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2019 ANNUAL REPORT Growing the Impact TABLE OF CONTENTS

Snapshot 1 Growing the Impact 2 Measures of Success 3 SAFE’s Global Reach 5 Engaging People 6 Raising Awareness 12 Financial Support 13 A Last Word from Dan Ashe 17

“For AZA-accredited facilities, conservation and saving species is becoming central to our culture. We created SAFE as a way for AZA members not only to coordinate existing conservation efforts but also to give members a way to become involved in conservation. I am proud AZA members are stepping up, proposing new SAFE species programs, and demonstrating that modern zoological facilities are mission-driven conservation organizations.”

Dr. Christopher Kuhar, Executive Director, Cleveland Metroparks Chair, AZA Board of Directors 1

SAFE SNAPSHOT 25 $231,000,000 SAFE SPECIES PROGRAMS SPENT ON FIELD CONSERVATION published 17 program plans

CONTINENTS AND COASTAL WATERS 299 PARTNERS SAVING ANIMALS FROM 54% in and near 8% Americas in 147 AZA Member Partners (including Pacific and 152 Field Partners Atlantic oceans) (including 17 government agencies) 38% in

10–24 76% more members engage in a of U.S. respondents agree and species’ conservation after aquariums help drive awareness for SAFE plan is published conservation efforts around the globe 2

Growing the Impact

Throughout 2019, the momentum behind AZA SAFE: Saving Animals skills in conservation planning, through storytelling, and by aligning From Extinction® grew steadily—as did its impact on the Association our community’s resources and organizational cultures toward the of Zoos and Aquariums community’s conservation work. SAFE shared goal of saving animals from extinction.

now includes 25 species and taxonomic groups threatened with The impact of SAFE in 2019 exceeded targets and expectations extinction, and engages more than 60 percent of AZA’s membership. because of the support of AZA’s Board of Directors; the leadership Philanthropic support led to the creation of the SAFE granting of the Wildlife Conservation Committee; and the expertise of AZA program. Seventeen programs have published plans that describe what committees, advisory groups, and members. they aim to achieve over three years and how they expect to do it. The 2019 SAFE Annual Report celebrates what the AZA community and All of the programs invite you to join their efforts. its partners accomplished together. The impact of SAFE extends beyond the species programs and includes helping each another do more and better conservation by building

“Our projects would not be successful without the help of our AZA partners. Through the CREATE project and support of and the Orangutan SSP, we have engaged our local communities to be directly involved in conservation efforts benefiting orangutans and the local environment. With the development of the SAFE orangutan program, we look forward to engaging with even more AZA partners to build a resilient forest landscape by restoring important wildlife corridors key to providing a safe and secure forest passageway for the Bornean orangutans and other wildlife species.”

Mark Benedict, Project Director, APE Malaysia SAFE Orangutan Program Field Partner 3

Measures of Success

OUTPUTS % AZA members Conservation participating in field % AZA members spending # of SAFE species conservation participating in SAFE

2027 Goal $2.5B 50 100% 100%

2019 Actual $231M 25 92% 62% TARGET: $200M TARGET: 18 TARGET: 95% TARGET: 60%

2017 Baseline $216M 14 89% 69%

OUTCOMES

Conservation Impact on public Favorability of AZA impact perception zoos and aquariums

Awareness of zoos and Conservation culture aquariums in conservation within AZA community 4

