Advertising Supplement Puget Sound Business Journal June 2012
Creating a 21st Century Wonder Ten Years of Raising the Bar 2002-2011 Woodland Park Zoo saves animals and their habitats through conservation leadership and engaging experiences, inspiring people to learn, care and act.
2 | Ten Years of Raising the Bar 2002-2011
Woodland Park Zoo
2012 Board of Directors Officers Stuart V. Williams | Chair Jones Lang LaSalle Nancy Pellegrino | Vice Chair Citi Private Bank Laurie Stewart | Treasurer Sound Community Bank Rick Alvord | Secretary Private Investor Directors Linda L. Allen The Alleniana Foundation David S. Anderson Bank of America, N.A. Anthony Bay Video Amazon Bruce Bentley Consultant Kristi Branch Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Lisa Caputo Community Volunteer Kenneth W. Eakes Costco Wholesale Corp. Janet Faulkner NBBJ David Goldberg Mithun Lisa J. Graumlich, Ph.D. UW College of the Environment Jason Hamlin UBS Financial Services, Inc. Leslie Hanauer Community Volunteer Michele Havens Northern Trust Bank Steven Haynes 1st Security Bank of Washington Debora Horvath Horvath Consulting, LLC Jeffrey Leppo Stoel Rives LLP Victoria Leslie Investor Robert M. Liddell, M.D. Center for Diagnostic Imaging Steve Liffick Microsoft Corporation Brooke McCurdy KBKM Ltd. Ann Moe Community Volunteer Jane Nelson Kantor Taylor Nelson Boyd & Evatt PC Laura Peterson The Boeing Company Larry Phillips Metropolitan King County Council Mark Reis Port of Seattle Patti Savoy Community Volunteer Rob Short Volunteer, Technology Space Elizabeth Sicktich Wells Fargo Private Bank Ron Siegle Covich-Williams Co., Inc. Bryan Slinker, D.V.M. WSU College of Veterinary Medicine Gretchen Sorensen Sorensen Ideas R. Jay Tejera Investor and Volunteer Ed Thomas Deloitte LLP Timothy Thompson Thompson Smitch Consulting Group Peter C. Wang Ameriprise Financial Services Andy Wappler Puget Sound Energy Margaret Wetherald Keller Rohrback, LLP Kathryn Williams HomeStreet Bank Robert M. Williams Private Bank at Union Bank Susie Wyckoff Ants at a Picnic/Community Volunteer Curtis J.Young Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Deborah B. Jensen, Ph.D. | ex officio WPZ President and CEO Christopher Williams | ex officio Acting Superintendent, Seattle Parks & Recreation
Since 1950, the zoo’s tree canopy has increased four-fold, creating a lush oasis cherished by families and children in the heart of Seattle.
Photo by Ric Brewer, WPZ
Dear Friends, As the current operators of Woodland Park Zoo, we stand on the shoulders of the visionaries and community leaders who, over the past four decades, have helped steward a treasured community institution, while maintaining a high standard of animal care and pioneering among zoos the idea of naturalistic exhibits. Now 10 years into our 20-year contract to operate the zoo as a nonprofit for the City of Seattle, we are proud to continue this great tradition under a very successful publicprivate partnership. In that time, 11 million people have experienced the zoo’s natural wonders. Because we receive support from the public, from our members and guests, and from private philanthropists and foundations, we have a responsibility to many audiences. Like many of you, we are managing our way through the greatest recession in two generations. To keep the zoo moving forward, staff sacrificed salary increases and endured other cuts. Thanks to their efforts, and the generosity of supporters and partners in both the public and private sectors, we have emerged financially stable and continue to innovate. New award-winning exhibits, education and conservation programs now attract more than 1 million visitors a year. In the next year, we expect to complete the $80 million More Wonder More Wild campaign. The last and largest initiative of the campaign is a new $21 million Asian Tropical Forest exhibit, featuring Malayan tigers, sloth bears and Asian smallclawed otters. Not only will it be much larger than the old tiger and bear area, it will fully integrate our animal care, education and cultural missions. Cover Photos by Top: Jennifer Svane; Bottom from L to R: Ryan Hawk, Dennis Dow, Ryan Hawk, WPZ
Guests will have authentic opportunities to learn about these magnificent animals, their wild habitats, and the cultures that live in proximity. We will also enter a partnership with Panthera, an organization dedicated to saving tigers around the world, and work with the people and government of Malaysia to preserve crucial tiger habitat. Together with this new collaboration and exhibit, the Puget Sound community will be helping to keep alive a very endangered, wild tiger population. Our goal is to maintain Woodland Park Zoo as a treasured community institution that gathers families to experience animals, influences the next generation of science and environmental leaders, and inspires millions of people to be our partners in conservation in the Northwest and around the world. Thank you for a remarkable 10 years.
Deborah B. Jensen, Ph.D. President and CEO
Stuart V. Williams Chair, Board of Directors
Woodland Park Zoo
Ten Years of Raising the Bar 2002-2011 | 3
Greening Our Zoo Earns Gold Sustaining the zoo means more than doing well on finances. It’s also about making our everyday operations a model for environmentally friendly innovations. Much the way Woodland Park Zoo pioneered naturalistic exhibitry in the 1970s, our investments in sustainable technologies will define zoos of the future. Green practices have been our gold standard for decades. We’ve led extensive recycling, waste reduction and green purchasing efforts long before it was common practice. Our Zoo Doo compost program, nearly 30 years old, has kept millions of pounds of waste out of landfills. Over the last 15 years, new efficiencies have reduced our water consumption by 45 percent. And to inspire our members and guests to join us, we’ve made sustainability more visibly integrated into the zoo experience. Today they learn about green building in Zoomazium, the first zoo project nationally to earn Gold Certification from the U.S. Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED). They admire 20,000 filtering plants on its
rooftop, enjoy rides under new solar panels on our Historic Carousel, and eat healthier, organic food in our concession areas. At the Humboldt penguin exhibit, guests learn how innovative filtration saves 3 million gallons of water a year and uses geothermal energy to heat and cool the birds’ pool. Soon guests will marvel at new tiger and sloth bear exhibits designed with nature in mind, too. While we are proud of these successes, we have many more to achieve. Our new Zoo Sustainability Plan raises the bar for environmentally smart design and operations, guiding us to reduce our carbon footprint to 20 percent of 1990 1999 levels by 2020. The plan earned a prestigious award from our peers in the zoo industry. As the Northwest’s premier zoo, a unique wildlife experience that connects people to nature’s wonders, we have a responsibility to inspire millions of people across our region to reduce their impact on the planet. To truly inspire naturally, we’re walking the talk to become our community’s most inspiring model of sustainability.
