President/CEO’s Letter

JOURNAL

MANAGING EDITOR Erin Smith SENIOR EDITOR Peggy Scott

STAFF WRITERS

Donna Parham Abigail Karkenny Elyan Shor, Ph.D. Ebone Monet COPY EDITOR Eston Ellis DESIGNER Kerri Abrams

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ken Bohn Tammy Spratt

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

Kim Turner Lisa Bissi Jennifer MacEwen PREPRESS AND PRINTING Quad Graphics

Let's Stay Connected

Follow @sandiegozoo & @sdzsafaripark. Share your #SanDiegoZoo & #SDZSafariPark memories on Twitter & Instagram.

The Zoological Society of San Diego was founded in October 1916 by Harry M. Wegeforth, M.D., as a private, nonprofit corporation, which does business as San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. The printed San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Journal (ISSN 2767-7680) (Vol. 1, No. 4) is published bimonthly, in January, March, May, July, September, and November. Publisher is San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, located at 2920 Zoo Drive, San Diego, CA 92101-1646. Periodicals postage paid at San Diego, California, USA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, P.O. Box 120271, San Diego, CA 92112-0271. Copyright© 2021 San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. All rights reserved. All column and program titles are trademarks of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. If your mailing address has changed: Please contact the Membership Department; by mail at P.O. Box 120271, San Diego, CA 92112, or by phone at 619-231-0251 or 1-877-3MEMBER.

For information about becoming a member of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, please visit our website at ZooMember.org for a complete list of membership levels, offers, and benefits. Subscriptions to San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Journal are $25 per year, $65 for 3 years. Foreign, including Canada and Mexico, $30 per year, $81 for 3 years. Contact Membership Department for subscription information.

As part of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s commitment to conservation, this magazine is printed on recycled paper that is at least 10% post-consumer waste, chlorine free, and is Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certified. FSC® is not responsible for any calculations on saving resources by choosing this paper.

Exploring Our Own Backyard

So far this year, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Journal has taken you with us to Africa, Southeast Asia, and beyond to explore the conservation work that you—our members and allies—make possible. This month, that journey comes full circle, back to our own backyard in the Southwest, which is one of the eight conservation hubs where we focus our collaborative efforts to save wildlife around the world. It is a unique ecosystem with equally distinctive wildlife, and you will meet some of them in this issue.

The diminutive burrowing owl, as seen on the cover, is one of the great success stories of this region—a shining example of our collaborative approach and committed partnerships. On page 10, scientist Colleen Wisinski, M.S., gives us her firsthand account of the reintroduction of this species to its native habitat. Another species in focus in the Southwest hub is the desert tortoise, which is also critically in need of our help. Starting on page 14, recovery ecology experts Ron Swaisgood, Ph.D., Melissa Merrick, Ph.D., and Tali Hammond, Ph.D., share both the challenges and triumphs involved with conservation efforts on this iconic animal’s behalf.

And of course, engaging with wildlife in our own backyard is front and center at the San Diego Zoo, as we look forward to the upcoming debut of the new Denny Sanford Wildlife Explorers Basecamp. At the start of the project, the team worked to reimagine what the Children’s Zoo of tomorrow might look like. At the center of this reimagination was the realization we needed to immerse youthful explorers more in the natural world if we hope to have the next generation show greater empathy for the needs of wildlife, and better coexist with nature. Wildlife Explorers Basecamp is a one-of-a-kind, immersive, multisensory experience for explorers of all ages to discover and engage with all Earth’s creatures. It represents a starting point—just as a base camp does—from where we give explorers the initial tools, lessons, and insights needed to form a foundation, so they can be more successful in protecting wildlife for their generation. In this issue, there’s a fun, early preview of Wildlife Explorers Basecamp starting on page 18. I’m simply overwhelmed by what our dedicated community of supporters has made possible here. I can’t wait for you to experience this amazing new addition to the Zoo, opening soon.

During times like these, when we celebrate new beginnings, I’m reminded that the actions we take here locally are amplified globally, through our collaborative partners in conservation around the world. Every visit to the Zoo or the Safari Park helps save wildlife. From our backyard to the greater planet Earth, here’s to a world where all life thrives.

Onward Together,

Paul A. Baribault President and Chief Executive Officer