SAFE SPECIES PROGRAMS

AFRICAN * BLACK-FOOTED FERRET* NORTH AMERICAN SONGBIRD Program Leader: Program Leader: Louisville Zoo Co-Program Leader: Smithsonian National Vice Program Leader: Lincoln Park Zoo Zoological Park AFRICAN PENGUIN Co-Program Leader: Columbus Zoo and Program Leader: Unaffiliated CHEETAH Aquarium Program Leader: Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo AFRICAN VULTURE and Aquarium ORANGUTAN* Program Leader: Zoo Co-Program Leader: Henry Vilas Zoo Vice Program Leader: Denver Zoo Co-Program Leader: Kansas City Zoo Program Leader: AMERICAN RED WOLF* Co-Program Leader: Seneca Park Zoo Program Leader: North Carolina Zoo EASTERN INDIGO SNAKE RADIATED TORTOISE Vice Program Leader: Endangered Wolf Center Program Leader: Central Zoo and Program Leader: Zoo Knoxville Botanic Gardens ANDEAN BEAR SEA TURTLE* Program Leader: GIRAFFE Program Leader: Aquarium and Co-Program Leader: ANDEAN HIGHLAND FLAMINGO Marine Science Center Co-Program Leader: Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Co-Program Leader: Reid Park Zoo SHARK AND RAY Co-Program Leader: Zoo Conservation GORILLA* Program Leader: North Carolina Aquarium at Outreach Group Program Leader: Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Fort Fisher Vice Program Leader: Bronx Zoo – Wildlife ASIAN ELEPHANT* Conservation Society VAQUITA MARINA* Program Leader: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Program Leader: The Living Desert Zoo and Vice Program Leader: White Oak Conservation JAGUAR Botanical Gardens Center Program Leader: Albuquerque Biological Park Vice Program Leader: Aquarium of the Pacific ATLANTIC ACROPORA CORAL* MONARCH WESTERN POND TURTLE* Program Leader: Steinhart Aquarium, Program Leader: Disney’s Animals, Science, Program Leader: San Francisco Zoological Academy of Science and Environment Society Vice Program Leader: Global BLACK RHINOCEROS WHOOPING CRANE* Program Leader: Buffalo Zoo Program Leader: San Diego Zoo Global Vice Program Leader: Houston Zoo, Inc. *denotes SAFE species programs whose program plans were published in 2019. 5

SAFE’S GLOBAL REACH

7 2 1 9 1 3

2

TOP THREATS TO SAFE SPECIES

23

NUMBER OF SAFE PROGRAMS 12 8 8

HABITAT LOSS/ WILDLIFE DISEASE CLIMATE DEGRADATION TRAFFICKING CHANGE 6

Engaging People – AZA Members

In addition to the interdisciplinary approach of the SAFE program plans, SAFE provides AZA members with tools and support to increase their conservation engagement and impact. Through collaborations with AZA’s commercial members, partnerships for professional development, and fostering cooperation across departments within each member organization, SAFE is helping align resources toward shared conservation goals.

In 2019, the Conservation Culture Task Force was created specifically to help members increase integration of conservation into their cultures, helping staff and volunteers at AZA zoos and aquariums connect to their conservation missions. This one-year task force is developing tools and approaches for members that will help them reveal and strengthen their conservation culture.

“We believe the more AZA members engage in conservation, the more their conservation missions come to life. Evidence suggests conservation outcomes include increased funding, guest engagement, and social change. Some members use these elements—a mission-driven culture around conservation, guest engagement, and social change—to reinforce one another. AZA wants to help members reveal and foster those elements. A one-year, Board-approved task force is continuing work of the 2018 Executive Leadership Development Program to help members increase integration and activation of their conservation missions and cultures. Through research, an outcomes-based logic model, tools and resources, and baseline measurements, this task force is strengthening the power of the AZA community to make a difference for wildlife, wild places, and people.”

Dr. Jackie Ogden, Conservation Culture Task Force Leader 7

“We are thrilled to be working with the AZA and supporting SAFE. Our entire team is excited about the idea of giving something back to a great cause. We hope to develop a suite of wines that are the perfect complement for people who care about saving endangered species and supporting conservation efforts around the world.”

Howard Jackowitz, Co-Founder of Wines That Rock AZA Commercial Member

WILDLIFE WINE CLUB Research shows consumers are interested in purchasing products they know will help save species. AZA created strategic partnerships so that consumers can help support SAFE species programs. Partnering with AZA’s commercial member, Wines That Rock, LLC, was a way to accomplish this goal. Together, AZA and Wines That Rock formed the Wildlife Wine Club. AZA members are offering the wine for sale in their gift shops and showcasing the wine at their events. Consumers can buy the wines online at: www.WildlifeWineClub.org. Each bottle of wine sold helps save species, as AZA’s net proceeds support the SAFE granting program.

