to save wildlife - minnesota zoomnzoo.org/pdfs/ar15_calendarlr.pdf · animals, bison were hunted to...

wildlifeto save

report to the community

White-cheeked Gibbon~Tropics Trail

IMAGINE

Imagine millions of bison thundering across America’s vast prairies. Once numbering 30 to 60 million animals, bison were hunted to near extinction until fewer than 1,000 remained. Today, there are more than 500,000 bison in North America (mostly on private ranches) but only 20,000 or so are managed for conservation. The Minnesota Zoo, in partnership with others, is helping to preserve this American icon.

IMAGINE

Imagine when kids ran out the door on a cool summer morning and returned as the sun went down—spending the day exploring fields and forests, digging and damming the pond, and finding a family of salamanders in the window well. The Minnesota Zoo wants all kids to have those magical experiences—that’s why we opened Hanifl Family Wild Woods.

IMAGINE

Imagine a young girl whose passion is finding frogs, building model airplanes, or designing websites. The Minnesota Zoo is igniting that passion for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in young girls thanks to a partnership with SciGirls. This Emmy award-winning PBS TV show engages girls in STEM learning and careers. The Zoo is making STEM accessible and fun for girls—and for everyone!

These are the stories —and photos—of your zoo. THE MINNESOTA ZOO. We thank the State of Minnesota and our donors, members, and guests for their 2015 support of our work and helping us deliver another strong year for the Minnesota Zoo. We are proud to connect people, animals, and the natural world to save wildlife.

TO SAVE WILDLIFEimagine

partnerTO SAVE WILDLIFE

Black Rhino~Namibia

Last year, poachers in South Africa killed on average one rhino every eight hours, driven by the black market demand for rhino horn. In Namibia, just northwest of South Africa, Minnesota Zoo Conservation Biologist Jeff Muntifering continued his work to help protect these majestic and critically endangered animals. In partnership with Save the Rhino Trust, the Zoo and others established the Rhino Ranger Program to improve rhino security and shift the value communities place on rhinos to keep them alive.

This past year, the program achieved several significant milestones. Eight new Rhino Rangers were added, leading to 100 percent coverage of the black rhinos’ range throughout the rugged Kunene region. Total ranger field days and rhino sightings increased by 51 percent and 60 percent respectively. A greater ranger presence deters poachers and increases rhino safety. In 2015, the region experienced only three known rhino poaching cases, compared to 13 the prior year.

From January through Labor Day this year, Minnesota Zoo guests will be invited to make donations when they visit to help us continue our work to save the desert black rhino.

Minnesota Zoo Foundation Trustee Chet Ellingson and his wife (and Zoo volunteer) Sharon have supported the Zoo’s efforts to protect the black rhino for the past three years. “We don’t want to see rhinos disappear on our watch,” says Chet. “That’s why we support the Zoo.”

donor profile

partnerTO SAVE WILDLIFE

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31

january 2016

New Year’s Day

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Adult Night Out-Our World Speaker Series

createTO SAVE WILDLIFE

Roseate Spoonbill~Tropics Trail

The Zoo is always looking for better ways to connect guests with animals, and one way to do that is by enhancing and expanding its exhibits. This past year, Zoo staff redesigned and rebuilt the South American aviary on the Tropics Trail, and the result is stunning.

A waterfall-fed pool for wading is surrounded by more than one hundred plants and trees for nesting. The exhibit also features better viewing for Zoo guests and a renovated workspace for zookeepers. In addition, the aviary features three new species —the elegant sunbittern, the flamboyant roseate spoonbill, and the striking Venezuelan troupial.

The exhibit now holds25 birds representing eight different species, six of which are part of Species Survival Plans (SSPs). SSPs are cooperative breeding programs that help maintain the sustainability of species in zoos and provide support and research for their counterparts in the wild.

