Annual Report 2008-09

Zoological Society of Milwaukee

Annual Report 2008-2009 Fiscal Year

Zoological Society of Milwaukee

2008-2009 Annual Report

The mission of the Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM) is to take part in conserving wildlife and endangered species, to educate people about the importance of wildlife and the environment, and to support the Milwaukee County Zoo. 2008-2009 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Directors Bob Anger Thom Brown Paul Cadorin Michael G. Carter Dr. Robert Davis R. Thomas Dempsey Dave Eager Michael M. Grebe, Jr. Katherine Hust Michael T. Jones Karen Peck Katz* Maria Gonzalez Knavel Joe Kresl Caroline Krider James Kuehn * Chair of the Board

Chris Leutner*** Allen Martin Quinn Martin Jack McKeithan James McKenna Kat Morrow Joel Nettesheim Margie Paur** Jill Grootemat Pelisek Gina Alberts Peter Richard J. Podell Joan Prince, Ph.D. Scott Redlinger James C. Rowe John Sapp Barry Sattell ** Associate Board President

Andrew T. Sawyer, Jr. Richard Schmidt Randy Scoville Judy Holz Stathas Rich Tennessen Karl Thiele Gregory Wesley Jane Wierzba Ray Wilson

Honorary Directors William J. Abraham, Jr. John B. Burns William M. Chester, Jr. Stephen M. Dearholt Richard A. Gallun *** Zoo Pride President

2008-2009 ASSOCIATE BOARD Directors Anthony Baish Marquette Baylor Bill Bussler Matthew D’Attilio Mary Ellen Enea Jennifer Fahey Darryll Fortune Joseph Frohna Julie Kubasa George Justice Karen Loth Jim Olson Kent Oren Margie Paur* Mary Catherine Poker Scott Schueller Meghan Shannon Tricia Shinners Billie Jean Smith Brookellen Teuber Kathleen Toohey Peter Underwood Laura Vogt * Associate Board President

Eido Walny Ken Wein Mark Zimmerman

Honorary Directors Bob Anger David Batten Lori Bechthold Nora Dreske John Fleckenstein Mike Fox Linda Grunau Eli Guzniczak Katie Harding Lee Walther Kordus Peter Kordus Joe Kresl Quinn Martin Kat Morrow Katie Pionkoski Richard J. Podell Bunny Raasch-Hooten Arlene Remsik Barry Sattell

On the cover: Happy the hippo; see page 3

Dan Schwabe Randy Scoville Judy Holz Stathas John Steiner Jeff Steren David Strelitz James Szymanski Jane Wierzba Ray Wilson Katie Pionkoski Richard J. Podell Bunny RaaschHooten Arlene Remsik Barry Sattell Dan Schwabe Randy Scoville Judy Holz Stathas Jeff Steren David Strelitz Jim Szymanski Jane Wierzba Ray Wilson

Edward A. Grede John A. Hazelwood Robert A. Kahlor Ann McNeer Sandi Moomey William G. Moomey Jeff Neuenschwander Bernard J. Peck Kurt W. Remus, Jr. Jay Robertson John W. Taylor Allen W. Williams, Jr. Paul Wong Bernard C. Ziegler III

2008-2009 ZOO PRIDE BOARD Directors Jane Austin Mary Lynn Cinealis Justin Gottfreid Mary Kazmierczak Chris Leutner* Ron Pearson Linda Shields Laura Skoff Diane Tyk * Zoo Pride President

CONTENTS Letter From the Chair . . . . . . . 3 Mission Accomplishments . . 3-7 Serengeti Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Platypus Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Annual Appeal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Sponsor an Animal . . . . . . . . . . 10 Simba Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Financial Summary . . . . . . . . . . 12

2008-2009 FOUNDATION FOR WILDLIFE CONSERVATION, INC.** Board of Directors

Leander R. Jennings Karen Peck Katz Maria Gonzalez-Knavel Charles A. Krause Steve Mahler Quinn Martin A.D. Robertson

Judy Derse, Chair Gil Boese, Ph.D., President Robert M. Davis, DVM Gerald Gerndt Mike Guzniczak Scott Haag

Larry Weiss Bernard C. Ziegler III

Honorary Directors Bernard Peck Philip W. Orth

** FWC has partnered with the Zoological Society to carry out and advance major conservation, education, and research programs.