Financial Indicators Operating Revenues 2002-2011 (in millions)
• Since 2002, total annual revenues have increased 49%. • Earned revenue alone has increased 71%. • Public funding continues to be a stable and essential foundation for operating a successful zoo.
Total Contributions 2002-2011
• Individuals, organizations, and foundations have contributed $72.3 million to the zoo’s mission. • Community investments in exhibit projects, program operations and endowment are essential to sustaining zoo excellence.
Operating Expenses 2011 Central Administration Marketing, Public Relations Development & Membership Promotion
• Our investments in animal care, and in education and conservation, have Admission & Enterprise increased 44% and 50%, respectively since 2002. Facilities, Maintenance & Securty Education and Conservation Animal Care
THANK YOU past Woodland Park Zoo Board Members 2002-2011 Betsy Alaniz D. Stuart Ashmun Maria Barrientos Warwick Bayly, Ph.D. J. Daniel Becker Karen S. Bekins Barbara J. Bridge Gregory P. Bronstein Kenneth F. Bunting T. Bradford Canfield Kathie Claypool John F. Clearman Janet Creighton, Ph.D. Russ Daggatt Kevin Daniels Brad Davis Betsy Dennis Mike Doherty Karen Donohue Gregory J. Duff Wendy Ellis DeLaine S. Emmert Gary Giglio Susan Golub Joan E. Gray Pamela Grinter Jan Hendrickson* Carol Hosford John Hoyt B. Gerald Johnson* Cassandra K. Johnston R. D. Keating Robin Kellogg Leslie Kellogg Douglas P. Kight Larry L. Knudsen Patty Lazarus Bill Lewis* Scott Lipsky Nancy L. Mar Eric Martinez Gaelynn McGavick Dr. James C. McGraw Michael Millegan Charles H. Morse IV Phillip M. Nudelman Mary Odermat Kelly Ogilvie John F. Oppenheimer* Robert D. Ormsby Valerie Parrish Mary Pembroke Perlin Cameron Ragen* Jeffrey Roe Rick Sexton Dale R. Sperling* Lucy Steers Penny L. Taylor Ron Tilden David L. Towne Janet True Cyrus R. Vance Margaret K. Walker* Linda Walker Irene M. Wall Julie C. Weed Benjamin Wolff Sally Wright (*Board Chair in the last decade) Please note that this is a paid advertising supplement. The content was not prepared by the editorial staff of the Business Journal. For questions or comments about this promotional section, please contact Colleen Allison, Director of Custom Publications at 206.876.5444.
4 | Ten Years of Raising the Bar 2002-2011
Woodland Park Zoo
Blazing New Trails in Naturalistic Exhibitry Woodland Park Zoo pioneered naturalistic exhibitry to global acclaim in the 1970s, moving animals out of barred cages and into expansive, naturalistic exhibits. Today it is widely considered among the best zoos in North America, having earned more exhibit awards from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) than any other zoo, except the Bronx Zoo. Experimentation has continuously improved how we design exhibits to achieve the goals of complex, enriching naturalistic environments for our animals and amazingly up-close experiences for our guests that help them understand the plight of animals in the wild. To achieve the most authentic display of bioclimatic communities of species, through the years we have pushed the boundaries of landscape immersion design with expansive landscapes allowing multiple species to live together (African Savanna, 1980), varied terrain and water surrounded by plants for foraging (Elephant Forest, 1989), and building exhibit experiences “upward” into a tall, dense forest canopy (Tropical Rain Forest, 1992).
Trail of Vines (1996) “elevated” the zoo experience with the first-ever, open-forested canopy for orangutans. Following suit, Jaguar Cove (2003) introduced the first underwater viewing of a jaguar in a zoo anywhere. To transform an old 1947 sea lion pool into a modern, Humboldt penguin exhibit (2009), we embraced every lesson learned and added sustainable design, featuring constructed wetlands and geothermal energy in a closed-loop life support system. Exhibits are the natural voice of our mission — to inspire people to learn, care and act. Continuous innovation and evolution reflect our commitment to ensure that our 1,100 animals’ lives, and our 1 million visitors’ experiences, are of the highest quality. It’s a value our community and our zoo hold dear.
51 awards earned since 1978 for excellence in exhibitry,
animal care, education, conservation, and sustainability
40+ species in our living collection, of 300 species, are
Photo by Ryan Hawk, WPZ
Northern Trail (1994) masterfully showcases not one but three biomes: taiga, tundra and montane. Grizzly bears splash and fish in a deep pool while visitors experience their awesome “grizzliness” just a few inches away.
Modern exhibit design features enable animal care that is tailored to species’ unique needs. With built-in nest sites, our penguins breed and raise their own chicks, forming a colony much the way penguins do in the wild.
600+ undergraduates, graduates, interns, researchers
and fellows trained by, or in various collaborations with, our animal behavioral science and veterinary medicine specialists since 2002
threatened or endangered in the wild
Photo by Lisa Allen
A BEAR AFFAIR
Home to brown bear brothers Keema and Denali, Northern Trail earned AZA’s Best Exhibit Award, the equivalent of an Oscar in the zoo world.