Thanks to general operating support from Cargill, the Zoo has the financial resources to meet some of its most critical needs – from caring for its birds along the Tropics Trail, to providing innovative and fun educational programs to more than 500,000 people annually, to helping to protect bison here in Minnesota.

donor profile

createTO SAVE WILDLIFE


1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29

february 2016

Groundhog Day

Friends EventRediscover Discovery Bay

Summer Zoo Camp Registration Begins

Tropical Beach Party -Opening Weekend of the Giant Sandbox

Valentine’s Day

Presidents’ Day

School’s Out Camps

AZUL’s Warm Up in the Wild

discoverTO SAVE WILDLIFE

Hawaiian Monk Seal~Discovery Bay

Discovery Bay, the Zoo’s UnitedHealthcare Marine Education Center, inspires curiosity, empathy, pride, and action on behalf of our ocean’s wildlife. After many months of renovations, the Zoo invited guests to “Rediscover Discovery Bay” with the arrival of five critically endangered and non-releasable Hawaiian monk seals. With fewer than 1,100 Hawaiian monk seals remaining in the wild, the Minnesota Zoo is the only place outside Hawaii where the public can see these endangered animals and learn what they can do to help protect monk seals and other marine life. Nani, Koa, Ola, Paki, and Opua are serving as ambassadors for their species to the only species that has the power to save them – us! The Zoo also refurbished its small aquariums which are now a living art gallery with hypnotic jellyfish, adorable seahorses, magical sea dragons, and a live coral tank.

For 15-year-old Will and 10-year-old Matt, the Minnesota Zoo is the place where they attend camps, see IMAX movies with Dad, and visit Mom at work. The Zoo is also where they voted to give their family dollars last year. The Conness family made a gift to the Zoo’s Member Monk Seal campaign to help bring these beautiful and endangered animalsto Minnesota.

donor profile

discoverTO SAVE WILDLIFE


1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31

march 2016

Last Day of the Giant Sandbox

Daylight Saving Time Begins St. Patrick’s Day


Palm Sunday

First Day of SpringSpring Break Zoo Camps Begin

Good Friday

Farm Babies Begins

Easter

investigateTO SAVE WILDLIFE

Asian Wild Horse~Northern Trail

A herd of Asian wild horses stands defiant in the grasslands of Mongolia. The only truly wild horse species left on the planet, the Asian wild horse was pushed to extinction in the wild in the 1960s. But fortunately, a breeding program saved this species, allowing them to be reintroduced to their native habitat. Today, more than 80 Asian wild horses living in Mongolia are descendants of Amraa, a stallion that once lived at the Minnesota Zoo.

Overall, nearly 500 Asian wild horses roam the grasslands of China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan. The wild horses face extremely harsh winters and compete with domestic livestock for food. To secure a future for Amraa’s descendants in the wild, the Zoo partnered with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and Hustai Nuruu National Park in Mongolia to launch the True Wild Horse Campaign. Funds raised are helping Zoo staff investigate why the reintroduced horses are not expanding their range and increasing their numbers. Through this research, the Zoo and others hope to find new ways to ensure the continued survival of these animals in the wild.

Longtime Minnesota Zoo donor Dr. Michelle Biros will travel this year to Hustai Nuruu National Park in Mongolia to see firsthand the Zoo’s field conservation efforts to protect the Asian wild horse. Her gifts to the True Wild Horse Campaign are supporting the placement of GPS collars on the horses to determine where future habitat enhancements should be directed within the park.

donor profile

investigateTO SAVE WILDLIFE april 2016


1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Spring Break Zoo Camps End

Friends Event Farm Babies

Passover Begins

Earth Day


Arbor Day Farm Babies Ends

learnTO SAVE WILDLIFE

Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle~Discovery Bay

In 2015, a record number of participants attended Zoo Camp—4,761 people in 319 different sessions! Campers ranged from preschoolers to senior adults and participated in wide-ranging activities, such as horseback riding, fossil hunting, photography, up-close animal encounters, survival training, and more. “Girls Rule” is a newer Zoo Camp for 5th and 6th grade girls. During this week-long camp, girls were encouraged to think creatively about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers at the Zoo while having fun and connecting with animals. “Girls Rule” is a partnership with SciGirls, an organization created by PBS to inspire more girls to get excited about science and engineering fields. “Girls Rule” campers talked with female zookeepers and veterinarians, took behind-the-scenes tours and got up-close encounters with animals, such as our rescued sea turtles, and helped prepare animal enrichment activities.