BUILDING CAPACITY FOR STRONGER CONSERVATION PLANNING Success for SAFE also means helping program leaders and teams build their skills in conservation planning and program management. AZA has partnered with the International Union for Conservation of Nature Conservation Planning Specialist Group to host a specialized offering of their Facilitating Species Conservation Planning Workshop. In 2019, nearly 30 AZA members completed this blended (online and in-person) training to prepare them to facilitate their species’ conservation planning and on- going meetings. 8

CONSERVATION ENGAGEMENT AND ACTION

115 MILES of shoreline cleaned

1,350 ACRES 4,100+ of habitat cleaned or restored FAMILIES VOLUNTEERED 50,000+ 16,000+ seeds, plants, and HOURS trees planted 9

Engaging People – Visitors and Communities

Engaging zoo and aquarium visitors in conservation action is a key element of SAFE species programs and other AZA education programming like Party for the Planet™: Spring into Action. In 2019, Party for the Planet™: Spring into Action supported members in offering inclusive family-friendly volunteer opportunities with a direct impact on the planet. Members offered events like pollinator garden plantings, invasive species removal, and beach clean-ups.

“We have lost more than three billion birds in to events that can be easily changed by modifying our human behaviors. The North American Songbird Working Group, an initiative of the AZA PAACT TAG, has been working to abate threats to North American songbirds for two years. After seeing the growth of the SAFE program, and the resources that can be combined across AZA institutions, we decided the time to create a SAFE North American songbird program was now.”

Sara Hallager, Curator of Birds, Smithsonian National Zoological Park

“Working with our colleagues in prominent bird-related agencies and organizations, we are striving to reduce bird mortality from cats and window collisions, create empathy for and awareness about songbirds, end the wild songbird trade, advocate for bird-friendly products and against harmful contaminants, create habitat, and participate in citizen science. We see NAS SAFE as an affordable and effective way for zoos and aquariums to ensure a future for songbirds.”

Michael Kreger, Vice President of Conservation, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium SAFE North American Songbird Co-Leaders 10

“Our students were so engaged in helping save gorillas. They learned so much and wanted to make a difference. I am so proud of my students. Thank you for allowing us to participate in answering the call.”

Sabrina Sawyer, Kelly Lake Elementary School, Decatur, Ga.

GORILLAS ON THE LINE The sharp decline of Grauer’s gorillas over the past 20 years is partly due to habitat loss caused by the mining of coltan, which is used in many small electronic devices Table of Contents like cell phones. The Gorillas on the Line campaign increases public awareness Vulture of threats to gorillas and empowers AZA member organizations to engage local Conservation General overview of vulture audiences in taking action for gorilla conservation. In 2019, 20 zoos participated in conservation the campaign with the goal of reaching 10,000 people and recycling 10,000 small Quick Facts Quick facts about vultures electronic devices. The campaign blew past its targets—the message reached more n o Vulture Social than 260,000 people and 56 groups across the country participated to collect and i Media Toolkit

t All you need to know to promote recycle more than 12,000 mobile phones. vultures on social media a

c Lessons & Activities AFRICAN VULTURES ENGAGEMENT RESOURCES u Vulture Stomach Acid Pick Up Your Trash d The African vultures species team created extensive education and engagement Nature's Cleanup Crew

E Dress Like a Vulture

Eat Like a Vulture resources for members to use for International Vulture Awareness Day and beyond. Tracking Vultures e Vulture Chutes and Ladders Smell Like a Vulture

These resources included visitor surveys to understand perceptions of vultures, r

suggestions for customized programing about the role of vultures in ecosystems, and u Other Inspiration Other activities and stations for t events

fund raising ideas. l African Vulture u SAFE

V What is SAFE? Why African Vultures?

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PARTY FOR THE PLANET VIDEO CONTEST To extend the impact and share the stories of volunteer events AZA members hosted, the Party for the Planet™: Spring into Action video contest invited members to submit 60-second videos highlighting the conservation impact of their volunteer events and other campaign activities. The top ten were shared for public voting and the first and second place winners received conservation donations in their name. In 2019, both donations benefitted SAFE species.