At the zoo’s popular Northern Trail exhibit, the entire Odermat family feels just as at home as our grizzly bears, brothers Keema and Denali, do. Vic, originally from Alaska, nurtures a strong value to conserve the wonders of wildlife. It’s one the Odermats and Brown Bear Car Wash, the family business since 1957, have stewarded through philanthropy and green business leadership, seeking to prevent pollutants from entering Puget Sound. Loyal supporters for 20 years, Mary served on the zoo board from 20062010 and knows the zoo is an effective sustainability and education leader. The Odermat’s generosity has helped bring to life the Northern Trail and Historic Carousel, Forest Explorers, and new animal care programs. Jungle Party, Bear Affair, and Eco Weekend sponsorships have influenced thousands to save animals and resources in fun, rewarding ways. Thank you, Odermat family!
Woodland Park Zoo
Ten Years of Raising the Bar 2002-2011 | 5
Advancing the Science of Great Animal Care Ensuring the well being of 1,100 animals, and 300 different species — always our first priority — is a 24/7 commitment. To do it right relies on years of specialized training and expertise, which our curators, managers, keepers, veterinarians, and vet techs bring to every aspect of species conservation. In the last decade, our zoo has doubled the investment in high quality animal care, adopting scientific advances and care techniques that are tailored to speciesspecific needs. Comprehensive wellness plans now address the physical, social and psychological needs of each animal, from newborns to seniors. As with human wellness, nutrition is the foundation of optimal animal health. From hay to mealworms, every animal diet has been scientifically analyzed and improved for age, weight, conditioning, dietary preference, seasonal food availability and change in status such as pregnancy. We also now provide behavioral training and enrichment to twice as many species. Positive reinforcement training improves animals’ psychological well being by enabling them to participate voluntarily in their own health care, extending a paw for a blood draw or a foot for examination, for example, making daily or medical care less invasive and decreasing stress on animals.
Photo by Ryan Hawk, WPZ
Quality enrichment in our exhibits flexes our animals’ physical and mental skills through play and problem solving, using open and hidden exhibit spaces, and making choices. Think of sloth bears tearing open logs to get at bugs or grubs, or gorillas and orangutans climbing tall tree structures to work the puzzle feeders, akin to searching for honey in a beehive. Partnerships allow us to build and share knowledge and expertise with allied education and health care professionals. In 2007, we established the Alliance for Animal Health Care with Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. A year later, with 12 other leading zoos, we co-founded The National Elephant Center in Florida. Training the next generation for tomorrow’s animal health careers, and collaborating on long-term animal welfare, research and conservation, are core qualities in our zoo’s modern approach to excellence in animal care.
When zoo keepers in 2008 alerted our veterinarians to a growth on the spine of a 2-month old western lowland gorilla, an interdisciplinary team of Seattle Children’s Hospital neonatal surgeons and WPZ animal specialists leaped into action to remove the potentially harmful growth, a congenital condition known in humans but not previously reported in gorillas. The groundbreaking surgery gave the infant a new lease on life and made headlines globally. Celebrating her full recovery, the community named her Uzumma, or “bearer of joy to the family” in Igbo. Thanks to the ingenuity and dedication of dozens of collaborators, today hundreds of thousands of zoo guests have been able to watch Uzumma grow up healthy and strong.
“
Helping the zoo team save the baby gorilla was a highlight of my career. It was eye opening to see the amazing amount of care they put into these animals — the equivalent as if they were their children.” – Richard Ellenbogen, M.D., Chief of the Division of Neurosurgery, Seattle Children’s Hospital
As a global aviation leader, it’s no surprise that Boeing is “for the birds”. Because of The Boeing Company Charitable Trust’s generous capital and program support, countless zoo guests and members have enjoyed the up-close wonders of our avian friends, from raptors to penguins. When the Humboldt penguins needed a new home, Boeing employees put their Lean+ skills on exhibit to help zoo staff improve the design process. Boeing is also for kids, supporting early learners and their caregivers in Zoomazium and, through award-winning Wild Wise and Ready, Set, Discover programs, stimulating inquiry- and nature-based learning in math and science for thousands of underserved students. Boeing’s financial support of the zoo is, cumulatively, among the most generous of our corporate donors. Thank you, Boeing!
Clockwise from top L photo by Dennis Dow, Dennis Conner, Ryan Hawk, WPZ
FOR THE BIRDS
Guests now can join us in the wonders of animal care – hand-feeding seed sticks to parakeets, fish to penguins, and fresh browse (leafy branches) to giraffes and elephants – and soon in up-close keeper demonstrations of training and enrichment in our new tiger and sloth bear exhibits.
6 | Ten Years of Raising the Bar 2002-2011
Woodland Park Zoo
TEN YEARS OF RAISING THE BAR By Cynthia Flash It’s pure joy to watch endangered Humboldt penguins Mojito, Anchoveta and 30 other members of their waddle dive and flap through the waters at Woodland Park Zoo. The exhibit, which depicts the penguins’ wild habitat on Peru’s rocky coast, exemplifies the zoo’s mission to save animals and their habitats through conservation leadership and engaging experiences, inspiring people to learn, care and act. The exhibit is a naturalistic representation of Punta San Juan, the largest Humboldt penguin reserve in the world, offering lessons about the birds’ natural history and plight in the wild. Underneath it is a lesson in conservation, extending 300 feet below ground to access geothermal energy to heat and cool the penguin pool in a clean, renewable way. A constructed wetland filters storm and rainwater to replace water the pool loses to evaporation. But the exhibit’s impact goes far beyond the zoo’s acreage on Phinney Ridge. The zoo supports efforts in Peru to stop over-fishing of anchovies, the penguins’ main food source, and to save their wild habitat from those who harvest the guano the birds need to nest and breed. “New exhibits reflect how we’ve evolved as a conservation zoo to touch the hearts and minds of 1 million annual guests. Our mission is to inspire them to care about wildlife, learn more about wildlife, and join us in taking action to save wildlife,” says Zoo President and CEO Dr. Deborah Jensen. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the 20-year management agreement between the City of Seattle and Woodland Park Zoo as a charitable organization. The partnership enables the zoo to earn revenue more creatively and attract more private funding to fulfill the Long-Range Plan approved by the city council. After many years of negotiations with city leaders and public participation, the partnership officially began in 2002, the same year the zoo board hired Jensen. Ten years into it, this urban oasis is making its mark as a top zoo, recognized internationally for its leadership in naturalistic exhibit design and earning more exhibit awards from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums than any other zoo, except the Bronx Zoo. Diversified funding has benefitted local residents, too.
