Advertising Supplement
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 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. Steve Liffick Microsoft Corporation Brooke McCurdy KBKM Ltd. Photo by Ric Brewer, WPZ Ann Moe Community Volunteer Jane Nelson Kantor Taylor Nelson Boyd & Evatt PC Laura Peterson Dear Friends, The Boeing Company Larry Phillips As the current operators of Woodland Park Zoo, we stand Guests will have authentic opportunities to learn about Metropolitan King County Council on the shoulders of the visionaries and community leaders these magnificent animals, their wild habitats, and the cultures Mark Reis who, over the past four decades, have helped steward a that live in proximity. We will also enter a partnership with Port of Seattle Patti Savoy treasured community institution, while maintaining a high Panthera, an organization dedicated to saving tigers around Community Volunteer standard of animal care and pioneering among zoos the idea the world, and work with the people and government of Rob Short of naturalistic exhibits. Malaysia to preserve crucial tiger habitat. Together with this Volunteer, Technology Space new collaboration and exhibit, the Puget Sound community Elizabeth Sicktich Now 10 years into our 20-year contract to operate the Wells Fargo Private Bank will be helping to keep alive a very endangered, wild Ron Siegle zoo as a nonprofit for the City of Seattle, we are proud to tiger population. Covich-Williams Co., Inc. continue this great tradition under a very successful public- Bryan Slinker, D.V.M. private partnership. In that time, 11 million people have Our goal is to maintain Woodland Park Zoo as a treasured WSU College of Veterinary Medicine Gretchen Sorensen experienced the zoo’s natural wonders. Because we receive community institution that gathers families to experience Sorensen Ideas support from the public, from our members and guests, animals, influences the next generation of science and R. Jay Tejera and from private philanthropists and foundations, we have a environmental leaders, and inspires millions of people to Investor and Volunteer Ed Thomas responsibility to many audiences. be our partners in conservation in the Northwest and Deloitte LLP around the world. Timothy Thompson Like many of you, we are managing our way through the Thompson Smitch Consulting Group greatest recession in two generations. To keep the zoo moving Thank you for a remarkable 10 years. Peter C. Wang forward, staff sacrificed salary increases and endured other Ameriprise Financial Services Andy Wappler cuts. Thanks to their efforts, and the generosity of supporters Puget Sound Energy and partners in both the public and private sectors, we have Margaret Wetherald emerged financially stable and continue to innovate. Keller Rohrback, LLP Kathryn Williams Deborah B. Jensen, Ph.D. HomeStreet Bank New award-winning exhibits, education and conservation President and CEO Robert M. Williams programs now attract more than 1 million visitors a year. In Private Bank at Union Bank the next year, we expect to complete the $80 million More Susie Wyckoff Wonder More Wild campaign. The last and largest initiative Ants at a Picnic/Community Volunteer Curtis J. Young of the campaign is a new $21 million Asian Tropical Forest Morgan Stanley Smith Barney exhibit, featuring Malayan tigers, sloth bears and Asian small- clawed otters. Not only will it be much larger than the old Deborah B. Jensen, Ph.D. | ex officio Stuart V. Williams WPZ President and CEO tiger and bear area, it will fully integrate our animal care, Chair, Board of Directors Christopher Williams | ex officio education and cultural missions. Acting Superintendent, Seattle Parks & Recreation Cover Photos by Top: Jennifer Svane; Bottom from L to R: Ryan Hawk, Dennis Dow, Ryan Hawk, WPZ Woodland Park Zoo Ten Years of Raising the Bar 2002-2011 | 3
THANK YOU past Greening Our Zoo Earns Gold Woodland Park Sustaining the zoo means more than doing well rooftop, enjoy rides under new solar panels on our Historic Zoo Board Members on finances. It’s also about making our everyday operations a Carousel, and eat healthier, organic food in our concession 2002-2011 model for environmentally friendly innovations. Much the way areas. At the Humboldt penguin exhibit, guests learn how Woodland Park Zoo pioneered naturalistic exhibitry in the innovative filtration saves 3 million gallons of water a year and Betsy Alaniz 1970s, our investments in sustainable technologies will define uses geothermal energy to heat and cool the birds’ pool. Soon D. Stuart Ashmun zoos of the future. guests will marvel at new tiger and sloth bear exhibits designed Maria Barrientos with nature in mind, too. Warwick Bayly, Ph.D. Green practices