities must recycle 90% of their organic waste (including food scraps) by 2025. Next steps for the Zoo are to install campus-wide multi-stream waste receptacles and signage, conduct a waste audit, and regularly report our progress.

The L.A. Zoo is poised to be a leader in this effort, and our progress is dependent on each one of us doing our part to build sustainability into our future.

We want to hear your ideas and suggestions on creating a ZERO-PLASTIC ZOO at

LIGHT UP YOUR NEW YEAR

Many cultures count the beginning of a new year based on the first new moon cycle after the winter solstice in December. Traditionally celebrated in East Asian countries, especially China, Lunar New Year is a time to reunite with family, honor ancestors, and celebrate the arrival of spring. This year, the Zoo is joining in the celebration with special entertainment and activities during the extended run of L.A. Zoo Lights: Animals Aglow. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings from January 6 through January 22, you can enjoy spectacular dragon dance parades and lion dance shows with glow-in-the-dark costumes, along with acrobats, fan dancers, kung-fu warriors, and more. FOR TICKETS & INFORMATION VISIT www.lazoo.org/lazoolights

WUSHU SHAOLIN