Education programs evolve more quickly and deliver innovative ways to learn about science and the environment. Many exhibits now tie directly to conservation priorities here and around the globe, and the zoo’s standards for animal care are considered among the highest in the industry. During this time, the zoo’s annual operating revenue has increased from $22 million to $33 million. The growth reflects strong support from voters who, in 2000 and 2007, approved Seattle Pro Parks and King County Levies to enhance the zoo’s educational reach on grounds and in schools. Last year the zoo earned 53 percent of its revenue through admission, membership and special events, 31 percent from public funding, and 16 percent from private contributions. While city funding remains a stable foundation of support, earned and philanthropic revenues have increased dramatically. Because of continued pressure on public dollars, this partnership has allowed the zoo to innovate and fulfill its mission at a greater level than it could have otherwise. “By joining together we have accomplished a great deal more than if the zoo had remained part of the city parks system with a peripheral nonprofit,” says Maggie Walker, who co-chaired the zoo board in 2002 and helped negotiate the partnership. “Citizens of Seattle should feel a strong sense of ownership in the zoo’s progress, and be proud that their tax dollars have achieved so much by leveraging greater private support.” Such funding has allowed the zoo to modernize outdated exhibits and integrate new design techniques in exhibits for jaguars, flamingos, penguins and meerkats, in addition to the new LEED-certified Zoomazium building and solar-powered Historic Carousel. The next big exhibit makeover — for Malayan tigers and sloth bears — will weave together everything the zoo has learned about landscape immersion to better serve its mission. Innovation is pursued only if it produces greater welfare for the zoo’s animal ambassadors and greater wonders to inspire guests to learn more and do more to save wildlife.
Milestones — Evolving and Innovating to Serve the Community 2002
African wild dog exhibit 20-year nonprofit management agreement School-to-Zoo begins
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Jaguar Cove exhibit Zoo Corps begins Partners for Wildlife begins ZooTunes turns 20
Wild Wise John Stanford Education Award Arctic foxes arrive First Egyptian tortoises
Willawong Station ZooDoo turns 20 Jaguar Cove AZA Award* First Bear Affair
Zoomazium Historic Carousel opens More Wonder More Wild campaign begins $6 million anonymous gift
King Co. Parks Levy LEED Gold for Zoomazium Animal Health Care Alliance 12th successful gorilla birth
Chil
Cult progr Nat Cen
Woodland Park Zoo
Ten Years of Raising the Bar 2002-2011 | 7 ZOO INDEX — A Decade of Impact $700,000,000 impact of zoo operations on local economy and surrounding areas 573,031,580 gallons of water saved through green operations, equivalent to 900 Olympic-sized swimming pools Photos L to R by Ryan Hawk, H. Letinich, and Dennis Dow, WPZ
$72,000,000 contributions from private individuals, foundations and organizations 50,200,000, 370,000 and 35,000 mealworms, apples and hay bales provided by zoo commissary
The zoo, as a 92-acre living classroom, has grown its offerings for K-12 students and the general public, but especially for teachers and students in underserved schools, where the zoo couples nature experiences with animals to teach science. Field conservation programs are sophisticated and results-driven. Tree kangaroos and 180,000 acres of biodiverse rain forest they inhabit have been saved in Papua New Guinea; the western pond turtle, Oregon spotted frog and Silverspot butterfly — native species all but decimated in the Northwest — are making a comeback thanks to dedicated species recovery partnerships. With financial support for 35 Partners for Wildlife programs, the zoo trains emerging conservation professionals and fosters sustainable livelihoods to benefit people and habitats around the globe.
$38,000,000 invested by the zoo in exhibits and infrastructure improvements $32,349,043 investment in the zoo by Pro Parks and King County Levies $26,600,000 contributed by 155,000 member families
“I don’t think there’s any way that our zoo would be as healthy and making such a big difference in the local community, and the conservation community, but for this public-private model,” says Bill Lewis, the former board co-chair who, with Maggie Walker, helped negotiate the management agreement. “As a result we have been more successful in securing broad support and measurable results for our mission. It’s a bar we continually push higher.”
20,000,000 unique views of WPZ animal videos on YouTube, a first for any zoo in the world $15,000,000 in-kind value of hours contributed by zoo volunteers
“
11,000,000 visitors to the zoo
Woodland Park Zoo has 92 incredibly full acres in which you can enjoy myriad experiences. But the zoo is so much more than that. It has programs around the world that foster biological diversity, doing groundbreaking research and giving back to the affected communities what it learns.”
9,000,000+ pounds of waste not sent to landfills thanks to Zoo Doo composting 1,250,000 acres our Partners for Wildlife in the field (elephant, snow leopard, gorilla, tree kangaroo) helped to protect 810,000 students involved in zoo’s formal school and outreach programs, 22% from
– Denis Hayes, President/CEO, Bullitt Foundation and International Chair, Earth Day
underserved areas or schools 500,000+ ZooTunes concert attendees 400,000 free Community Access passes to youth and human service centers 180,000 rain forest acres saved in Papua New Guinea
2008
lean flamingos exhibit tural Interpreter am AZA Award* tional Elephant nter co-founded
2009
2010
2011
Future
180,000 early learner and caregiver participants in formal Zoomazium programs 75,000 students impacted directly by teachers participating in our teacher professional development programs 50,000 wellness checkups and medical procedures performed by veterinary staff
Humboldt penguin exhibit 180,000-acre Conservation Area First ocelots born since 1993
Meerkat exhibit New West Entrance Penguin exhibit AZA Award* MA program in Advanced Inquiry Steller’s sea eagles arrive
Quarters for Conservation Western pond turtle program turns 20 Ready, Set, Discover and Sustainability AZA Awards*
Malayan tiger, sloth bear and otter exhibits (see preview p. 11) Winter WildLights and more
1,234 animals born at the zoo (excluding invertebrates), 1/3 endangered species 8th place among 10 best nonprofits to work for, Seattle Business Magazine poll 1st Gold LEED Certification of any U.S. zoo project for Zoomazium (2nd for
*AZA = Association of Zoos & Aquariums
West Entrance)
8 | Ten Years of Raising the Bar 2002-2011
Woodland Park Zoo
Helping Communities Create a Sustainable Future With human populations soaring, and critical habitats shrinking, everyone must participate in conservation to create a sustainable future for wildlife and people. Zoos are powerful partners for slowing the spiral of global animal extinction. That’s why we strive to be our community’s most awe-inspiring conservation connection, helping more people get involved at the zoo and leading the way beyond the zoo.