have been our gold standard for decades. J. Daniel Becker We’ve led extensive recycling, waste reduction and green While we are proud of these successes, we have many more Karen S. Bekins purchasing efforts long before it was common practice. Our to achieve. Our new Zoo Sustainability Plan raises the bar for Barbara J. Bridge Gregory P. Bronstein Zoo Doo compost program, nearly 30 years old, has kept environmentally smart design and operations, guiding us to Kenneth F. Bunting millions of pounds of waste out of landfills. Over the last 15 reduce our carbon footprint to 20 percent of 1999 levels by T. Bradford Canfield years, new efficiencies have reduced our water consumption 2020. The plan earned a prestigious award from our peers in Kathie Claypool by 45 percent. the zoo industry. John F. Clearman Janet Creighton, Ph.D. As the Northwest’s premier zoo, a unique wildlife experience And to inspire our members and guests to join us, we’ve made Russ Daggatt sustainability more visibly integrated into the zoo experience. that connects people to nature’s wonders, we have a Kevin Daniels Today they learn about green building in Zoomazium, the first responsibility to inspire millions of people across our region Brad Davis zoo project nationally to earn Gold Certification from the to reduce their impact on the planet. To truly inspire naturally, Betsy Dennis U.S. Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental we’re walking the talk to become our community’s most Mike Doherty Design (LEED). They admire 20,000 filtering plants on its inspiring model of sustainability. Karen Donohue Gregory J. Duff Wendy Ellis DeLaine S. Emmert Financial Indicators Gary Giglio Susan Golub Operating Revenues 2002-2011 (in millions) Joan E. Gray Pamela Grinter Jan Hendrickson* Carol Hosford John Hoyt B. Gerald Johnson* • Since 2002, total annual revenues have increased 49%. Cassandra K. Johnston R. D. Keating Robin Kellogg • Earned revenue alone has increased 71%. Leslie Kellogg Douglas P. Kight • Public funding continues to be a stable and essential Larry L. Knudsen Patty Lazarus foundation for operating a successful zoo. Bill Lewis* Scott Lipsky Nancy L. Mar Eric Martinez Gaelynn McGavick Dr. James C. McGraw Michael Millegan Total Contributions 2002-2011 Charles H. Morse IV Phillip M. Nudelman Mary Odermat Kelly Ogilvie • Individuals, organizations, and foundations have contributed $72.3 million John F. Oppenheimer* Robert D. Ormsby to the zoo’s mission. Valerie Parrish Mary Pembroke Perlin • Community investments in exhibit projects, program operations and Cameron Ragen* endowment are essential to sustaining zoo excellence. Jeffrey Roe Rick Sexton Dale R. Sperling* Lucy Steers Penny L. Taylor Ron Tilden David L. Towne Janet True Cyrus R. Vance Operating Expenses 2011 Margaret K. Walker* Linda Walker Central Administration Irene M. Wall Julie C. Weed Benjamin Wolff Marketing, Public Relations Sally Wright
Development & Membership Promotion • Our investments in animal care, and (*Board Chair in the last decade) in education and conservation, have increasedAd mission44% and & Enterprise 50%, respectively Please note that this is a paid advertising since 2002. supplement. The content was not prepared Facilities, Maintenance & Securty by the editorial staff of the Business Journal. For questions or comments about this promotional section, please contact Education and Conservation Colleen Allison, Director of Custom Publications at 206.876.5444.
Animal Care
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Marketing, Public Relations
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Education and Conservation
Animal Care 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).
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.
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. WPZ Hawk, Ryan Photo by It’s a value our community and our zoo hold dear. 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.
51 awards earned since 1978 for excellence in exhibitry, 600+ undergraduates, graduates, interns, researchers animal care, education, conservation, and sustainability and fellows trained by, or in various collaborations with, our animal behavioral science and veterinary medicine specialists 40+ species in our living collection, of 300 species, are since 2002 threatened or endangered in the wild
A BEAR AFFAIR 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 2006- 2010 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
Photo by Lisa Allen Lisa Photo by animals and resources in fun, rewarding 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. 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 species- specific 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.