TOP 10 VIDEOS (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER): » Audubon Nature Institute

» Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

» International Crane Foundation

» John Ball Zoo

» North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores – 1st place winner! $25,000 donated to support AZA SAFE North Carolina Sea Turtle Action Plan

» Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden – 2nd place winner! $10,000 donated to support monarch conservation through Okies for Monarchs

» Racine Zoo

» and Garden

» The

» WCS-Bronx Zoo 12

Raising Awareness

SAFE POSTERS Over the course of the Party for the Planet: Spring into Action campaign, AZA released a series of visually stunning poster graphics for 19 SAFE species. The posters, along with accompanying social media graphics, were shared with AZA members to utilize during the awareness campaign. On AZA’s social media channels the most engaging images were giraffe on Facebook, black-footed ferret on Instagram, and orangutan on Twitter.

RAISING AWARENESS OF SAVING SPECIES A key goal for SAFE is to raise awareness about saving species and the role of AZA- accredited zoos and aquariums in this effort. According to 2019 research, awareness of the SAFE program among people familiar with AZA is 46 percent and overall favorability among Millennials—a key action-oriented demographic—regarding zoos and aquariums is up nine points from 2018 to 2019. As part of AZA’s national communications strategy, a coordinated messaging toolkit complete with SAFE species graphics was created and shared with the AZA membership. During the coordinated SAFE campaign from Earth Day to World Oceans Day, AZA’s social posts reached nearly 1 million people. AZA members, who combined, have a potential reach of over 45 million people, were also encouraged to share the toolkit information.

“As a member of the AZA Public Relations Committee, I was proud to collaborate with the SAFE Asian elephant program team and my colleagues on the AZA Marketing Committee to develop the #TonsOfLove campaign. The effort came together quickly, with many AZA-accredited facilities helping to develop the content. In the end, we had a potential reach on social media of nearly 18 million people. I believe coordinated efforts like this help tell the story of SAFE species, and our efforts to save them will only continue.”

Candice Rennels, Director of Public Relations, Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden 13

PROTECT THE PRIDE CAMPAIGN Since the release of Disney’s The Lion King in 1994, the world’s population of has decreased by half. Working together, Disney, AZA-accredited facilities, and the AZA SAFE African lion program are supporting the Wildlife Conservation Network’s Lion Recovery Fund (LRF) and their vision to double the population of African lions in the wild by 2050. SAFE African lion joined forces to mobilize funds for lion conservation. This SAFE program is partnered with LRF, further amplifying efforts to support lion conservation across their African range. Using the resources and message points in the collaboratively created campaign toolkits, as well as the citizen science opportunities in partnership with Snapshot Safari, AZA-accredited facilities have come together to help raise awareness and save African lions from extinction.

Financial Support

SAFE GRANTING PROGRAM Established in 2019 with initial funding from the Arthur L. and Elaine V. Johnson Foundation, AZA’s SAFE granting program brings new funds to members implementing SAFE program plans. Offered roughly opposite AZA’s traditional Conservation Grants Fund, the SAFE granting program’s schedule allows applicants to apply to both funds, as appropriate. By offering multi-year awards for amounts significantly greater than those currently funded through CGF, the SAFE granting program promotes collaborations that advance SAFE program plans and make an impact for species conservation. Ten proposals were submitted for the inaugural year of funding. 14

SAFE FOUNDERS CIRCLE As of 4 December 2019 Calgary Zoo Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Audubon Zoo Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Great Plains Zoo and Delbridge Museum of Columbus Zoo and Dallas Zoo Natural History Aquarium Jacksonville Zoo and John Ball Zoo Detroit Zoo Gardens Little Rock Zoological Garden Disney Worldwide and Services, Inc. Botanical Gardens Louisville Zoological Garden Houston Zoo, Inc. Milwaukee County Zoological Gardens Mystic Aquarium Indianapolis Zoological Society, Inc. Minnesota Zoological Garden National Aquarium Lincoln Park Zoo Phoenix Zoo, Arizona Center for Nature Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium Conservation North Carolina Zoological Park Service Systems Associates, Inc. Saint Louis Zoo Oregon Zoo Shark Reef at Mandalay Bat San Antonio Zoological Society Philadelphia Zoo Wildlife Conservation Society Riverbanks Zoo and Garden San Francisco Zoological Gardens Schultz & Williams Smithsonian National Zoological Park Akron Zoological Park Ocean Park Corporation Virginia Zoological Park Aquarium of the Pacific Oklahoma City Zoological Park Woodland Park Zoo Blank Park Zoo Pueblo Zoo Zoo Boise Cameron Park Zoo Roger Williams Park Zoo Como Park Zoo and Conservatory Roosevelt Park Zoo El Paso Zoo ADDITIONAL SUPPORT Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo Saginaw Children’s Zoo Friends of Henry Vilas Zoo Seattle Aquarium PHILANTHROPIC Greenville Zoo Texas State Aquarium Arthur L. and Elaine V. Johnson Foundation John G. Shedd Aquarium Topeka Zoo Jag Molina Family Foundation Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden Tracy Walter Family Foundation