2008-2009 ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY MANAGEMENT STAFF President/CEO

Finance/Administration

Education

Dr. Robert M. Davis

John Heindel, Vice President

James Mills, Director

Communications, Marketing & Membership

Creative

Technology/Membership Services

Marcia T. Sinner, Director

Robin Higgins, Vice President

Dominic Schanen, Director

Development Beth W. Carona, Vice President

The Zoological Society of Milwaukee’s (ZSM’s) annual report is published every April.

A PDF file is available for download at www.zoosociety.org, Select Membership/publications archive/annual reports. The ZSM has headquarters at 10005 W. Blue Mound Rd., Milwaukee, Wis. 53226. Call (414) 258-2333 for information.

Editor

Contributing Writer

Graphic Designer

Photographer

Paula Brookmire

Julia Kolker

Roberta Weldon

Richard Brodzeller (unless otherwise noted)

Zoological Society of Milwaukee Annual Report 2008-2009

2

Letter From the Chair As I reflect on my term as chair of the Zoological Society of Milwaukee’s (ZSM’s) Board of Directors, this thought springs to mind: It was very enjoyable! Serving as chair was simply a good time. In particular, I enjoyed working with so many dedicated people – the ZSM staff, the Board members and the Zoo Pride volunteers.

Together, we’re helping to keep the Milwaukee County Zoo as the place to visit. The Zoo, after all, is a key part of our community, and the ZSM is the Zoo’s strong partner. The ZSM brings real awareness to our mission to conserve animals, to educate the public about wildlife and to support the Zoo. As chair, I also enjoyed getting an inside look at what’s happening at the Society and at the Zoo. I’m proud of being part of the longstanding public-private partnership between these institutions. I hope our 2008-2009 annual report gives you an inside glimpse at all the great things we’ve accomplished – such as welcoming Happy the hippo to the new Dohmen Family Foundation Hippo Home in fall 2009. Happy reading!

Karen Peck Katz Chair, Board of Directors 2008-2009 Fiscal Year

About Karen Peck Katz “The Zoo is for everybody,” says Karen Peck Katz. “You can enjoy it whether you’re 3 or 103.” Katz and her family have enjoyed the Zoo for generations. In 1994, she joined her father, Bernard (Bernie) Peck, on the ZSM’s Board of Directors. (Before that, she was on the ZSM Associate Board for four years.) As a longtime supporterof the ZSM’s education programs, Katz has served on the ZSM Board’s education committee for more than 14 years, including nine years as chair. In 2003, she gave the lead gift to an eight-classroom school on Zoo grounds through her family foundation, Peck Foundation, Milwaukee LTD. Opened in 2004, the state-of-the-art building is named the Karen Peck Katz Conservation Education Center and is home to the ZSM’s yearround education programs. “I believe the education component that the Zoological Society delivers to the community is first-class,” says Katz. In 2008, Katz was elected as chair of the ZSM’s Board of Directors.

“My biggest goal for the Board and the Zoological Society is to work with the Zoo and the County to further enhance our ongoing relationship and to keep our Zoo a world-class zoo,” she said at that time.

Mission Accomplishments Happy days! It was a great way to end our year: welcoming a hippo star. Happy the 5,500-pound hippo came rolling into the Milwaukee County Zoo in a semi on Sept. 29, 2009. That was the last day of the Zoological Society of Milwaukee’s (ZSM’s) 2008-2009 fiscal year. We already had celebrated the opening of his new quarters, the Dohmen Family Foundation Hippo Home, on Sept. 22 with Robert Dohmen and his mother, Mary Dohmen. Their foundation’s $3.25 million donation to the Zoological Society made possible the modern, 1,500-square-foot extension to the north end of the Zoo’s pachyderm building and an endowment to maintain it. Happy’s move from the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., garnered news coverage far and wide.

Happy’s arrival wasn’t the only happy news last year.

Thanks to the ZSM’s annual appeal, we raised $185,818 to remodel the Humboldt penguins’ home. That opened in early summer, with refurbished indoor dens, new windows Happy the hippo joined the Zoo in September 2009, on their pool and a Web cam so you can watch these divers and now lives in the Dohmen Family Foundation day or night (go to www.zoosociety.org/PenguinCam). The Hippo Home.

Taylor Family Foundation Humboldt Penguin Exhibit (see page 10) acts as a welcoming splash of fun for people entering the Zoo. And speaking of penguins, the Zoo welcomed six new gentoo penguins in April 2009 (see page 13).