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
Photo by Ryan Hawk, WPZ Hawk, Ryan Photo by Animal Health Care with Washington State University’s College of Veterinary When zoo keepers in 2008 alerted our veterinarians to a growth on the spine of a 2-month old western Medicine. A year later, with 12 other leading zoos, we co-founded The National 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 Elephant Center in Florida. Training the next generation for tomorrow’s animal health but not previously reported in gorillas. The groundbreaking surgery gave the infant a new lease on life and made careers, and collaborating on long-term animal welfare, research and conservation, headlines globally. Celebrating her full recovery, the community named her Uzumma, or “bearer of joy to the are core qualities in our zoo’s modern approach to excellence in animal care. 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
FOR THE BIRDS 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 WPZ Hawk, Ryan Dennis Conner, Dennis Dow, Clockwise from top L photo by Guests now can join us in the wonders of animal care – hand-feeding seed sticks to parakeets, fish to generous of our corporate donors. penguins, and fresh browse (leafy branches) to giraffes and elephants – and soon in up-close keeper Thank you, Boeing! 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 Education programs evolve more quickly and deliver innovative ways to learn other members of their waddle dive and flap through the waters at Woodland Park about science and the environment. Many exhibits now tie directly to conservation Zoo. The exhibit, which depicts the penguins’ wild habitat on Peru’s rocky coast, priorities here and around the globe, and the zoo’s standards for animal care are exemplifies the zoo’s mission to save animals and their habitats through conservation considered among the highest in the industry. leadership and engaging experiences, inspiring people to learn, care and act. During this time, the zoo’s annual operating revenue has increased from $22 million The exhibit is a naturalistic representation of Punta San Juan, the largest Humboldt to $33 million. The growth reflects strong support from voters who, in 2000 and penguin reserve in the world, offering lessons about the birds’ natural history and 2007, approved Seattle Pro Parks and King County Levies to enhance the zoo’s plight in the wild. Underneath it is a lesson in conservation, extending 300 feet below educational reach on grounds and in schools. Last year the zoo earned 53 percent ground to access geothermal energy to heat and cool the penguin pool in a clean, of its revenue through admission, membership and special events, 31 percent renewable way. A constructed wetland filters storm and rainwater to replace water from public funding, and 16 percent from private contributions. While city funding the pool loses to evaporation. But the exhibit’s impact goes far beyond the zoo’s remains a stable foundation of support, earned and philanthropic revenues have acreage on Phinney Ridge. The zoo supports efforts in Peru to stop over-fishing of increased dramatically. 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. 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. “New exhibits reflect how we’ve evolved as a conservation zoo to touch the hearts “By joining together we have accomplished a great deal more than if the zoo and minds of 1 million annual guests. Our mission is to inspire them to care about had remained part of the city parks system with a peripheral nonprofit,” says wildlife, learn more about wildlife, and join us in taking action to save wildlife,” says Maggie Walker, who co-chaired the zoo board in 2002 and helped negotiate the Zoo President and CEO Dr. Deborah Jensen. partnership. “Citizens of Seattle should feel a strong sense of ownership in the zoo’s This year marks the 10th anniversary of the 20-year management agreement progress, and be proud that their tax dollars have achieved so much by leveraging between the City of Seattle and Woodland Park Zoo as a charitable organization. greater private support.” The partnership enables the zoo to earn revenue more creatively and attract more Such funding has allowed the zoo to modernize outdated exhibits and integrate private funding to fulfill the Long-Range Plan approved by the city council. new design techniques in exhibits for jaguars, flamingos, penguins and meerkats, in After many years of negotiations with city leaders and public participation, the addition to the new LEED-certified Zoomazium building and solar-powered Historic partnership officially began in 2002, the same year the zoo board hired Jensen. Carousel. The next big exhibit makeover — for Malayan tigers and sloth bears — Ten years into it, this urban oasis is making its mark as a top zoo, recognized will weave together everything the zoo has learned about landscape immersion to internationally for its leadership in naturalistic exhibit design and earning more better serve its mission. Innovation is pursued only if it produces greater welfare for exhibit awards from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums than any other zoo, the zoo’s animal ambassadors and greater wonders to inspire guests to learn more except the Bronx Zoo. Diversified funding has benefitted local residents, too. and do more to save wildlife.
