Annual Report 2014

Annual Report 2014 Audubon Nature Institute 2014 Annual Report Purpose From the President Page 3 Board / Commission / Foundation Page 4 Our Mission Page 5 Audubon in 2014 Page 7 Our Future Page 19 Financial Summary Page 21 Donor Acknowledgements Page 22 Staying In Touch Page 34 1 Fun, adventure and learning come together across Audubon Nature Institute where kids encounter animal wonders, make treasured family memories and inspire hope for tomorrow as they discover the importance of conservation today. Celebrating the Wonders of Nature Celebrating the Wonders 2 Teaching A bright and very chilly day along the Mississippi River started the year off for us at Audubon Nature Institute. On that day, we gathered with colleagues from San Diego Zoo Global for a ceremonial groundbreaking at Alliance for Sustainable Wildlife at Freeport- McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center. We didn’t mind the cold at all, because we were doing exactly what we love to do—working to save wildlife. In this Audubon Nature Institute Annual Report, we’ll tell you about a long list of projects we worked on in 2014, beginning with that memorable day. By the end of the year, we had delightful surprises in store for you all across our attractions, as well as meaningful enhancements to our education and conservation efforts. Your support during 2014 helped Audubon Nature Institute give back to our community in many ways all year long. Great Maya Reef opened at Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium continued to reap rave reviews. The Audubon Zoo collection grew with significant births and acquisitions. Much-anticipated projects moved toward completion. Demolition began on Audubon Louisiana Nature Center as we started bringing this New Orleans treasure back for you. We’ll tell you about all these projects and more in the pages to follow. Audubon Nature Institute is all of us. Together we work to create beautiful experiences and memories for our families and for the children who visit us from near and far. As you read through this report, you’ll see that with all the progress we made this past year, the years ahead are poised to be even more exciting. This incredible journey is only possible because of you. As always, thank you for everything you do for Audubon Nature Institute, and for being part of the Audubon Nature Institute family. L. Ronald Forman President and CEO, Audubon Nature Institute 3 Audubon Nature Institute Board of Directors Leslie P. Gottsegen, DDS: Chairman Joseph A. Jaeger, Jr.: First Vice Chair 2014 Christopher Bardell: Second Vice Chair Katherine B. Werner: Recording Secretary Audubon Commission Ronald Markham: Corresponding Secretary Audubon Nature Institute Vincent J. Palumbo: Treasurer J. Kelly Duncan: President Lynes R. Sloss: Parliamentarian Foundation Board Daniel O. Conwill IV: First Vice President Stephanie S. Feoli: William A. Goldring: Chairman Linda G. Baum: Secretary Immediate Past Chairman Stephanie S. Feoli: Vice Chairman K. Barton Farris, MD: Treasurer Byron A. Adams, Jr. Linda G. Baum Gayle Benson Robert W. Brown Catherine H. Cary Boysie Bollinger Jennifer D. Charpentier, MD Leslie P. Gottsegen, D.D.S. Storey Charbonnet Henry L. Coaxum, Jr. Joseph A. Jaeger, Jr. Angus Cooper Cecile V. Colhoun Peter E. Moss II Frances G. Fayard Paul Fine Charles C. Teamer, Sr., Ph.D. Rashida Ferdinand Fenn French Ashley Francis Jeffrey Goldring Deborah D. Harkins Jennifer S. Heebe Bruce R. Hoefer, Jr. Andre Hooper Beth Lambert Deirdre O. Hooper, MD Olivia Manning Wilmer Jacobs Helena N. Moreno Steve Kupperman Catherine Morrell F. Theodore Le Clercq Peter Moss Nolan A. Marshall, III Field Ogden, MD John Payne Pamela Ryan Steve Perry Charles C. Teamer Julie Quinn Tom Watson Charles L. Rice, Jr. Carol B. Wise Mark C. Romig D. Brent Wood Virginia Rowan Michael Smith Allison B. Tiller Thomas D. Westfeldt 4 Audubon Nature Institute Mission and Purpose Purpose Celebrating the Wonders of Nature Vision Creating a family of museums and parks dedicated to nature Mission Eight objectives support our mission: • Provide a guest experience of outstanding quality. • Exhibit the diversity of wildlife. • Preserve native Louisiana habitats. • Educate our diverse audience about the natural world. • Enhance the care and survival of wildlife through research and conservation. • Provide opportunities for recreation in natural settings. • Operate a financially self-sufficient collection of museums and parks. • Weave quality entertainment through the guest experience. • Audubon Park and Riverview Our family • Audubon Zoo • Woldenberg Riverfront Park of museums • Audubon Aquarium of the Americas • Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center and parks • Entergy IMAX® Theatre • Audubon Louisiana Nature Center dedicated • Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species • Audubon Wilderness Park to nature • Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium 5 Great Maya Reef Step inside Audubon Aquarium of theInspire Americas and see something you’ve never seen