2018 Annual Report from the President
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Audubon Nature Institute 2018 Annual Report From the President 2018 was a year full of new ways to connect guests with Audubon’s mission of saving species—new habitats, new ways to meet animals up close, new ways to provide the animals of Audubon with exceptional care, and new additions to our animal family from as far as Germany. Because of donor support, in Audubon Zoo’s Jaguar Jungle, we opened the “Criaturas de la Noche” Bat House, and in African Savanna we opened Watoto Farm, where guests can interact with African From the President Page 1 livestock species while learning about sustainable farming. At Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, penguin care staff worked with an acupuncturist to put some spring back in a Board senior bird’s step. Commission Foundation Page 2 Jambi, a majestic male Sumatran orangutan, joined the Audubon Zoo troop all the way from Hanover Zoo, bringing with him hopes of contributing to the population of this Our Mission Page 3 critically endangered species. New Alliance for Sustainable Wildlife births and hatchings brought us one step closer to saving species such as whooping cranes, eastern bongo, and Audubon 2018 Page 4 reticulated giraffe from extinction. Wherever you look in Audubon’s family of museums and parks, you will find new beginnings: new hope, new knowledge, and new inspiration. Social Conversations Page 31 Your support makes all these efforts possible. From all of us here at Audubon, thank you Our Future Page 32 for joining us in the fight to save species. I hope you enjoy reading about the new ground we broke in 2018 and our plans for continuing this important work in the years to come. Financial Summary Page 33 Donor Acknowledgments Page 34 L. Ronald Forman Stay Connected Page 43 President and CEO, Audubon Nature Institute 1 The Audubon Commission voted Audubon Commission Audubon Nature Institute unanimously in favor of the J. Kelly Duncan: President Board of Directors Audubon Park Master Plan that Daniel O. Conwill IV: First Vice President was developed in conjunction with Christopher Bardell: Chairman Boysie Bollinger: Second Vice President the award-winning architecture Lynes R. Sloss: First Vice Chair Linda G. Baum: Secretary firm Eskew+Dumez+Ripple. The Mark C. Romig: Second Vice Chair D. Brent Wood: Treasurer Dr. Willard Dumas, D.D.S.: Recording Secretary plan is the culmination of six Bart Farris: Corresponding Secretary months of work that included four Gayle Benson Vincent J. Palumbo: Treasurer public sessions designed to solicit Storey Charbonnet Wilmer Jacobs: Parliamentarian feedback and promote community Leila Eames Joseph A. Jaeger Jr.: Immediate Past Chairman dialogue on the master plan. Frances G. Fayard Ashley Francis Leah Brown Bruce R. Hoefer Jr. Hunter Cazes Alexander Kelso Jennifer D. Charpentier, M.D. Beth Lambert Henry L. Coaxum Jr. Olivia Manning Cecile V. Colhoun Catherine Morrell Angus Cooper Minh Thanh Nguyen Leslie Gottsegen, D.D.S. Field Ogden, M.D. Deirdre O. Hooper, M.D. Coleman Ridley Steve Kupperman Pamela Ryan Dennis Lauscha Norma Jane Sabiston F. Theodore Le Clercq Sally Shushan Anne Long Ravi Sangisetty Quentin Messer Charles C. Teamer Peter Moss Steve Perry Ransdell Prieur Julie Quinn Audubon Nature Institute Nathalie Simon Foundation Board Cleveland Spears Susu Stall Boysie Bollinger: Chairman Bernard Van der Linden Charles C. Teamer Sr.: Vice Chairman Katherine B. Werner Thomas D. Westfeldt Linda G. Baum Qiana Wiggins Catherine H. Cary Dr. Willard Dumas, D.D.S. Leslie Gottsegen, D.D.S. Joseph A. Jaeger Jr. Peter E. Moss II 2 Audubon Nature Institute Mission and Purpose Audubon Nature Institute Purpose Celebrating the Wonders of Nature is a 501(c)3 not for profit that operates a family of Vision Creating a family of museums and parks dedicated to nature museums and parks dedicated to nature. Mission Eight objectives support our mission: Working together, we create a bright future • Provide a guest experience of outstanding quality. for generations to come. • 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 Audubon Zoo guest experience. ACCREDITED • Audubon Park and Riverview Audubon Aquarium Our family • Audubon Zoo of the Americas of museums • Audubon Aquarium of the Americas ACCREDITED • Entergy Giant Screen Theater and parks • Woldenberg Riverfront Park • Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium Freeport-McMoRan dedicated • Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center Audubon Species • Audubon Louisiana Nature Center Survival Center to nature • Audubon Wilderness Park CERTIFIED 3 SAVING SPECIES 4 Giraffe Births A male