Milestones — Evolving and Innovating to Serve the Community 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
African wild Jaguar Cove exhibit Wild Wise John Stanford Willawong Station Zoomazium King Co. Parks Levy Chilean flamingos dog exhibit Zoo Corps begins Education Award ZooDoo turns 20 Historic Carousel opens LEED Gold for Zoomazium exhibit 20-year nonprofit Partners for Wildlife begins Arctic foxes arrive Jaguar Cove AZA Award* More Wonder More Wild Animal Health Cultural Interpreter management ZooTunes turns 20 First Egyptian tortoises First Bear Affair campaign begins Care Alliance program AZA Award* agreement $6 million anonymous gift 12th successful gorilla birth National Elephant School-to-Zoo Center co-founded begins 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 The zoo, as a 92-acre living classroom, has grown its offerings for K-12 students and by zoo commissary the general public, but especially for teachers and students in underserved schools, where the zoo couples nature experiences with animals to teach science. Field $38,000,000 invested by the zoo in conservation programs are sophisticated and results-driven. Tree kangaroos and exhibits and infrastructure improvements 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 — $32,349,043 investment in the zoo by Pro native species all but decimated in the Northwest — are making a comeback thanks Parks and King County Levies to dedicated species recovery partnerships. With financial support for 35 Partners for Wildlife programs, the zoo trains emerging conservation professionals and fosters $26,600,000 contributed by 155,000 sustainable livelihoods to benefit people and habitats around the globe. 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 20,000,000 unique views of WPZ animal public-private model,” says Bill Lewis, the former board co-chair who, with Maggie videos on YouTube, a first for any zoo in Walker, helped negotiate the management agreement. “As a result we have been the world more successful in securing broad support and measurable results for our mission. It’s a bar we continually push higher.” $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 9,000,000+ pounds of waste not sent to full acres in which you can enjoy landfills thanks to Zoo Doo composting myriad experiences. But the zoo is so much more than that. It has programs around the 1,250,000 acres our Partners for Wildlife in the field (elephant, snow leopard, gorilla, world that foster biological diversity, doing tree kangaroo) helped to protect “groundbreaking research and giving back to the affected communities what it learns.” 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 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
1,234 animals born at the zoo (excluding Chilean flamingos Humboldt penguin Meerkat exhibit Quarters for Malayan tiger, sloth exhibit exhibit New West Entrance Conservation bear and otter exhibits invertebrates), 1/3 endangered species Cultural Interpreter 180,000-acre Penguin exhibit Western pond turtle (see preview p. 11) program AZA Award* Conservation Area AZA Award* program turns 20 Winter WildLights 8th place among 10 best nonprofits to National Elephant First ocelots born MA program in Ready, Set, Discover and and more work for, Seattle Business Magazine poll Center co-founded since 1993 Advanced Inquiry Sustainability AZA Awards* Steller’s sea eagles arrive 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.
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.