Zoo guests have always learned about the wonder, natural history, and habitats of animals through our exhibits and extensive public programs. Now, summer experiences such as Every Living Thing Needs Water and new Zoo in the World signage share stories about our conservation partners’ work to save those species in the wild. A young visitor marveling at a hornbill’s massive beak learns that, in Thailand, hornbill poachers are becoming hornbill protectors. At the African Village, children listen intently to Maasai herdsmen’s stories about human-wildlife conflict and how the waterholes they have built benefit both livestock and nearby wild elephants. Guests tell us that such intimate keeper and cultural interpreter stories inspire them to learn more, and get involved. After adopting our new mission statement in 2004, we created the popular Backyard Habitat program, teaching families about wildlife-friendly practices at home, from sustainable gardening to building bat or bird boxes to saving water and composting. Our newest endeavor, Quarters for Conservation, gets everyone in on the act. Guests and members vote for their favorite Partners for Wildlife project, thus telling us where to invest a portion of their entry fee. The estimated $200,000 they direct to these efforts annually will make a big difference. Leading the way beyond the zoo In 2003, we initiated the Partners for Wildlife program, supporting more than a dozen wildlife conservation efforts. Since then, we’ve built a highly effective conservation model, grounded in the hallmarks of sound science and practical solutions that address animals’ and peoples’ needs. Being a nonprofit accelerated our ability to establish partnerships with other zoos and scientists, globally recognized conservancies, state wildlife agencies, and national governments, and to increase private funding. From the Pacific Rim, including the Pacific Northwest, to Central Asia and Africa, our expertise and support build capacity for field scientists, train emerging wildlife professionals, and help local communities create wildlife-friendly livelihoods. Each ingredient is essential to the results we seek beyond the zoo’s 92 acres. In 2011, we celebrated 20 years of success recovering a native population of western pond turtles, nearly extinct 20 years ago, with Washington Department of
Photo by Ryan Hawk, WPZ
Getting involved at the zoo Pacific Northwesterners are ahead of the curve when it comes to conservation. For 1 million visitors a year, the zoo is a fun and meaningful place to get the latest knowledge and tools.
Our Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program and Conservation International collaborated with indigenous landowners and the national government of Papua New Guinea to officially decree a 180,000-acre Conservation Area in 2009. It preserves essential rain forest for tree kangaroos and thousands of native species. Local landowners experiment with conservation commerce, growing shade-grown coffee, while sharing the forest sustainably with wildlife. Consumers in the Northwest support the growers’ livelihoods, thanks to our new Caffé Vita partnership.
Fish and Wildlife and Oregon Zoo. Building on that model, we put Oregon silverspot butterflies and Oregon spotted frogs on a road to recovery. Zoo captive breeding facilities provide an essential resource, rearing the animals in optimal conditions, until they can survive in wild habitats that our partners restore and protect. Together with our Partners for Wildlife, we are helping to protect more than 1,250,000 acres of essential habitat — wetlands for migrating cranes in Muraviovka Park in Russia; essential forestland in the Nouabal-Ndoki National Park for western lowland gorillas; migration corridors in Tanzania for African elephants; mountain terrain for elusive snow leopards in Central Asia; and wetlands and grasslands along the Columbia River in Washington and Cascade Head in Oregon.
Photo by Ryan Hawk, WPZ
“ Combined with other field conservation projects, the zoo invests $1.3 million a year in community-driven efforts to save endangered animals and wild habitats. Now, many animals in our naturalistic exhibits have a direct connection to those we help save in the wild.
Woodland Park Zoo is saving species with Conservation International and local communities around the world. By sharing our stories with a million zoo guests a year, we inspire the next generation of conservation scientists and environmentally aware citizens to help care for our planet.” – Dr. Russell A. Mittermeier, President, Conservation International
Woodland Park Zoo
Ten Years of Raising the Bar 2002-2011 | 9
Fostering Science and Conservation Leaders More than 95 percent of Americans’ science learning happens beyond formal school classrooms. This statistic reinforces why the zoo is such an essential resource for schools. Although Washington is a leader in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) industries, more than 50 percent of our state’s 10th graders struggle to meet science and math standards. That’s a big gap. We’re harnessing the power of our 92-acre living classroom to close it. Guided by 10 years of audience research, we’ve made our living collection, curricula, and expert educators more accessible to diverse publics. From pre-school to graduate school, we’re helping generations of future leaders develop scientific and ecological literacy. Knowing that 75 percent of our guests have children under 8 years old, we created Zoomazium in 2006. Each year, more than 350,000 guests enjoy this all-weather, nature-learning and play space. Free-choice and educator-guided exploration develops youngsters’ emotional connection to nature and school readiness. Now, new exhibits also feature nature-play spaces — the Humboldt penguin boat, meerkat tunnel, and soon the new tiger and sloth bear exhibit will, too.
Photo by Ryan Hawk, WPZ
One of our greatest gains has been in School-to-Zoo programs. Thanks to the 2000 Seattle Pro Parks and 2007 King County Levies, tens of thousands of K-12 students in reduced-fee lunch programs have experienced zoo curricula that meet state guidelines and complement classroom science lessons.
