2019 Annual Report
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Audubon Nature Institute 2019 Annual Report 1 From the President 2019 was a year to connect guests with Audubon’s mission of saving species—new exhibits, new ways to meet animals up close, and new additions to our animal family. At the Zoo we opened a new lion habitat and welcomed the birth of a critically endangered Sumatran orangutan. The Survival Center enjoyed a baby boom, and the Aquarium added cownose and blue-spotted rays. We also created enriching experiences for our greater New Orleans community, expanding access to the magic of an Audubon adventure through our Audubon Community Connect program. In 2019, nearly 40,000 guests visited Audubon facilities free of charge through initiatives like Orleans Parish Appreciation Days and the New Orleans Public Library Audubon Museum Partner Pass. Audubon’s passion for protecting the environment spurred individual community members to make an impact and participate in initiatives like Plastic Free July. More than 500 participants from across New Orleans joined Audubon in this challenge to reduce single-use plastics and protect marine animals—keeping more than 10,000 pieces of plastic from our waterways. Our 2019 Annual Report reflects our greatest accomplishments of the year, all made possible by you—our donors, Members, guests, and community. From everyone here at Audubon Nature Institute, thank you for being an essential part of our family. L. Ronald Forman President and CEO Audubon Nature Institute Board / Commission / Foundation Page 2 Our Mission Page 3 Audubon 2019 Page 4 Financial Summary Page 33 Donor Acknowledgments Page 34 Stay Connected Page 43 1 Audubon Nature Institute Audubon Commission Audubon Nature Institute Board of Directors Mission and Purpose Audubon Nature Institute J. Kelly Duncan: President is a 501(c)3 not for profit Daniel O. Conwill IV: First Vice President that operates a family of Lynes R. Sloss: Chairman museums and parks Boysie Bollinger: Second Vice President Dr. Willard Dumas, D.D.S.: First Vice Chair Purpose Celebrating the Wonders of Nature dedicated to nature. Linda G. Baum: Secretary Mark C. Romig: Second Vice Chair D. Brent Wood: Treasurer Vincent J. Palumbo: Recording Secretary Vision Creating a family of museums Bart Farris: Corresponding Secretary Gayle Benson and parks dedicated to nature Leslie Gottsegen, D.D.S.: Treasurer Storey Charbonnet Wilmer Jacobs: Parliamentarian Leila Eames Christopher Bardell: Immediate Past Chairman Mission Eight objectives support our mission: Frances G. Fayard • Provide a guest experience of outstanding quality. Ashley Francis Leah Brown Bruce R. Hoefer Jr. Caroline Calhoun • Exhibit the diversity of wildlife. Alexander Kelso Hunter Cazes • Preserve native Louisiana habitats. Freddie King III Henry L. Coaxum Jr. • Educate our diverse audience about the natural world. Beth Lambert Angus Cooper • Enhance the care and survival of wildlife through research and conservation. Olivia Manning Ludovico Feoli • Provide opportunities for recreation in natural settings. Catherine Morrell Deirdre O. Hooper, M.D. • Operate a financially self-sufficient collection of museums and parks. Minh Thanh Nguyen Joseph A. Jaeger Jr. • Weave quality entertainment through the guest experience. Field Ogden, M.D. Steve Kupperman Coleman Ridley Dennis Lauscha Norma Jane Sabiston Anne Long • Audubon Park and Riverview Sally Shushan Nolan Marshall Our family • Audubon Zoo Charles C. Teamer Quentin Messer • Audubon Aquarium of the Americas Peter E. Moss II of museums • Entergy Giant Screen Theater John Nickens and parks • Woldenberg Riverfront Park Steve Perry • Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium Audubon Nature Institute Ransdell Prieur dedicated • Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center Julie Quinn Foundation Board to nature • Audubon Louisiana Nature Center Nathalie Simon • Audubon Wilderness Park Boysie Bollinger: Chairman Cleveland Spears Charles C. Teamer Sr.: Vice Chairman Susu Stall Bernard Van der Linden Linda G. Baum Thomas D. Westfeldt Catherine H. Cary Qiana Wiggins Dr. Willard Dumas, D.D.S. Leslie Gottsegen, D.D.S. Joseph A. Jaeger Jr. Peter E. Moss II Lynes R. Sloss ACCREDITED Audubon Zoo ACCREDITED Audubon Aquarium of the Americas CERTIFIED Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center 2 3 SAVING SPECIES IMPACT Louisiana Pine Snakes Audubon staff released three Louisiana pine snakes into the Kisatchie National Forest this past fall. With only around 200 individuals left in the wild, this threatened 150+ species is the rarest snake in the United States. As Species Survival Audubon is one of four main breeding facilities for this Programs in which species, your support is critical to ensuring the Louisiana Audubon Nature pine snake survives. Institute participates 73 Cownose Rays Tomistomas Threatened species 14 cownose rays were Three tomistoma eggs in the Zoo’s care born at Audubon Aquarium were laid and incubated of the Americas in 2019. at Audubon Zoo in 2019. These were welcome With these, the Zoo has additions for these hatched a total