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. Photo by Ryan Hawk, WPZ Hawk, Ryan Photo by Our newest endeavor, Quarters for Conservation, gets everyone in on the act. Our Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program and Conservation International collaborated with indigenous Guests and members vote for their favorite Partners for Wildlife project, thus telling landowners and the national government of Papua New Guinea to officially decree a 180,000-acre us where to invest a portion of their entry fee. The estimated $200,000 they direct 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 to these efforts annually will make a big difference. sustainably with wildlife. Consumers in the Northwest support the growers’ livelihoods, thanks to our new Caffé Vita partnership. 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 Fish and Wildlife and Oregon Zoo. Building on that model, we put Oregon silverspot solutions that address animals’ and peoples’ needs. Being a nonprofit accelerated our butterflies and Oregon spotted frogs on a road to recovery. Zoo captive breeding ability to establish partnerships with other zoos and scientists, globally recognized facilities provide an essential resource, rearing the animals in optimal conditions, until conservancies, state wildlife agencies, and national governments, and to increase they can survive in wild habitats that our partners restore and protect. 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 Together with our Partners for Wildlife, we are helping to protect more than wildlife professionals, and help local communities create wildlife-friendly livelihoods. 1,250,000 acres of essential habitat — wetlands for migrating cranes in Muraviovka Each ingredient is essential to the results we seek beyond the zoo’s 92 acres. Park in Russia; essential forestland in the Nouabal-Ndoki National Park for western lowland gorillas; migration corridors in Tanzania for African elephants; mountain In 2011, we celebrated 20 years of success recovering a native population of terrain for elusive snow leopards in Central Asia; and wetlands and grasslands along western pond turtles, nearly extinct 20 years ago, with Washington Department of the Columbia River in Washington and Cascade Head in Oregon.
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,
Photo by Ryan Hawk, WPZ Hawk, Ryan Photo by Conservation International
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 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.
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.
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.
Photo by Ryan Hawk, WPZ Hawk, Ryan Photo by Effective K-12 learning begins with great teaching, a goal long supported by our Zoo Corps, created in 2003, connects youth ages 14 to18 to science and conservation work as they begin to teacher workshops and institutes. In 2011, we launched the Advanced Inquiry 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. 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 810,000 students reached by formal zoo education programs families make the most of this time by giving them a place where they 22% from low-income schools “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 Research shows that deepening students’ experiences in nature and science before they reach middle school challenge grant to help protect 180,000 acres of forest for the tree kangaroo. By is essential. Students get an early start in Zoomazium. In 2011, Ready, Set, Discover earned AZA’s Significant pooling our resources, we can make a difference. 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
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.
“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 MIR Conceptual rendering, the dire population of 500 to a more viable 1,000. 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 A priority continues to be evolving the public’s perception of the zoo as more than a More Wonder More Wild campaign, is a significant catalyst for greater public great place for a Sunday family stroll. At the new penguin exhibit, one easily grasps the engagement and advocacy. The largest capital project since 1996, it marks a pivotal place as a complex, pro-active conservation leader using a 92-acre living classroom to point in the zoo’s ongoing quest to replace old concrete and metal cages with modern educate its members and guests and, beyond it, partnering with experts around the naturalistic exhibits befitting a 21st century conservation zoo. 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, It’s also the zoo’s first major milestone as it enters the second half of its 20-year which also educates the next generation of scientists and conservation stewards, will public-private partnership with the city, begun in 2002. As a nonprofit, the zoo has continue to earn strong support from community leaders. 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 “This zoo is a unique and powerful resource to get more kids engaged in science- in innovate exhibit design, the zoo has rigorously integrated animal care, education, oriented activities,” says board chair Stuart Williams. “I can’t think of anything more and conservation programs into a more synergistic relationship. Everything is geared important right now than connecting kids to nature and the planet they will inherit to improve the lives of animals, deepen the experiences of those who come to — to the world they will lead someday.” appreciate them, and save more animals in the wild.
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. • 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. Conceptual rendering, MIR Conceptual rendering, • A continual greening of the zoo, and reduced carbon footprint with sustainable Get closer. At the new exhibit’s training wall, guests will experience fascinating, live demonstrations of how innovations in exhibits and operations. keepers safely care for these big cats using specialized behavioral training techniques.
INVESTING IN VITAL INSTITUTIONS 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!