before. In 2014, Audubon Nature Institute redefined how guests begin their Aquarium visit with the debut of Great Maya Reef. Mysterious ruins and unexpected bursts of color transformed the entrance of the Aquarium into a submerged Maya city off the Yucatan peninsula. The $1 million, 4,200 square-foot exhibit opened March 8 to rave reviews from guests and the press. Audubon Aquarium of the Americas Audubon Aquarium 6 Audubon Aquarium of the Americas IMAX® Theatre entertained and took the term “immersive” to an exotic educated thousands with its giant underwater level in 2014, inviting screen and enticing variety of movies. guests to not only see Great Maya Just outside the Aquarium’s front Reef, but to actually experience being door at Woldenberg Riverfront Park, inside the exhibit as two new programs infrastructure was strengthened for began: Maya Dive Adventure and continued resistance to the Mississippi Maya Snorkel Adventure. Even River’s constant challenges. The well-known celebrities got into the Audubon Nature Institute teamed up Dancing Fountain in the Park, a linear act—most notably, Santa, who spread with the New Orleans Pelicans for water feature opening in 2015, began holiday cheer and surprised guests Toast for the Coast, where partygoers to take shape. Refreshed landscaping when he took a yuletide dive. mingled with players, increasing invited all to enjoy a scenic stroll along Great Maya Reef upped awareness and inspiring action in the historic river at one of America’s the Aquarium’s festive factor for support of Audubon’s wetlands most iconic locales. fundraisers such as Scales & Ales and education initiatives. Toast for the Coast. These two parties Aqua School launched in bring thousands to the riverfront November, offering enhanced learning annually for good times and good for school groups on Aquarium field causes. The fifth annual Scales & Ales trips. What would prove to be a very supported Audubon’s conservation and popular program tailored to home education initiatives. The Aquarium schoolers debuted in the fall as well. and Woldenberg Riverfront Park Throughout the year, Aquarium sparkled as guests sampled brews husbandry staff maintained a vibrant and bites donated by generous New collection sure to educate and amaze. Orleans restaurants and bars, and Fascinating cuttlefish arrived, as experienced the unique and elegant did Caroline, a young sand tiger atmosphere of the Aquarium at night. shark from North Carolina. Entergy AudubonInstitute.org/visit/aquarium 7 Audubon Zoo Watoto Walk Perfectly situated between Monkey HillLearn and Audubon Zoo’s popular giraffes, Watoto Walk opened as 2014 drew to a close. Watoto means “children” in Swahili, and when word started to spread about this charming animal encounter area at Audubon Zoo, children couldn’t wait to visit for some “hands-on” learning. Gulf Coast sheep, St. Croix sheep, Nigerian dwarf goats and domestic goats roam the 3,000 square foot enclosure as zookeepers encourage friendly interaction with guests of all ages. 8 Audubon Zoo was cool in 2014, when of programs, including the first Zoo anticipation for things to come and photography class, which quickly delight over new favorites kept the sold out and continues to be popular. Zoo top-of-mind and in the headlines. Education-fueled conservation Cool Zoo continued to attract visitors initiatives benefitted endangered by the thousands as a way to chill turtles and elephants. Visitors couldn’t out in the heat of a New Orleans miss volunteers participating in the summer. In 2014, Cool Zoo visitors Greeter Program—lime-green shirts were intrigued by a nearby project made greeters easy to spot as they to the rhino herd in June as curators signaling significant growth for the helped guests navigate throughout the watched for signs of increased Zoo, as Gator Run, a lazy river, began Zoo toward learning opportunities. breeding activity. to take shape while the year rolled on. Audubon Zoo’s animal collection And, what could be more fun The success of Cool Zoo and other grew. The birth of colobus monkey than dinner and a movie? How about attractions across Audubon Nature Habari (meaning “hello” in Swahili) dinner and a movie at the Zoo! Institute helped to fund Audubon’s kept things lively in the World of Dinner and a Zoovie brought families conservation outreach while enhancing Primates, while in the Louisiana out for after-hours entertainment the mission to teach kids about Swamp, keepers raised orphaned river including food trucks, karaoke, and wildlife and nature. otter pups. Across the Zoo in Asian family-friendly hit movies such as A renewed, centralized focus on Domain, a pair of babirusa piglets Frozen. This popular event was set to education meant an increased selection was born. A young sea lion named continue in 2015. Zoey, daughter of a former Audubon Zoo sea lion favorite resident named Porter, came to Audubon Zoo by way of New York. Critically-endangered false gharials were hatched at Reptile Encounter for the first time.

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