During Zoo Camp, Zoo donor Banfield Pet Hospital provided fun, interactive activities through their FutureVet program to help children learn about pet healthcare and veterinary medicine. Thanks to the partnership with Banfield Pet Hospital, the Zoo is helping to ensure the proper treatment of family pets and animals in our communities.

donor profile

learnTO SAVE WILDLIFE may 2016


1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

Cinco de Mayo

Macy’s Mother’s Day Weekend

28th AnnualBeastly Ball

Macy’s Mother’s Day Weekend

AZUL’s Wild Night

Dinos! and Treetop Adventure Park Open

Memorial DayPreschool Zoo Camps Begin

growTO SAVE WILDLIFE

White Peacock~Aveda® Butterfly Garden

Pollinators are powerful! Birds, bees, and butterflies play a crucial role in sustaining about 75 percent of the world’s flowering plants and 35 percent of the world’s crops. However, around the world, animals that pollinate plants and crops are in decline. In Minnesota, prairie butterflies like the Poweshiek skipperling and the Dakota skipper have been hit especially hard.

This past year, the Zoo expanded its efforts to protect these once-abundant little butterflies, successfully raising Dakota skippers for a complete generation and then breeding them at the Zoo. It’s the first time this has been accomplished by anyone! You can help pollinators, too. Visit the Zoo’s Plant for Pollinators page atmnzoo.org and start planting!

Minnesota Zoo Board Trustee Cynthia Arnold is a founding member of the Director’s Circle, an influential group of like-minded individuals who donate $1,000 or more during the year to support projects such as the Prairie Butterfly Conservation Program. Thanks to Cynthia and others, the Zoo is learning the causes of these species’ population declines and helping with recovery efforts.

donor profile

growTO SAVE WILDLIFE june 2016


1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30

DreamNight

Zoo Camps Begin Adult Night Out

Aveda Butterfly Garden Opens

Cub’s Father’s DayFirst Day of Summer

Director’s CircleZoo Crawl

playTO SAVE WILDLIFE

Prairie Dog~Northern Trail

Remember when playing outside all day was the summertime norm for kids? Today’s kids are not experiencing the outdoors nearly as much as past generations. That’s why the Zoo opened Hanifl Family Wild Woods—to encourage kids to get outside, get dirty, and explore—just like the prairie dogs on the Northern Trail.

Hanifl Family Wild Woods offers 30,000 square feet for climbing, digging, balancing, and discovering the extraordinary wonders of nature. Studies show that interacting with nature fosters creativity, confidence, and curiosity. Not only that, but it plants the seeds for a life-long commitment to conservation, ensuring that generations to come will grow up with an appreciation for the natural world.

Suzanne Hanifl loves children and the outdoors. So what could be more fitting than a gift from the Paul and Suzanne Hanifl Foundation in support of a place that’s all about kids and nature? Thanks to the Hanifls, their children Kerry, Darren and Sharon, and others, Zoo kids are finding fairy houses, making music, and building forts, all while experiencing the wonders of the natural world in Hanifl Family Wild Woods.

donor profile

playTO SAVE WILDLIFE july 2016


1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31

Military Family Summer Promotion Begins

Independence Day

Military Family Summer Promotion Ends

Farmers’ Market Opens Adult Night Out

stick togetherTO SAVE WILDLIFE

Gray Wolf~Minnesota Trail

TO SAVE WILDLIFE

A savage wildfire raged across Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula in May 2014, leaving over 200,000 acres of wilderness devastated in its wake. At the edge of the fire line, five two-week-old wolf pups huddled in their den along with a very frightened porcupine.