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
Conceptual rendering, MIR Conceptual rendering, families have been members throughout the entire decade. Every zoo member is a At the log jam, lively sloth bears will show their cubs how to slurp up grubs inside logs using their long valued and vital part of the zoo family and helps us maintain our leadership as one tongues and vacuum-like snouts. of the world’s foremost zoos. Thank you members! We couldn’t do it without YOU! Woodland Park Zoo Ten Years of Raising the Bar 2002-2011 | 11
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
WPZ Photo by NAME WPZ Photo by will distributions, charitable remainder trusts, IRA’s or insurance beneficiaries, sales of real estate and even gifts of Photo Courtesy Metro Parks of Cleveland In the new exhibit, guests will enjoy the energetic romping and splashing of Asian small-clawed otters and their fascinating 12 different vocalizations. savings bonds. Regardless of source, they have helped build our endowment and many naturalistic exhibits. We Coming Soon! break ground soon on new exhibits for Malayan tigers, sloth bears and New Malayan tiger, sloth bear and otter exhibits otters thanks to generous gifts from the Dorlesca Hazel Ryan and Joy Spurr As a business or community leader, you value Woodland you’ll experience daily animal care up close and learn about estates. Joseph and Vivian McCann’s Park Zoo’s leadership in award-winning, naturalistic exhibitry. ways to help save wild tigers. It’s a wildlife journey unlike any estate helped bring the penguin and Now, the largest and final project in our More Wonder More other — right here in Seattle. Roar for the cause! flamingo exhibits to life, and a former Wild Campaign is creating a new 2-acre exhibit complex for board member, Rick Buckley, included endangered tigers, sloth bears and small-clawed otters. Three Phase 1 Opening May 20, 2013: A new lush, meandering an insurance distribution in his estate times the size of the outdated, 60-year-old exhibits, it’s our path will graciously lead you to the exhibit’s grand entry for Jaguar Cove. Generous supporters most ambitious extreme makeover yet — the centerpiece of arch, where you will encounter the delightful Asian small- exemplify how any of us can include the $21 million Asian Tropical Forest initiative. Green design clawed otters and a children’s whole body nature-play area. the zoo as an estate beneficiary to and biomimicry will save 200,000 pounds of carbon emissions (Funded!) annually — the equivalent of planting 30 acres of forest! Goal: ensure that countless generations of carbon neutrality over the life of the exhibit complex. Phase 11 2014: Debut of new tiger and sloth bear exhibits, Puget Sound families are inspired by modern interpretive and education programs, a Conservation nature’s wonders. Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and smells of an Action Center featuring our new tiger conservation program Asian tropical forest teeming with life — colorful songbirds, with Panthera, and outstanding visitor amenities. (Join our squealing otters, sloth bears foraging for grubs and, of course, fundraising campaign! See p. 12.) majestic Malayan tigers lounging languorously in a huge tree hollow. Modeled after a real tiger conservation preserve, 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 + Chap and Eve Alvord Estate of Virginia W. Iverson Althea and Sam Stroum Anonymous Elias and Karyl Alvord Gerry Johnson and Linda Larson The Tagney-Jones Family Fund at The Seattle Foundation The People of the City of Seattle Nancy and Buster Alvord K&L Gates LLP Dave and Chris Towne The People of King County ARAMARK Corporation Sharon and Duff Kennedy Unico Investment Company Stuart and Susan Ashmun James M. Kunz $5 million + Jill and Scott Walker Attachmate Corporation Jim and Jean Kunz Estate of Levant Fredrick Wellington Microsoft Corporation Alta and Stan Barer Patty and Jonathan Lazarus and Family Wells Fargo Barrientos and Wright Family The Leslie Fund $1 million + Margie Wetherald and Len Barson Anonymous (3) Bartell Drugs Jeff and Cammi Libby Family Dan and Jill Becker Steve Liffick, Rasa Raisys, and Family Coralyn Whitney and Dwight Gadd Estate of Millie Albee Estate of Mertice C. Wilcox The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation BECU Byron W. and Alice L. Lockwood Foundation David and Sally Wright Linda and Tom Allen Family Ben Bridge Jeweler Macy’s Susie and Paul Wyckoff Rick and Nancy