of 15 near-threatened rays. tomistomas since 2014, Welcome, Bulan 24 making it one of the most Feliz, the matriarch of Audubon Zoo’s Sumatran orangutan group, gave birth to a female Threatened species successful zoos in the U.S. infant under a full moon on July 17, 2019. Animal care staff chose the name “Bulan” for the in the Aquarium’s to reproduce this species! care infant because it means “moon” in Bahasa Indonesia. This is Feliz’s second offspring— she welcomed her first offspring, Menari, also at Audubon Zoo, in 2009. In addition to Feliz and Menari, the Zoo’s Sumatran orangutan habitat is also home to juvenile female Reese and male Jambi, Bulan’s father. Audubon’s orangutans are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Program, and with every birth of a critically endangered species like this, we hope zoo visitors will connect with a species on the brink of extinction and want to start making the little changes in their lives to help save them. 4 5 LIONS IMPACT The Roar Returns Audubon Zoo opened a brand-new spacious lion habitat in the spring that was made possible through a generous donation from philanthropists Joy and Boysie Bollinger. 5.6% The design gives panoramic views of the habitat along Lift in Zoo attendance with places for up-close glimpses of the majestic animals and educational demonstrations. The habitat is home to three lionesses and one male with room to accommodate cubs, which is fortunate, since one lioness was expecting 17,905,178 at the end of the year! Impressions through Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the 2019 “The Roar Has Bringing Protecting Returned” Campaign Conservation the Pride Home Audubon honored the new arrivals and their wild In honor of New Orleans’ cousins by contributing newest big cat residents, $10,000 to the Wildlife the Zoo and Louisiana Conservation Society’s SPCA teamed up to Lion Recovery Fund as encourage community part of Disney’s “Protect members to adopt cats of the Pride” campaign to their own, offering a free save lions in the wild Zoo ticket to everyone whose population has who adopted a feline friend plummeted to half in just in May. 25 years. 6 7 Liem, Audubon Zoo’s A new honeypot other conservation organizations, including Liem the Welcome to the Family new Malayan tiger ant exhibit debuted Malayan tiger, a two-toed sloth, a female babirusa Audubon celebrated new births throughout the year, arrived from Seattle’s at Audubon named BB, a pair of red river hogs, a Baird’s tapir including Bulan, the critically endangered Sumatran Woodland Park Zoo. Butterflly Garden named Ixchel, a Wolf’s guenon named Fontina, a orangutan you read about in a previous section, three Bumi, the Zoo’s and Insectarium. golden lion tamarin named Brazil, an armadillo named tomistomas, a porcupette (a baby prehensile-tailed previous Malayan Honeypot ants do Louise, and three lace monitors. At the Aquarium, porcupine), three Home’s hinge-backed tortoises (the tiger, moved to not make honey, Woodland Park Zoo hooded Merganser ducks and blue-spotted stingrays rather, they make first successful hatching of this species at Audubon as part of a breeding joined the family. honey-like liquids Zoo), Ruby the barasingha deer fawn, and nine recommendation by that are stored in the annulated tree boas at the Zoo as well as cownose The Association of At the end of the year, the Butterfly Garden and ants themselves! and yellow stingrays, yellow seahorses, and euphyra Zoos and Aquariums Insectarium added a colony of honeypot ants in (swimming moon jellyfish) at the Aquarium. Species Survival the Main Hall, across from the popular leafcutter Plan. At Woodland ant exhibit. The colony was generously donated The Species Survival Center enjoyed a baby boom Park Zoo, Bumi by Isaac’s Ant Foundation—a heartfelt thanks to consisting of giraffe, sable antelope, bongo, eland, will be partnered the Foundation for giving New Orleans this piece sitatunga, whooping cranes, and Mississippi sandhill with a genetically of Isaac’s legacy. Honeypot ants are usually found cranes. You’ll read more on the next page about the compatible female in arid or semi-arid habitats, and the species breeding and release programs for the whooping and in hopes that he (Myrmecocystus mexicanus) on display at the Mississippi sandhill cranes. will contribute to Butterfly Garden and Insectarium comes from the Malayan tiger particularly hot, dry parts of the southwestern In addition to the lion pride, the Zoo also welcomed population. United States. some new members of the Audubon family from 8 9 Whooping cranes Answering the Call are an endangered In November, Audubon worked with the Louisiana species that neared Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to transfer extinction in the 11 whooping crane chicks—four of which were 1940s. Audubon hatched and reared at Freeport-McMoRan has been a leader Audubon Species Survival Center—into the White in conservation of these birds and Lake Wetlands Conservation Area in Southwest continues to work Louisiana, bringing the number of whooping cranes on their behalf living in the wild in Louisiana to 80.