In fact, birds were very much in the news at the Zoo last year. Did you catch the Zoo’s special summer 2009 exhibit, Wings From Down Under? Sponsored by Lowe’s, the exhibit featured three common types of Australian parrots: parakeets, cockatiels and eastern rosellas. You could feed them out of your hand or watch the experience through mesh netting. Also, more Caribbean flamingos joined the Zoo’s flock in 2009 (see page 10). That gave the Zoological Society an opportunity to offer a sponsorship of two of the vibrantly pink flamingos, Versace and Prada, named after famous fashion designers. That sponsorship was so popular that nearly 300 people sponsored the pair. Overall, the ZSM’s Sponsor an Animal program raised $166,819 in the last fiscal year to support all the animals at the Milwaukee County Zoo. Many programs, events and fund-raisers go into the ZSM’s efforts to support the Zoo, an extensive education program, and a range of conservation projects. Despite a difficult economy, our total Zoo support in 2008-2009 was more than $6.6 million, up from nearly $6.3 million the previous year. For a full financial statement, see page 12. The ZSM’s $9.57 million in revenue last year came from a variety of sources, including: Zoological Society of Milwaukee Annual Report 2008-2009

3

• Membership: We brought in more than $4.4 million in Zoo Pass memberships from 13,167 new Zoo Pass members and 37,262 renewing members.

• Platypus Society: Members of this premier annual-giving program (page 9) gave cash and in-kind donations of morethan $766,000.

• Zoo Ball and other fund-raisers: Our largest annual fund-raiser is Zoo Ball, sponsored in 2009 by American Airlines & American Eagle and U.S. Cellular®.

In 2008-’09 that event alone raised $384,220. For other event information, see Zoo Support (page 7).

• Sponsors and grantors, including Serengeti Circle members (page 8). They helped us provide numerous programs, events and education classes. Our direct cash sponsorship support to the Zoo was $271,551.

Of incalculable value is the volunteer support that the ZSM provides to the Zoo through its volunteer auxiliary. Our 548 active Zoo Pride volunteers donated 35,446 hours to the Zoo and ZSM last year. (For more details, see Zoo Support on page 7.)

In the following pages, we thank many of our donors, grantors, sponsors and other contributors who help us achieve our mission. First, let’s review 2008-2009’s achievements in each part of our mission:

station called Etate in Congo’s Salonga National Park. BCBI locates and studies bonobo populations, preserves bonobo habitat, and helps impoverished communities that depend on the rain forest for their subsistence. Since its inception in 1997, BCBI (go to www.zoosociety.org/BCBI) has: • Discovered new bonobo populations and set up means to protect them.

Focusing work in Salonga National Park, a U.N. World Heritage Site, BCBI regularly surveys forests in search of bonobos and studies ecological factors that influence bonobo distribution.

• Developed anti-poaching programs to protect apes, forest elephants and other endangered animals. BCBI trains, equips and supports park guards who patrol bonobo-rich areas and enforce laws that prohibit hunting of endangered species.

Dr. Gay E. Reinartz (right) uses the ground as a “blackboard” as she instructs volunteers in random data-sampling techniques in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Photo provided by Dr. Gay E. Reinartz

Conservation The Zoological Society (ZSM) supports important conservation projects and research internationally, in Wisconsin, and at the Zoo:

Wild Bonobos Bonobos are highly endangered great apes that live only in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, where their numbers are declining because of poaching, rain-forest destruction and years of civil war. The Milwaukee County Zoo has a group of bonobos on exhibit (15 as of 2008-2009), and concern for their wild cousins led the Zoological Society to set up conservation and research programs that now are called the Bonobo and Congo Biodiversity Initiative (BCBI). The original goal was to survey the remaining population of bonobos in the wild.

Directed by Dr. Gay E. Reinartz, the ZSM’s conservation coordinator, BCBI has become a multi-faceted effort that includes a research

In the forest Dr. Reinartz instructs trainees in how to use a GPS unit.

Photo provided by Dr. Gay E. Reinartz

The Etate guards, who patrol an area of 500 square kilometers, also reconstructed the research dormitory, a depot and the literacy school buildings at Etate in 2008-’09.

• Provided jobs, literacy education for adults and schools for children. As of the 2008-’09 fiscal year, there were two literacy centers operating, one at Etate and one at the town of Bofuko Mai. More than 150 people from four villages attended.

And the ZSM continued to support schools for children at three local villages and to pay four teachers. These activities help teach about conservation and give local people a vested interest in protecting the bonobo.