Zoo Corps, created in 2003, connects youth ages 14 to18 to science and conservation work as they begin to think about college majors or careers. More than 600 Zoo Corps teens have developed a service and action ethic by restoring wildlife habitat, teaching children in Zoomazium, and acting as citizen scientists.
810,000 students reached by formal zoo education programs
22% from low-income schools
In 2008, we piloted Ready, Set, Discover, educating more than 4,000 4th and 5th graders in King County schools with an award-winning, two-phased curriculum.The key is taking kids from classrooms into real ecosystems — schoolyards, parks and zoo settings — to spark their curiosity and teach them to question and think like natural scientists. Effective K-12 learning begins with great teaching, a goal long supported by our teacher workshops and institutes. In 2011, we launched the Advanced Inquiry Program Master’s degree with Miami University’s Project Dragonfly, providing teachers new ways to advance their skills in inquiry-based instruction.
“
A child grows more — in every way — during the first five years of life. Our zoo helps families make the most of this time by giving them a place where they can explore and learn together.” – Jackie Bezos, Co-founder, Bezos Family Foundation and Co-chair, Thrive by Five Washington
Photos by Ryan Hawk, WPZ
LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE Microsoft employees and Woodland Park Zoo share a commitment to helping kids acquire knowledge for the future. “At Microsoft, we’re passionate about making a difference in communities in which we operate,” said Akhtar Badshah, senior director, Microsoft Citizenship & Public Affairs. “Our employees see the zoo as a major community asset and that’s why they are loyal supporters.” Since 1985, the company’s generosity has spanned event sponsorships, gifts, grants, in-kind donations — even software for zoo operations. Microsoft helped bring Zoomazium to life and other innovative exhibits, and hundreds of generous employees, making cash donations matched by the company, have touched just about every zoo program, helping to stimulate the next generation’s skills in science and math. They know that the zoo’s award-winning education programs help create a future workforce that is curious, innovative, and civic-minded. Thank you, Microsoft!
CLUB ‘ROO The Blumenthal-Edsforth children, Pascal and Sabine, wanted to help save the Matschie’s tree kangaroo in Papua New Guinea. So they formed a club, the Order of Wallatreeroos, asked friends to help, and ultimately raised more than their combined yearly allowances! Their gift helped Dr. Lisa Dabek, the zoo’s Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program director, meet a $1 million Conservation International challenge grant to help protect 180,000 acres of forest for the tree kangaroo. By pooling our resources, we can make a difference.
Research shows that deepening students’ experiences in nature and science before they reach middle school is essential. Students get an early start in Zoomazium. In 2011, Ready, Set, Discover earned AZA’s Significant Achievement Award for inspiring 4th-5th graders and their teachers to take science learning outside.
10 | Ten Years of Raising the Bar 2002-2011
Woodland Park Zoo
LOOKING AHEAD By Cynthia Flash
“You’ll feel like you’re deep in the heart of an Asian forest,” says zoo President and CEO, Dr. Deborah Jensen. “You’ll actually see how keepers work with the animals. And the interpretation will captivate with eye-opening stories about the relationship between animals, cultures and the conservation issues.” The zoo’s newest conservation partner is Panthera, an international organization dedicated to saving the world’s big cats. Over the next 10 years, the partners aim to increase healthy forest land for endangered Malayan tigers in the wild and double the dire population of 500 to a more viable 1,000.
Conceptual rendering, MIR
THE NEXT BIG EXHIBIT at the zoo will immerse families, teachers and students in a lush Asian Tropical Forest.They’ll not only see tigers, sloth bears and Asian small-clawed otters, they’ll experience the wonders of wildlife through nose-to-nose encounters, science lessons, and conversations with conservation partners working to save these creatures’ forest halfway around the globe.
Get wildly engaged. In the new tiger exhibit, acoustical innovations in the glass will let guests safely hear Malayan tigers’ ch-ch-ch-chuffing and ruuuumbling sounds.
The $21 million Asian Tropical Forest, the last of eight major initiatives in the zoo’s More Wonder More Wild campaign, is a significant catalyst for greater public engagement and advocacy. The largest capital project since 1996, it marks a pivotal point in the zoo’s ongoing quest to replace old concrete and metal cages with modern naturalistic exhibits befitting a 21st century conservation zoo.
A priority continues to be evolving the public’s perception of the zoo as more than a great place for a Sunday family stroll. At the new penguin exhibit, one easily grasps the place as a complex, pro-active conservation leader using a 92-acre living classroom to educate its members and guests and, beyond it, partnering with experts around the world to create sustainable landscapes for wildlife and people. If the beaming look of wonder on children’s faces is any indication, this much-loved community gathering place, which also educates the next generation of scientists and conservation stewards, will continue to earn strong support from community leaders.
It’s also the zoo’s first major milestone as it enters the second half of its 20-year public-private partnership with the city, begun in 2002. As a nonprofit, the zoo has accomplished much in its first 10 years, moving forward as an institution nationally known as a trendsetter. It will be hard to best its own record. Aside from many firsts in innovate exhibit design, the zoo has rigorously integrated animal care, education, and conservation programs into a more synergistic relationship. Everything is geared to improve the lives of animals, deepen the experiences of those who come to appreciate them, and save more animals in the wild.
“This zoo is a unique and powerful resource to get more kids engaged in scienceoriented activities,” says board chair Stuart Williams. “I can’t think of anything more important right now than connecting kids to nature and the planet they will inherit — to the world they will lead someday.”
What will the next 10 years bring? • A partnership with six major Seattle institutions in the Informal Science Education Consortium to close the science achievement gap and provide greater support for K-12 education. • More hands-on collaborations and exchange of expertise between zoo professionals and wildlife conservation partners in the Northwest, Pacific Rim countries, Africa and Asia. Conceptual rendering, MIR
• More rewarding, customer-focused zoo experiences and services. • More all-season events and programs, such as the zoo’s first WildLights this December. • Better tracking of guests’ participation in conservation efforts as inspired by their zoo experiences. • A continual greening of the zoo, and reduced carbon footprint with sustainable innovations in exhibits and operations.