Miles River Direct Turtle Back Zoo CORPORATE and Marine Science Center Gorilla Socks Morey Consulting Western North Carolina Nature Center Wines That Rock, LLC Wildlife Safari Zebra Pen

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AZA BOARD OF DIRECTORS » Dr. Mark Penning PHOTO CREDITS (JANUARY–SEPTEMBER 2019) VP Animals, Science and Environment Disney’s Animal Kingdom Creating pollinator gardens © Audubon CHAIR » Dr. Tara Riemer Nature Institute Peggy Sloan President and CEO Vulture Education Graphic © SAFE African Chief Animal Operations Officer SeaLife Center John G. Shedd Aquarium Vulture Program » Adrienne Rowland CHAIR-ELECT Director Children planting flowers © Oklahoma Dr. Christopher Kuhar Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay Executive Director City Zoo and Botanical Garden » Elizabeth Whealy Cleveland Metroparks Zoo President and CEO Facebook Snapshot © Brevard Zoo VICE-CHAIR Great Plains Zoo and Delbridge Museum of Bert Castro Natural History #TONSoflove graphic © SAFE Asian President / CEO Elephant Program Phoenix Zoo, Arizona Center for Nature 2019 AZA SAFE CONTACTS Conservation » Kayla Ripple, SAFE Program Coordinator PAST CHAIR » Shelly Grow, VP of Conservation and Science Jim Breheny » Rob Vernon, SVP of Communications and Executive Vice President and General Director Marketing Zoos and Aquarium » Amy Rutherford, Director of Professional Jonathan Little Cohen Director of the Bronx Zoo Development and Education Wildlife Conservation Society

DIRECTORS WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMITTEE » Dr. Brian Davis CONTACTS Executive Vice President Operations CHAIR Georgia Aquarium Thomas Stalf » Chris Gentile Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Director Western North Carolina Nature Center VICE-CHAIR Rachel Metz » Dr. Alejandro Grajal Smithsonian National Zoological Park President and CEO Woodland Park Zoo WCC COORDINATOR FOR SAFE Dr. Estelle Sandhaus » Steve Marshall Vice President and Managing Director Audubon Zoo » Lisa New President and CEO Zoo Knoxville 17

SAFE: Taking Conservation to Scale

After nearly 40 years in conservation, I am certain that our understanding of the natural world pales in comparison to the challenges we face, and that our conservation efforts are too little and too fragmented. That is why SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction is so important.

Association of Zoo and Aquarium-accredited facilities now contribute close to $250 million annually in direct support for field conservation, and that number and commitment continues to grow. The next step is to expand the impact of individual investments through collective action to create that thing we call scale.

SAFE is our community’s model to bundle efforts and achieve greater scale. That is how we will help save animals from extinction, and I’m inspired to see the evidence that this is happening laid out in this annual report. I hope you are too. We are making a difference, and are prepared to expand our efforts, effectiveness, and influence. We are creating scale and rising to the challenges of our time.

Thank you for joining us in the SAFE journey. I look forward to continuing our community’s inspiring conservation work!

Dan Ashe

President and Chief Executive Officer Association of Zoos and Aquariums SAFE VISION AND MISSION

Together we are saving the most vulnerable wildlife species from extinction and protecting them for future generations.

The mission of SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction is to combine the power of zoo and aquarium visitors with the resources and collective expertise of AZA members and partners to save animals from extinction.

Join us! www.aza.org/safe

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