The orphaned pups were rescued by the Gannett Glacier Fire Crew and brought to the Alaska Zoo where they received care until a permanent home could be found. Today, home is the Zoo’s Medtronic Minnesota Trail where Gannett, Hooper, Huslia, Stebbius, and X-Ray are symbols of our Zoo’s extraordinary care for rescued animals that cannot be returned to the wild.

In 2015, Delta Air Lines played a key role in the support of the Minnesota Zoo’s conservation efforts by providing complimentary transport of animals as well as travel for our staff. Thank you to Delta Air Lines for its worldwide efforts to connect people, animals, and the natural world to save wildlife.

donor profile

stick togetheraugust 2016


1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30 31

Brew at the Zoo

Adult Night Out

Tiger Tracks 5K & Kids’ Run

Farmers’ Market Ends

engageTO SAVE WILDLIFE

Amur Leopard~Northern Trail

As our state’s zoo, the Minnesota Zoo aspires to serve all citizens. The 1.2 million guests who visited the Zoo in fiscal year 2015 included people of all ages and abilities and from all economic and ethnic backgrounds. The Zoo embraces diversity and inclusion to ensure that all Zoo experiences connect people, animals, and the natural world to save wildlife.

The Zoo distributed more than 120,000 free admission passes to economically-disadvantaged Minnesotans in all 87 counties. We partnered with the Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) and offered four summer camps for youth with autism spectrum disorders. American Sign Language (ASL) Day served hundreds of deaf and hearing impaired students by offering interpretive programs in ASL. And, the 7th annual DreamNight—an exclusive free evening at the Zoo for families who have children with disabilities or special health care needs—attracted more than 3,200 people, a 22 percent increase over the previous year.

For the past three years, the Zoo has partnered with the Taishoff Family Foundation which supports DreamNight and inspires notes like this: “Both kids of ours are cancer survivors so we love every chance we can get to make memories that are outside hospital stays and clinics.” Thank you Taishoff for making these memories possible!

donor profile

engage TO SAVE WILDLIFE september 2016


1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30

Labor Day

Dinos! and Aveda Butterfly Garden Close

Grandparent’s Day Adult Night Out

First Day of Autumn

honorTO SAVE WILDLIFE

American Plains Bison~Northern Trail

Bison have made a resounding comeback from near extinction in the 1800s, but a silent threat remains—cattle genes. In the early 1900s, some bison were intentionally bred with domestic cattle. Descendants of these crosses carry a mixture of genes that potentially alter their appearance and ability to thrive in the bison’s native range. Today, it is estimated that less than one percent of remaining American plains bison are free of cattle genes.

In collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Minnesota Zoo is helping to conserve the American plains bison by managing the Minnesota Bison Conservation Herd at the Zoo, Blue Mounds State Park, and Minneopa State Park. In September, three bison from the Zoo and eight from Blue Mounds were released into Minneopa, where visitors now can see them roaming the expansive native prairie. The Zoo will continue to release its yearlings into state parks and prairies to help ensure a future for one of our nation’s most enduring and sacred wildlife icons.

Sharing always has been a deeply respected cultural tradition of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC). And true to this belief, in 2015, SMSC gave a grant to the Zoo in support of its bison conservation herd. The last wild bison observedin Minnesota was in 1880. Thank you SMSC for supporting efforts to preserve the American plains bison.

donor profile

honorTO SAVE WILDLIFE october 2016


1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31

Rosh Hashanah Begins Adult Night Out

Columbus Day Yom Kippur Begins

HallZooWeen

HallZooWeen HallZooWeen

HallZooWeen

Halloween

HallZooWeen Members Only

exploreTO SAVE WILDLIFE

Canada Lynx~Medtronic MinnesotaTrail

The Minnesota Zoo is not just for kids! In 2015 the Zoo rolled out a variety of new programs for adults only who love to explore the natural world. Guests 18 years old and up attended behind-the-scene tours, heard from wildlife experts, and learned tips and tricks-of-the-trade from photography experts. AZUL, the Zoo’s young professionals’ organization that is passionate about saving wildlife, also welcomed new members and friends to their programs, events, and advocacy efforts.