reticulated giraffe calf was the first Alliance for Sustainable Wildlife birth at Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center in 2018. He was quickly followed by another on Mardi Gras Day. The first, born January 9 and named “T’Challa” by a public vote, weighed in at an impressive 150 pounds. The second was born on Mardi Gras Day and named “Poco” in honor of the 2018 Rex and First Vice Chair of the Audubon Board, Poco Sloss. T’Challa and Poco were followed by two more giraffe calf births later in the year. The worldwide giraffe population has declined by nearly 40 percent over the last 15 years. With only 90,000 giraffe left in the wild today, zoos and conservation breeding TM facilities like ASW are more crucial than ever as population safety nets for the species. 5 Animal Babies Audubon celebrated new births of vulnerable and endangered species throughout the year, including a baby black howler monkey delivered via emergency cesarean-section by Audubon’s expert veterinary staff and a baby mandrill at the Zoo. This was mandrill Jinx’s first offspring, so Animal Care staff worked around the clock helping mom feed and care for the baby for months while everyone adjusted. Across the river at Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center, the Alliance for Sustainable Wildlife welcomed the hatchings of whooping cranes and Mississippi sandhill cranes as well as the births of eastern bongo, reticulated giraffe, and sable antelope. At the Aquarium, aquarists had success in breeding six yellow seahorses in partnership with the Hippocampus kuda Species Survival Plan. Yellow seahorse populations are considered vulnerable and only three other AZA accredited institutions care for these animals. The Aquarium also saw a baby boom in the stingray touchpool with nine cownose ray pups, and had great successes culturing both moon jellies and upside down jellies. While they are not endangered, any time the Aquarium can manage the collections sustainably it is contributing to Audubon’s conservation mission. 6 Great Apes Audubon Zoo welcomed some new members to the family from other conservation organizations. Alafia, a female critically-endangered western lowland gorilla, came from Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle to complete Audubon’s new gorilla troop. The Zoo also welcomed two new critically-endangered Sumatran orangutans: female Reese from Albuquerque BioPark Zoo in New Mexico and male Jambi from Hanover Zoo in Germany. Audubon hopes to soon welcome baby orangutans and gorillas as a result of these newly formed family groups. On the Move In October, Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center and Dallas Zoo teamed up with national conservation partners and federal agencies, including AZA, the United States Geological Survey’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the United States Coast Guard to transfer 30 whooping cranes from the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland, whose whooping crane program was ending, to the Survival Center, where they thrive as part of Audubon’s breeding and release flock. 7 Skipping the Straw Audubon deepened its commitment to fighting plastic pollution in 2018 with efforts to encourage our community to reduce their contributions to plastic waste. Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and 21 other top aquariums banded together in a joint #FirstStep Dining With The Sharks campaign to create plastic-free waters by seeking All three events of the Summer of Sustainability dining commitments from businesses, pledges from individuals, series at the Aquarium sold out fast in 2018. An all- and policy action by municipalities to reduce single-use star lineup of New Orleans chefs from Audubon’s Gulf plastic waste that harms aquatic wildlife around the world. United for Lasting Fisheries Chef Council and Restaurant The campaign was kicked off during #NoStrawNovember, Partnership Program, such as Susan Spicer, Tenney a nationwide movement that asked people who don’t Flynn, Ryan Prewitt, Brian Landry, and Kristen Essig, need them to refuse plastic straws for 30 days. offered irresistible dishes highlighting sustainable local seafood. Dinner was served in front of the Aquarium’s Audubon also hosted the “Ocean Heroes Bootcamp,” stunning 400,000-gallon Gulf of Mexico habitat. Proceeds a grassroots movement to turn kids into plastic-fighting from the dinners support G.U.L.F.’s efforts to keep local superheroes, and received a Healthy Communities Grant seafood sustainable. The popular program will continue from Keep Louisiana Beautiful for Audubon’s “Teach Wild: in 2019. A Lesson on Marine Debris” educational program. 8 Survival Center