Fall 2014 | Oregon Zoo Foundation From the interim director Creating a world-class elephant habitat When was your last providing guests with exciting new viewing Since the birth of Packy in 1962, than the current elephant habitat, visit to the Oregon opportunities. the Oregon Zoo’s elephants have it will extend around the eastern Zoo? Chances are, inspired millions of visitors to edge of the zoo and encompass These important projects are funded by you came away appreciate and care about wildlife. rolling meadows, 4-foot-deep sand the 2008 zoo bond and demonstrate the awestruck by the In February 2014, the celebrated yards and one of the world’s largest zoo’s commitment to fulfill our promise to wonder and beauty of herd stepped into a new era when indoor elephant facilities, offering voters: increasing capacity for conservation the animals and their they walked into the first portion of stunning views of the Oregon education, protecting animal health and surroundings. Our their new habitat, Elephant Lands. Zoo herd. safety, and improving sustainability through The most ambitious project in the mission is to inspire “To thrive at the Oregon Zoo, new exhibits. Oregon Zoo’s 125-year history, our guests to take action on their behalf. elephants need to move, interact As part of Metro, the zoo continues to play Elephant Lands brings together The past year has been one of the most with other members of the herd a central role in preserving the region’s science-based care and thoughtful pivotal in Oregon Zoo history. Thanks and the males need to be able to natural beauty and supporting a thriving design to produce an amazing to support from our community, we come in and out of the herd as economy. I invite you to learn more about exhibit that will delight and educate accomplished several key projects. We they do in the wild,” said Bob Lee, the projects that will define the zoo for visitors for generations to come. began construction on Elephant Lands—a the zoo’s elephant curator. “This the next generation in this report and at world-class habitat that sets a new bar Construction of Elephant habitat provides elephants with oregonzoo.org. for elephant welfare and education—and Lands began in 2013, and the the opportunity to do all of that. It opened the new Condors of the Columbia project is scheduled for completion also lets us at the zoo apply our five exhibit, the result of our decade-long effort in 2015. The zoo is building the decades of knowledge about what 15,000 to bring this important species back from exhibit thanks to the community- works for elephants and make the supported zoo bond measure habitat as functional and purposeful near extinction. Soon, the refurbished zoo Teri Dresler, Oregon Zoo interim director Cubic yards of sand train will run along a reconfigured route passed in 2008. Four times larger as possible.” at Elephant Lands for maintaining healthy feet Engaging the community Zoo train returns The Zoo Animal Presenter (ZAP) program entered its 15th year After a yearlong hiatus, the zoo railway is set to reopen to the in 2014, marking a decade and a half of providing teens from public—just in time to carry visitors along a brand new route for underserved communities with valuable work experience while the 2014 ZooLights season. strengthening their connection to the natural world. In June, the Oregon Zoo sent the Centennial steam locomotive A demonstration of the zoo’s educational mission, the three-year and the iconic Zooliner to Pacific Power Group in Ridgefield, paid internship program gives young adults exposure to careers Washington for repairs and refurbishing. Over the summer, in education and the natural sciences and empowers them Pacific Power’s experts gave the engines a total overhaul— to become positive role models in their own neighborhoods. installing a new smoke box and steel frame carriage on the “Without the skills I learned at ZAP, I wouldn’t have accomplished Centennial and giving the Zooliner a new diesel engine with all the goals I had set out for myself in high school,” said ZAP advanced emissions-control technology. Both trains received alum Tatiana Umaña. “The ZAP program allows teens to find custom paintwork to spruce them up while retaining their themselves in a way they never thought of before.” historic attributes. ZAP members provide live animal outreach programming to At the same time, construction crews were hard at work children and families across the Metro region—as of 2014, nearly updating a route that hadn’t changed since the trains first Zoo train engines receive new parts and a fresh paint job 93,000 local young children had participated in a presentation carried zoo visitors more than 50 years ago. The new half-mile at Pacific Power Group in Ridgefield, Washington. delivered by a ZAP member. ZAP partners with social service $1,579,432 loop will circle an elevated trestle in the forest north of Elephant agencies to engage diverse audiences that would not typically Lands, offering spectacular views of the ZooLights display receive conservation education, primarily residents of