Some Zoo guests ventured far beyond the Zoo itself and joined staff on amazing trips around the world. Twelve women traveled to Uganda and Rwanda to learn about and see mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, lions, hippos, and more. Whether traveling half-way around the world or visiting northern Minnesota to track wolves, Zoo members, donors, and guests who experienced animals in the wild returned home inspired to help save wildlife.

For Linda and Ken Cutler, the Zoo is an important part of their lives. Ken served on the Zoo Board for 12 years, becoming Board Chair in 2009. They have traveled to Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Uganda, and Rwanda on three Zoo trips. And they have been steadfast donors to the Zoo since 1991 and members of the Circle of Life Society which recognizes those who have included the Zoo in their estate plans.

donor profile

exploreTO SAVE WILDLIFE november 2016


1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30

Daylight Saving Time Ends Election Day

Veterans Day

Military Family Winter Promotion Begins

Donor Appreciation Day

Give to the Max Day

Thanksgiving Day

Zoo Closed

join the funTO SAVE WILDLIFE

African Penguin~South Entry

TO SAVE WILDLIFE

The Minnesota Zoo hosts a wide range of events throughout the year—from the glitz and glamour of the annual Beastly Ball to the exhilaration of the Tiger Tracks 5K and Kids Run. Guests also enjoy the comradery and vintages of Wild About Wine, the outdoor fun of the William David Romans Golf Classic, and the craft beers and local music of Brew at the Zoo.

Thanks to all those who “partied with a purpose” by attending fund-raising events last year, the Zoo raised more than $750,000 for its operations and wildlife conservation—all while giving guests extraordinarily good times.

If there is a fund-raising event for the Zoo, Celeste and Bob Rekieta have joined in the celebration. Whether it’s Beastly Ball or the Golf Classic, the Rekietas are always guests and generous donors whose gifts support Zoo operations, conservation, and children at play. They also share their commitment to our Zoo with others. Celeste recently created a fund-raising page for the Zoo and wrote:“We love our zoo.”

donor profile

join the fundecember 2016


1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31First Day of Winter Hanukkah Begins

Christmas

Zoo Closed Kwanzaa BeginsNational Visit a Zoo Day New Year’s Eve

Minnesota Zoo13000 Zoo BoulevardApple Valley, MN 55124952.431.9200mnzoo.org

2015 ANNUAL REPORT PRODUCTION

editorMelissa Parker Lindsay

graphic designKim Quam

photographersBob ColeChet EllingsonChris ForslinScott RoemhildtDarcy Sime

Gary Fink loves tigers. Since 2001, Gary and his wife JoAnn have supported a variety of tiger-related projects and programs at the Zoo. This past year, their gift funded work to save tigers in the Russian Far East as part of the Zoo’s Tiger Conservation Campaign. Thank you Gary and JoAnn!

donor profile

TO SAVE WILDLIFEIt’s up to us – all of us.

In the last 10 years, our planet likely has lost in the wild the little blue macaw, the Yangtze river dolphin, the stunning Madeiran large white butterfly, and the West African black rhino. And this list is but a fraction. More than half of the world’s wildlife has vanished in the past 40 years, including many wild tigers.

Since 1900, the wild tiger population has decreased by more than 95 percent —from approximately 100,000 to less than 3,200. They have disappeared from at least 11 countries. They could be gone from the wild in your child’s lifetime.

Join us to build a future for wild tigers—for all wild animals.

Learn how you can help save wildlife by visiting the Minnesota Zoo. We thank you for your support.

to save wildlife - minnesota zoomnzoo.org/pdfs/ar15_calendarlr.pdf · animals, bison were hunted to...

Documents