Alvord Family Z. William and Hilde M. Birnbaum Endowment Fund Estate of Joseph and Vivian McCann WYCO Fund Bank of America BNY Mellon Wealth Management D.V. & Ida J. McEachern Charitable Trust Bezos Family Foundation Estate of Kathryn A. Bomer Pope Metropolitan Market Bob and Bobbi Bridge Alexandra and Charles Morse Additional Generous Supporters The Boeing Company Ancient Order of United Workmen Evergreen Lodge No. 2 Brown Bear Car Wash and The Victor Odermat Family T. Bradford and Lesley Canfield Estate of Bernard J. Nist and Claudine S. Nist Northern Trust Donna Benaroya Chase Lisa and Mark Caputo Carter Motors Inc Sandra and Phil Nudelman Mylo and Marion Charlston Cole & Weber Jan and Jack Creighton Brad and Kathy Nysether Kathie Claypool and Tom McManus Conservation International Estate of Lorene E. Currier Mark and Vickie Nysether The Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Washington Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation Estate of Patricia Cutchlow Shirley and Eldon Nysether William and Sandy Dunn Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Estate of Victor Denny The Nysether Family Foundation Kreielsheimer Foundation Katharyn Gerlich Estate of Ruth Ellerbeck John and Deanna Oppenheimer Family M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust Dr. Nick and DeEtte Johnson Estate of Helen I. Elstad Robert and Lynn Ormsby Family Charles and Lisa Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences Juniper Foundation Estate of Erma Irene Etue Keith and Janet Patrick Bill Lewis The True Family PCC Natural Markets Estate of Anne P. Frame Larry and Rhonda Nelsen Georgia Gerber and Randy Hudson Nancy and Mark Pellegrino $500,000 + The Norcliffe Foundation Alaska Airlines Leona M. Geyer Trust Pepsi Beverages Company Ginny and Michael Pigott Family Apex Foundation Wayne and Anne Gittinger Jim and Gaye Pigott Mark Pigott Family Estate of Richard G. Buckley Joan Gray and Harris Hoffman Robert Plotnick and Gay Lee Jensen Puget Sound Energy Joshua Green Foundation Estate of Elaine Green Eldridge Cam and Tori Ragen Family The Jacobsen Family Jerry and Lyn Grinstein Ray’s Boathouse, Café and Catering James W. Ray Estate of Lucille J. Johnston Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound Roger Williams Park Zoo Seattle Public Utilities Kresge Foundation Grousemont Foundation Barbara Sando Dale and Carol Sperling Family Helen Mull Gull Industries, Inc. Helen E. and Florence B. Schenk Endowed Fund Estate of John S. Tilner Inger and Allan Osberg Mike Halperin and Jodi Green The Schofield Family Rogers and Julie Weed PACCAR Rosemarie Havranek and Nathan Myhrvold Seattle City Light Wilburforce Safeco Insurance William Randolph Hearst Foundation Seattle Seahawks Kathryn Williams The Seattle Foundation Jan Hendrickson The Seattle Times Stuart, Lucy, Charlie, Peter and Boo Williams Mary Hogue and Family Rob Short and Emer Dooley Seattle Rotary Service Foundation Ben and Julie Wolff Holland America Line Robert and Diane Shrewsbury II and Family U.S. Bank Wong, Doody, Crandall, Wiener Maggie, Doug and Kina Walker HomeStreet Bank Kenneth R. Sinibaldi, DVM Robert and Debora Horvath Family Snoqualmie Tribe WWW Foundation $100,000 + Howard Hughes Medical Institute Sound Community Bank Anonymous (9) John C. and Karyl Kay Hughes Foundation Estate of Joy Spurr Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of names and lists. Adventures of Riley™ Marvin and Patricia Hurtgen Trudy and Harold Stack For errors, please call 206.548.2419 so that we can correct them. Alaska Distributors, Inc. Institute of Museum and Library Services Laurie Stewart Thank you! 12 | Ten Years of Raising the Bar 2002-2011 Woodland Park Zoo
CREATURE GET YOUR HERO At just 3 years old Lucas Engles Klann persuaded his parents to help PAWS ON him raise money to help his favorite Your Family’s zookeeper, Hugh Bailey, care for the OUR NEW Western lowland gorillas he so adores. Name Here! Lucas, now 6, has donated thousands of dollars while honing his social EXHIBIT! 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. Make a gift of $1,000 or more to the Asian Tropical Forest initiative Anyone can help!” 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. From top, photo by Jack Thompson, Dickerson Park Zoo; Ryan That’s just $84 a month for a year. You’ll get “pawsitively” wonderful Hawk, WPZ; Ryan Hawk, WPZ 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: 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