Get closer. At the new exhibit’s training wall, guests will experience fascinating, live demonstrations of how keepers safely care for these big cats using specialized behavioral training techniques.
INVESTING IN VITAL INSTITUTIONS
Conceptual rendering, MIR
The Joshua Green Foundation’s support of major capital campaigns for nonprofit institutions has an indelible imprint on the Puget Sound community and, since 1984, on each of our million annual visitors. From the elephant exhibit, to the Tropical Rain Forest exhibit, home to our jaguars, to the Historic Carousel’s party room, to the award-winning Humboldt penguin exhibit, the Foundation’s leadership gifts have helped young children and families experience the wonders of nature and animals. Now, their generosity is helping us to break ground on Phase I of the Asian Tropical Forest exhibit, a new home to Malayan tigers, sloth bears, and small-clawed otters. Thank you, Joshua Green Foundation, for investing in our community’s quality of life!
At the log jam, lively sloth bears will show their cubs how to slurp up grubs inside logs using their long tongues and vacuum-like snouts.
ZOO HEROES: OUR MEMBERS So much of our success is due to the support of our members. Over the past decade, 154,917 member families have contributed $26,630,108 to keep thousands of animals well-cared for, and kids and families connected to nature. At least 1,250 families have been members throughout the entire decade. Every zoo member is a valued and vital part of the zoo family and helps us maintain our leadership as one of the world’s foremost zoos. Thank you members! We couldn’t do it without YOU!
Ten Years of Raising the Bar 2002-2011 | 11
WPZ Photo by NAME
Photo Courtesy of Cleveland Metro Parks
Woodland Park Zoo
In the new exhibit, guests will enjoy the energetic romping and splashing of Asian small-clawed otters and their fascinating 12 different vocalizations.
Coming Soon!
New Malayan tiger, sloth bear and otter exhibits As a business or community leader, you value Woodland Park Zoo’s leadership in award-winning, naturalistic exhibitry. Now, the largest and final project in our More Wonder More Wild Campaign is creating a new 2-acre exhibit complex for endangered tigers, sloth bears and small-clawed otters.Three times the size of the outdated, 60-year-old exhibits, it’s our most ambitious extreme makeover yet — the centerpiece of the $21 million Asian Tropical Forest initiative. Green design and biomimicry will save 200,000 pounds of carbon emissions annually — the equivalent of planting 30 acres of forest! Goal: carbon neutrality over the life of the exhibit complex.
you’ll experience daily animal care up close and learn about ways to help save wild tigers. It’s a wildlife journey unlike any other — right here in Seattle. Roar for the cause! Phase 1 Opening May 20, 2013: A new lush, meandering path will graciously lead you to the exhibit’s grand entry arch, where you will encounter the delightful Asian smallclawed otters and a children’s whole body nature-play area. (Funded!)
Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and smells of an Asian tropical forest teeming with life — colorful songbirds, squealing otters, sloth bears foraging for grubs and, of course, majestic Malayan tigers lounging languorously in a huge tree hollow. Modeled after a real tiger conservation preserve,
Phase 11 2014: Debut of new tiger and sloth bear exhibits, modern interpretive and education programs, a Conservation Action Center featuring our new tiger conservation program with Panthera, and outstanding visitor amenities. (Join our fundraising campaign! See p. 12.)
LEAVE A LEGACY — GIFTS WE ALL CAN GIVE Individuals leave legacy gifts to the zoo through wills, trusts, and beneficiary designations. We receive them through will distributions, charitable remainder trusts, IRA’s or insurance beneficiaries, sales of real estate and even gifts of savings bonds. Regardless of source, they have helped build our endowment and many naturalistic exhibits. We break ground soon on new exhibits for Malayan tigers, sloth bears and otters thanks to generous gifts from the Dorlesca Hazel Ryan and Joy Spurr estates. Joseph and Vivian McCann’s estate helped bring the penguin and flamingo exhibits to life, and a former board member, Rick Buckley, included an insurance distribution in his estate for Jaguar Cove. Generous supporters exemplify how any of us can include the zoo as an estate beneficiary to ensure that countless generations of Puget Sound families are inspired by nature’s wonders.
www.morewonder.org
ZOOKEEPERS SOCIETY The visionary and generous lifetime support of ZooKeepers Society members sustains our zoo’s leadership role today and tomorrow, while helping millions of families and children build a more sustainable future for wildlife and people. We are proud to recognize and honor these individuals, families, and public and private organizations whose long-term financial commitment creates a strong culture of philanthropy at the zoo and in the Northwest. Total cumulative support is based on support pledged or received through the fiscal year ending December 31, 2011, and includes employer-matching gifts. $10 million + Anonymous The People of the City of Seattle The People of King County $5 million + Microsoft Corporation $1 million + Anonymous (3) Estate of Millie Albee The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation Linda and Tom Allen Family Rick and Nancy Alvord Family Bank of America Bezos Family Foundation The Boeing Company Brown Bear Car Wash and The Victor Odermat Family Chase Cole & Weber Conservation International Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Kreielsheimer Foundation M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust Charles and Lisa Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences The True Family $500,000 + Alaska Airlines Apex Foundation Estate of Richard G. Buckley Joshua Green Foundation The Jacobsen Family Estate of Lucille J. Johnston Kresge Foundation Helen Mull Inger and Allan Osberg PACCAR Safeco Insurance The Seattle Foundation Seattle Rotary Service Foundation U.S. Bank Maggie, Doug and Kina Walker $100,000 + Anonymous (9) Adventures of Riley™ Alaska Distributors, Inc.