• Supported agricultural cooperatives for communities living near the park to reduce people’s reliance on illegal hunting for bush meat. In 2008-’09, the ZSM donated limited additional supplies to the nine villages that participate. We hope to increase the capacity of this program during the next fiscal year with the additional funding we will receive from our partnership with USAID, the Congo Basin Forest Partnership, and the World Wildlife Fund. During the 2008-2009 fiscal year, Dr. Reinartz made one trip to the Salonga to continue BCBI’s work, and a second Zoological Society of Milwaukee Annual Report 2008-2009

4

trip to a different part of DRC. This trip was a collaboration with the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) to survey an area between the Maringa and Lomako Rivers in the Maringa-Lopori-Wamba management area. Bonobos are not protected in this area, as they are in Salonga National Park. AWF has been doing large-scale land inventories in this landscape to create a land-use management plan that, we hope, will include bonobo conservation. AWF invited the BCBI team to train 20 local people to monitor bonobo populations and participate in bonobo surveys. ZSM’s role was to determine whether bonobos were present, where they lived, and their status. The three-month trip was successful both in training the students and in surveying an 1,800-square-kilometer area – and finding signs of a sizeable bonobo presence.

Captive bonobos Ten institutions – including the Milwaukee County Zoo – are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Bonobo Species Survival Plan (SSP), headed by Dr. Reinartz. These institutions manage a captive population of 81 bonobos (as of Sept. 30, 2009). The SSP cooperates with the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), which manages 83 bonobos in 9 European zoos. The 2008-2009 fiscal year was a time of many transfers and new recommendations for captive bonobos in both North America and Europe. Changes were made to better manage the genetic diversity and population growth in this species, which has always had the smallest numbers in captivity of all great apes.

Though all Bonobo SSP institutions are in North America currently, the SSP will soon include a new institution from Japan: the Great Ape Research Institute.

Japanese researchers have studied bonobos in the wild longer than any other scientists, yet the country has never had a captive group of bonobos, either in a zoo or other institution. To have a group of animals that act as ambassadors within Japan will be a monumental achievement for the SSP and will strengthen the link between Japan and its instrumental research in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Amphibians, birds, reptiles Since the 1998-’99 year, the ZSM has given $168,223 to Zoo-staff-coordinated research on Humboldt penguins in Chile and at our Zoo, including $7,000 in 2008-’09. (For more information on penguin and other Zoo-staff conservation research, go to www.zoosociety.org/conservationstories/.) Last year the ZSM supported Zoo staff conducting research or conservation in the field, including $7,155 for frog and coral-reef research plus snake-information posters on the island of Grenada; $2,400 for iguana research and conservation in Jamaica and on Grand Cayman Island; $2,000 for research on the Butler garter snake in southeastern Wisconsin; $2,000 for breeding research on the hellbender (a lizard-like aquatic animal) at the Zoo; $2,000 for a whooping crane recovery program; $500 to the Zoo’s migratory bird study and $445 for piping plover conservation in Michigan.

Apes, elephants, polar bears, tigers, & other international animal projects In joint projects with the Zoo, the ZSM gave $3,500 to a big-cat hormone study; $3,000 to a zookeeper to participate in an African elephant and rhino reproduction study plus $2,500 to elephant conservation in Tanzania; $2,000 to Polar Bears International; $2,000 to tiger conservation in the Russian Far East; $2,000 to a tree-kangaroo study in Papua, New Guinea; $1,000 for fuel-efficient stoves and tree planting in Uganda; $1,000 toward an apes-cognition study at our Zoo; and $1,000 to the U.N.’s Great Apes Survival Project.

Conservation programs in Belize The 6,125-acre Runaway Creek Nature Preserve (called a Reserve in Belize) is owned by the Foundation for Wildlife Conservation, Inc. (FWC), in partnership with the ZSM. In 2008-’09, the ZSM provided $111,000 of support to the FWC for this wildlife sanctuary. Conservation programs there, most managed by university researchers and done in collaboration with FWC and its Birds Without Borders/Aves Sin Fronteras staff, included: 1) Studying jabiru-stork-fledgling survival, 2) Studying spider and howler monkeys, 3) Researching cave-crocodile ecology, 4) Tracking jaguars and pumas, and 5) continuing research on mercury levels in birds and bats.

The Zoological Society has supported research on Humboldt penguins in Chile for 15 years.