diverse, Total support from the Oregon Zoo and Portland’s famous pachyderms when the spacious low-income neighborhoods where ZAP members live. Foundation for Zoo Animal Presenter and North Meadow section of their new habitat opens in 2015. Urban Nature Overnight programs, 2000-2014 2 3 Restoring species in our backyard and beyond The Oregon Zoo’s impact on wildlife reaches far beyond Washington Park—extending to habitats across the western United States where Western pond turtle the zoo is partnering with conservation groups, government agencies Destruction of wetland habitat has severely reduced the Building and other zoos to restore populations of imperiled native species. western pond turtle population. The zoo participates in a head-starting project to help vulnerable hatchling turtles avoid conservation predators in early life. connections Future for Formed in 2013, the Oregon Zoo’s Wildlife turns 15 Conservation Action Over the past 15 years, the Team, or CAT, is working Oregon spotted frog Dailman Lake Future for Wildlife program to inspire people to Once common in the Pacific Northwest, the Oregon spotted frog has has grown from a small effort take action on behalf of Sagebrush Flat Wildlife Area disappeared from 95 percent of its range, largely due to habitat loss and to protect penguins in Peru wildlife. When families the negative impact of invasive species such as the American bullfrog. Pierce National Wildlife Refuge into a worldwide conservation stop for a few moments Cascade Head Since 1998, the zoo has worked with conservation partners to monitor, Beacon Rock State Park program for threatened and to see animals and Rock Creek study and recover populations of these amphibians. Bray Point endangered species and explore exhibits, CAT ecosystems. has the opportunity to provide information Community support about the threats that has played a crucial role issues like the illegal Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit throughout the program’s ivory trade and palm Widespread conversion of sagebrush lands for agriculture history. In 1998, Dr. David oil production pose to Oregon silverspot butterfly pushed the Columbia Basin population of North America’s Shepherdson, the zoo’s sensitive habitats. The species once fluttered across prairies west of the Cascade Mountains, from smallest rabbit to the brink of extinction. By 2002, only deputy conservation manager, visited Punta San Juan, Peru, The Conservation British Columbia through Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Today, 99 percent of 16 pygmy rabbits remained in Washington. The zoo is where he learned about Action Team is a diverse the silverspot’s range has become farmland, pasture and city. The zoo and its working to restore this species, and in 2011—for the first the desperate need for collection of zoo staff conservation partners are working to revegetate its range and at the same time in more than a decade—the Columbia Basin pygmy funding to protect a colony and volunteers that time, rear and release butterflies to increase wild populations. rabbit bred and gave birth in its historic range. of endangered Humboldt includes zookeepers, penguins. When he returned conservation scientists to the zoo, he worked with and members of the Oregon Zoo Foundation the education and to raise funds for the project, communications forming the basis of the Future teams. By focusing on Big Sur Pinnacles National Park for Wildlife program. initiatives with a direct Los Padres zoo connection, the Today, Future for Wildlife is an National Forest Vermilion Cliffs Conservation Action Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly ongoing partnership between Almost two centuries of agriculture and urban growth in its native habitat National Monument Team is able to engage the zoo and the foundation crowded out this butterfly. As of 2009, its range was limited to 12 isolated visitors about the that provides grants to local sites in Washington, two in Oregon and one in Canada. The zoo is rearing challenges facing the and global conservation and releasing checkerspot butterflies to build populations and restore species they see at California condor efforts. Over the years, Future this pollinator to the remaining areas of its historic range. By 1987, the entire California condor population had been the zoo. for Wildlife grants have helped reduced to 22 individuals. Today, lead poisoning poses protect species ranging from a significant threat to these endangered birds. The zoo the California condor to the operates a condor breeding facility at the Jonsson Center giant panda. for Wildlife Conservation in Clackamas County. 4 5 New condor habitat demonstrates commitment to conservation Each day, the Oregon Zoo builds connections California condors are the largest land birds Opening one year to the day after its 2013 between people and animals—informing in North America, and they once ranged groundbreaking, the $2.3 million project was visitors, spurring action and supporting from British Columbia to Baja California completed on schedule and under budget.