Chap and Eve Alvord Elias and Karyl Alvord Nancy and Buster Alvord ARAMARK Corporation Stuart and Susan Ashmun Attachmate Corporation Alta and Stan Barer Barrientos and Wright Family Bartell Drugs Dan and Jill Becker BECU Ben Bridge Jeweler Z. William and Hilde M. Birnbaum Endowment Fund BNY Mellon Wealth Management Estate of Kathryn A. Bomer Pope Bob and Bobbi Bridge T. Bradford and Lesley Canfield Lisa and Mark Caputo Carter Motors Inc Jan and Jack Creighton Estate of Lorene E. Currier Estate of Patricia Cutchlow Estate of Victor Denny Estate of Ruth Ellerbeck Estate of Helen I. Elstad Estate of Erma Irene Etue Estate of Anne P. Frame Georgia Gerber and Randy Hudson Leona M. Geyer Trust Wayne and Anne Gittinger Joan Gray and Harris Hoffman Estate of Elaine Green Eldridge Jerry and Lyn Grinstein Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound Grousemont Foundation Gull Industries, Inc. Mike Halperin and Jodi Green Rosemarie Havranek and Nathan Myhrvold William Randolph Hearst Foundation Jan Hendrickson Mary Hogue and Family Holland America Line HomeStreet Bank Robert and Debora Horvath Family Howard Hughes Medical Institute John C. and Karyl Kay Hughes Foundation Marvin and Patricia Hurtgen Institute of Museum and Library Services
Estate of Virginia W. Iverson Gerry Johnson and Linda Larson K&L Gates LLP Sharon and Duff Kennedy James M. Kunz Jim and Jean Kunz Patty and Jonathan Lazarus and Family The Leslie Fund Jeff and Cammi Libby Family Steve Liffick, Rasa Raisys, and Family Byron W. and Alice L. Lockwood Foundation Macy’s Estate of Joseph and Vivian McCann D.V. & Ida J. McEachern Charitable Trust Metropolitan Market Alexandra and Charles Morse Estate of Bernard J. Nist and Claudine S. Nist Northern Trust Sandra and Phil Nudelman Brad and Kathy Nysether Mark and Vickie Nysether Shirley and Eldon Nysether The Nysether Family Foundation John and Deanna Oppenheimer Family Robert and Lynn Ormsby Family Keith and Janet Patrick PCC Natural Markets Nancy and Mark Pellegrino Pepsi Beverages Company Jim and Gaye Pigott Robert Plotnick and Gay Lee Jensen Cam and Tori Ragen Family Ray’s Boathouse, Café and Catering Roger Williams Park Zoo Barbara Sando Helen E. and Florence B. Schenk Endowed Fund The Schofield Family Seattle City Light Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Times Rob Short and Emer Dooley Robert and Diane Shrewsbury II and Family Kenneth R. Sinibaldi, DVM Snoqualmie Tribe Sound Community Bank Estate of Joy Spurr Trudy and Harold Stack Laurie Stewart
Althea and Sam Stroum The Tagney-Jones Family Fund at The Seattle Foundation Dave and Chris Towne Unico Investment Company Jill and Scott Walker Estate of Levant Fredrick Wellington Wells Fargo Margie Wetherald and Len Barson Coralyn Whitney and Dwight Gadd Estate of Mertice C. Wilcox David and Sally Wright Susie and Paul Wyckoff WYCO Fund Additional Generous Supporters Ancient Order of United Workmen Evergreen Lodge No. 2 Donna Benaroya Mylo and Marion Charlston Kathie Claypool and Tom McManus The Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Washington William and Sandy Dunn Katharyn Gerlich Dr. Nick and DeEtte Johnson Juniper Foundation Bill Lewis Larry and Rhonda Nelsen The Norcliffe Foundation Ginny and Michael Pigott Family Mark Pigott Family Puget Sound Energy James W. Ray Seattle Public Utilities Dale and Carol Sperling Family Estate of John S. Tilner Rogers and Julie Weed Wilburforce Kathryn Williams Stuart, Lucy, Charlie, Peter and Boo Williams Ben and Julie Wolff Wong, Doody, Crandall, Wiener WWW Foundation Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of names and lists. For errors, please call 206.548.2419 so that we can correct them. Thank you!
12 | Ten Years of Raising the Bar 2002-2011
Your Family’s Name Here!
GET YOUR PAWS ON OUR NEW EXHIBIT!
Make a gift of $1,000 or more to the Asian Tropical Forest initiative through our paws promotion.You’ll get your name on a paw print featured in the new Malayan tiger, sloth bear and otters exhibit complex. That’s just $84 a month for a year.You’ll get “pawsitively” wonderful benefits and your support helps bring this amazing new zoo experience to live for the entire community. It’s a wonderful way to support YOUR zoo, and it’s our way of saying thank you. Get your paw today by clicking on How You Can Help:
Woodland Park Zoo
CREATURE HERO At just 3 years old Lucas Engles Klann persuaded his parents to help him raise money to help his favorite zookeeper, Hugh Bailey, care for the Western lowland gorillas he so adores. Lucas, now 6, has donated thousands of dollars while honing his social entrepreneur skills. His most recent gift was to the new Malayan tigers and sloth bears exhibit. Lucas says, “I want to help endangered tigers, Asian bears, walruses, polar bears, orangutans, chimps, bonobos and all animals. Anyone can help!” From top, photo by Jack Thompson, Dickerson Park Zoo; Ryan Hawk, WPZ; Ryan Hawk, WPZ
www.morewonder.org
Photos by Ryan Hawk, WPZ
THANK YOU for Connecting Our Community to a Wilder Future The staff and board of directors of Woodland Park Zoo thank all of our extraordinary members, volunteers, docents, guests, donors, business partners and sponsors for a great 10 years! It takes all of us to make our region a vital place to live, work, play… and experience wildlife! We couldn’t do it without you.
Get closer! The identity of our new logo communicates the zoo’s new model of helping a million guests each year get closer than ever to the wonders of wildlife. The bold green conveys our spirit and energy as a leading conservation and education organization, making a difference globally and inspiring wonder locally. This is the role of Woodland Park Zoo in the 21st century.
www.zoo.org WOODLAND PARK ZOO | 601 North 59th Street, Seattle, Washington 98103-5858 | Office of External Relations, 206.548.2419