Photo provided by Dr. Roberta Wallace.

Zoological Society of Milwaukee Annual Report 2008-2009

5

Education At the fall 2009 national convention of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Zoological Society and Milwaukee County Zoo were awarded the AZA Excellence in Diversity Award. We were honored for creating broader access to the outstanding education programs that the ZSM runs at the Zoo. This access comes through our Programs for Disadvantaged Youth: Animal Ambassador and Continuum programs, camps for community centers, adult and child scholarships, and a career day at the Zoo. This is the second year in a row that our education programs were recognized at an AZA national convention.

This award was especially fitting for 2009 because we celebrated the 20th anniversary of our Animal Ambassador program, which brings the world of animals and conservation to children in urban schools. In 2008-2009 the Animal Ambassador program served 1,179 students from 21 schools, many in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Thanks to corporate, foundation or civic-group sponsors for each school, our Animal Ambassador and Continuum programs reached 640 second-grade students and 576 third-grade students at 12 schools, and 1,179 fourth-grade students at 21 schools. An additional 222 students in five schools experienced a modified program.

The AZA Excellence in Diversity award was given partly in recognition of the ZSM’s longstanding commitment to serve a diverse group of children. But the award also recognized our more recent efforts to broaden access to programming since the opening of the Karen Peck Katz Conservation Education Center in 2004. This eight-classroom facility has allowed us to expand our academic-year classes and summer camps to serve more children and families.

Offering extensive education programs nearly year-round, the ZSM helps the Zoo qualify for national Dr. Roberta Wallace, the Milwaukee County Zoo’s senior accreditation by the AZA. veterinarian, shows pulse-reading equipment to children Summer camps: ZSM 2009 summer camps, sponsored by National City, drew 11,605 participants: 8,715 children at Vet Camp. and 2,890 parents in a record 513 camp sessions. Children who normally couldn't afford to attend summer camps came to our camps, thanks to renewed support from U.S. Cellular, an anonymous donor, the Peters Foundation and Milwaukee County’s Safe Alternatives for Youth fund. We served 487 children from seven neighborhood and community centers. Our summer college intern program provided 20 students (including three teaching interns) hands-on job training, thanks, in part, to generous support from the Alice Kadish Foundation, the Antonia Foundation and an anonymous donor. (For information on summer camps, go to www.zoosociety.org/summercamps.)

September-May programs: We served 13,676 people in individual child or parent-child classes, which are offered six to seven days a week. In addition, 24,931 schoolchildren learned about animals and science through ZSM-run programs at the Zoo or presented at schools. Another 103,770 schoolchildren used the Zoo as a science laboratory on field trips and had ZSM curriculum available to them during self-directed tours. Programs for schoolchildren were funded in part by gifts from the Ladish Company Foundation; U.S. Cellular; A.O. Smith Foundation, Inc.; Brady Corporation; Posner Foundation; Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation; Orth Charitable Lead Trust; and Badger Meter Foundation.

In total, our conservation-education programs served 178,768 people in fiscal year 2008-’09. The Zoological Society reached thousands more people with educational messages about animals and conservation through: • the ZSM Web site (which averages about 37,800 visits per month) and e-mail news to members, In the Milwaukee County Zoo’s Animal Health Center, Jake Zuelke • ZSM publications, two of which reach more than 52,000 households each issue, (right), 11, of Waterford, and Jorden Telderer, 10, of Neosho, Wis., • ZSM-designed signage at the Zoo, examine a penguin X-ray at Vet Camp. About 11,605 people • Zoological Society programs in Africa attended Zoological Society summer camps in 2009.

• stories in the media about ZSM projects, and • Web sites such as YouTube and Twitter.

Zoological Society of Milwaukee Annual Report 2008-2009 6

Zoo Support

Zoo Ball 2009 was sponsored by American Airlines/American Eagle and U.S. Cellular®. From left are American Airlines representatives Kelly Coyne, Troy and Kimberly Morgan and Alison Heckelsmiller at the event.

Representatives of MillerCoors get ready to tee off at the 2009 MillerCoors Birdies & Eagles Golf Tournament.

From left are Drew Martin, Ted Brueggeman, Chris Wittman and Kim Marotta.

