chairman’s note
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL OFFICERS
Food & Wine Celebration and the Wildlife Conservancy
W
e have one of our big events taking place this month: the San Diego Zoo Food & Wine Celebration presented by Cymer, on September 27 (note the change in date from what was originally published in the ZOONOOZ calendar). Longtime members may remember it as Celebration for the Critters, and it continues to be a wonderful party at the Zoo that helps us raise funds for new exhibits and projects. This year’s celebration will benefit the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy, which supports our conservation efforts locally and globally. There will be more than 150 food and beverage vendors, several stages with live music, our Critter Casino, a silent auction with great items to bid on, and, of course, animal presentations, including one by Joan Embery. Visit sandiegozoo. org/zoo/celebration for all the details. In benefiting our Wildlife Conservancy, this year’s Food & Wine Celebration will support projects to help many endangered species, all in keeping with our new vision to lead the fight against extinction. As you saw in the July issue of ZOONOOZ, our 2014 Reasons for Hope demonstrate what can be accomplished if we all pull together, especially with your support. • Mountain yellow-legged frogs are recovering after wildfires, and Zoo-raised frogs are breeding in the wild. • The population of giant pandas has increased, with 300 in zoos and breeding centers that can sustain genetic diversity for the species. • Seeds from the endangered Tecate cypress have been preserved at our Seed Bank, a contingency against losing this species to wildfires or disease in the future. • Healthy populations of Tasmanian devils are being established to protect them from facial tumor disease. • More than 50 California condors now join the population every year, and 12 to 15 chicks now hatch in the wild annually. • Pacific pocket mice are reproducing, and the youngsters will eventually be released to their native Southern California habitat. • More than 175 Anegada iguanas have been released on their island home, nearly doubling the population. • Community groups have been established in Cameroon’s Ebo forest and are actively working to monitor and protect the rare Ebo gorillas. • The critically endangered mangrove finch has bred for the first time in managed care, and the chicks are being acclimated for release. • The total population of alala has increased from 22 birds to 108, thanks to a breeding program at our Keauhou and Maui bird conservation centers. These are only some of the conservation projects we are involved in around the globe. To discover more about our conservation work and what your support makes possible, I encourage you to visit our newly redesigned Wildlife Conservancy website at sandiegozooglobal.org. I also hope you’ll consider joining the cause as a Wildlife Hero. After all, it’s you who can truly make a difference for the animals. Thank you!
Rick Gulley Chairman
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ZOONOOZ
SEPTEMBER 2014
Richard B. Gulley, Chairman William H. May, Vice Chairman Sandra A. Brue, Secretary Robert B. Horsman, Treasurer
BOARD OF TRUSTEES M. Javade Chaudhri Berit N. Durler Clifford W. Hague Nan C. Katona Patricia L. Roscoe Steven G. Tappan Judith A. Wheatley
TRUSTEES EMERITI Frank C. Alexander Kurt Benirschke, M.D. Thompson Fetter Bill L. Fox Frederick A. Frye, M.D. George L. Gildred Yvonne W. Larsen John M. Thornton Albert Eugene Trepte Betty Jo F. Williams
James Lauth, General Counsel Douglas G. Myers, President/CEO Charles L. Bieler, Executive Director Emeritus
THE FOUNDATION OF SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL OFFICERS
Murray H. Hutchison, Chair Maryanne C. Pfister, Vice Chair Susan N. McClellan Secretary Richard M. Hills, Treasurer Mark A. Stuart, President Richard B. Gulley, Ex officio Douglas G. Myers, Ex officio
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Christine L. Andrews Joye D. Blount Rick Bregman Lisa S. Casey Douglas Dawson Berit N. Durler, Ex officio U. Bertram Ellis, Jr. Arthur E. Engel Craig L. Grosvenor Judith C. Harris Michael E. Kassan Susan B. Major Michael D. McKinnon George A. Ramirez Thomas Tull Margie Warner Ed Wilson