The Zoological Society’s public-private partnership with Milwaukee County, which runs the Zoo, is considered one of the most successful such partnerships in Wisconsin. Not only do we provide direct cash and in-kind support to the Zoo, but we also have a large cadre of dedicated volunteers, some of whom have been volunteering for decades. The 548 active members of Zoo Pride make possible many of the events the Zoo holds, they provide Zoo tours and animal talks, they promote the Zoo to the public, and they staff fund-raisers held by the ZSM. The public-private partnership also includes great cooperation between the Zoo and Zoological Society in coordinating events, giving tours, raising funds, producing Zoo signage and ZSM publications, and much more. The ZSM’s Creative Department of five artists, for example, provide graphics support to the Zoo, and the ZSM’s Communications, Marketing and Membership Department produces publications that promote Zoo events and conservation programs and describe new exhibits and animals. The ZSM’s Web site, which gives much behind-the-scenes information about the Zoo, in 2008-2009 added more feature stories, photo slide shows, videos, podcasts, and activities. The ZSM also sends frequent e-mail updates to its members about new animals, coming events, and other news. The ZSM has its own YouTube channel, and we started “tweeting” on the social-networking site Twitter in August 2009 (you’ll find messages from us several times a day).

The ZSM provided more than $6.6 million in Zoo support last year, in several areas: • The ZSM acquires sponsors for most of the Zoo’s major events and attractions, and ZSM 2008-’09 direct cash sponsorship support to the Zoo was $271,551.

• The ZSM also gave $245,667 in direct cash support to Zoo exhibits, including $55,000 for the 2009 summer touring exhibit: Wings From Down Under, sponsored by Lowe’s.

• The 26th annual Zoo Ball, sponsored by American Airlines & American Eagle and U.S. Cellular®, raised over $384,220. The ZSM Associate Board runs this event with help from a great many volunteers. (For details on Zoo Ball, the golf outing and other ZSM events, check the calendar at www.zoosociety.org.)

• The 20th Annual MillerCoors Birdies and Eagles Golf Tournament raised $101,421.

The ZSM Associate Board runs this event.

• All other fund-raising events run by the ZSM Associate Board – ranging from a Zoo campout to a family bike ride – raised $296,975.

• Behind the scenes, the ZSM continued to pay for maintenance contracts on 10 Zoo buildings and some equipment (over $182,000).

• The ZSM also paid for veterinary residents from the University of Wisconsin-Madison to work at the Zoo ($26,500), aiding the Zoo’s veterinary staff.

All in all, this has been a happy partnership between the Zoological Society and the Zoo. Happy the hippo, and his female companions Patti and Puddles, might agree.

Zoological Society of Milwaukee Annual Report 2008-2009

7

▲

Trish Kagerbauer of Sussex was delighted to feed parrots at the Zoo’s summer 2009 special exhibit, Wings From Down Under, sponsored by Lowe’s.

The exhibit, which ran May 23 through September 7, 2009, featured hundreds of Australian parrots.

Serengeti Circle www.zoosociety.org/serengeti

▲

Robert and Evelyn Shaw of Wauwatosa danced to polka music at the Zoo’s 2009 Senior Celebration, sponsored by Wheaton Franciscan Senior Health. Visitors 55 and older got free Zoo admission (not including parking). Media sponsors 50 Plus/Wisconsin Woman Magazine handed out free copies of 50 Plus news magazine.

In 2009 the Zoological Society celebrated the 20th year of its Animal Ambassador programs, which bring the world of animals and conservation to elementary-school students in the Milwaukee area. Many of these students attend schools serving disadvantaged neighborhoods, and these programs give them several opportunities to visit the Zoo. Here fourth-grader James Edwards shakes hands with U.S. Cellular representative Kathy Hust at Animal Ambassador graduation on May 28, 2009, at the Zoo. U.S. Cellular sponsors James’ school, Barton Elementary in Milwaukee.

Every year, dozens of civic leaders choose to associate their companies or foundations with Wisconsin’s No. 1 single-venue attraction: the Milwaukee County Zoo. This partnership with the Zoo and the non-profit Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM) is accomplished through grants and sponsorships of our special events, traveling exhibits, attractions, conservation initiatives and education programs. This support of the ZSM and the Zoo puts our partners in touch with the Zoo’s 1.3 million annual visitors, demonstrates commitment to our community and identifies our partners with the fun, family lifestyle/culture the Zoo represents. The Serengeti Circle is an exclusive group of corporations and foundations that support the Zoo and ZSM at the $3,500 level and above.

All business partnerships include opportunities for inclusion in measured and non-measured media (advertising, signage, Web site promotion, etc.), promotional presence on Zoo grounds, VIP customer hosting, Zoo admission and parking tickets, and negotiated consumer offers. For more information on sponsorship opportunities at the Zoo, please call Patty Harrigan Mills, (414) 302-9485. For information on grant opportunities, please call Cassie Jeffery, (414) 258-2333. At left are photos of a few of our programs and events supported by Serengeti Circle members.

Zoological Society of Milwaukee Annual Report 2008-2009

8

Platypus Society www.zoosociety.org/Platy/ The Platypus Society is the premier annual-giving program in the Zoological Society of Milwaukee’s network of support. Members include about 375 area foundations, businesses and individuals contributing more than $700,000 annually with in-kind services and support. Platypus Society members can elect to receive special benefits for their contributions that support the Zoo and Zoological Society’s conservation and education programs and its general operations. For more information on membership opportunities, please call the Development Office, (414) 258-2333. Here is a story of two Platypus Society members who were profiled in the November 2008 Platy Press, which is sent to all “Platy” members.

Fun & Funding for the Future Rick Zawlocki’s five young nieces and nephews love the Milwaukee County Zoo. In 2007, Zawlocki (left in photo) and his partner, Gerald Dias (right in photo), joined the Platypus Society to make Zoo trips even more fun for the youngsters. “Our nieces and nephews are very special to us,” says Dias. “We wanted to bring them here for events and to help instill pride in the Zoo.” The children, ages 2 to 7, loved Platypus Society perks such as an annual afterhours summer picnic. Dias and Zawlocki discovered that a membership in the Zoological Society of Milwaukee’s (ZSM’s) Platypus Society gives adults a chance to enjoy the Zoo as well.

It all began with a special behind-the-scenes tour of the Zoo’s pachyderm area that Dias and Zawlocki won at a Platypus Society event auction. (Volunteer-guided VIP tours of the entire Zoo are offered to all Platypus Society members.) Dias and Zawlocki watched a training session with the Zoo’s two elephants, Ruth and Brittany. They learned how training improves animals’ lives and encourages them to participate in their own health care. The couple even helped zookeepers set out vegetables for the elephants and watched as the pachyderms ate up the treats. “We fell in love with opportunities to get up-close exposure to animal staff and how the Zoo operates,” says Dias.

Getting an insider’s perspective on the Zoo inspired the couple to become among the Platypus Society’s most enthusiastic ambassadors. Dias even joined the Platypus Society steering committee. The couple attend Platypus events such as premieres of new exhibits, cocktail parties and an annual awards dinner in the fall. They even encourage their friends and neighbors to join the Platypus Society. “We share the really

cool stuff that’s right at your fingertips,” Dias says. They invited a couple who live next door to join them on the pachyderm tour. In summer 2008, Dias and Zawlocki won a behind-the-scenes tour of the Zoo’s greenhouse (normally off-limits to zoogoers) at a Platypus Society cocktail party auction. They invited another couple from their Milwaukee neighborhood to come along. “The tour was just phenomenal,” says Dias. Both couples joined the Platypus Society.

Dias, who moved to Milwaukee 13 years ago, was impressed by the city’s conservation-minded ideals. “I love the way we take care of our natural resources in Wisconsin,” he says. Caring for the Zoo is a priority for the couple. Dias plans to join Zoo Pride, the ZSM’s volunteer auxiliary, to help educate visitors about the park. The men also plan to donate to the ZSM’s annual appeals in honor of Zawlocki’s nieces and nephews – Mya and Tyler Salinas; Zach, Josh and Noah Zawlocki; and Alexis Hargrave. The children’s enthusiasm for the Zoo is infectious, says Zawlocki. Seeing their names on Zoo recognition signs will encourage the youngsters to support the Zoo when they’re older.

“The Zoo is one of Milwaukee County’s most treasured resources,” adds Dias. “Platypus Society membership maintains the quality we’ve all become accustomed to and enjoy.

It’s important to preserve that for younger generations.”

Thanks to Platypus Society members like Dias and Zawlocki, young people will enjoy the Zoo for years to come.

By Julia Kolker

Zoological Society of Milwaukee Annual Report 2008-2009

9

A sponsorship of two Caribbean flamingos at the Zoo, Versace and Prada, was a hit in 2008’09. About 300 people sponsored the bright pink birds, named after famous fashion designers for their chic plumage. The sponsorship package included a plush-toy flamingo, a flamingo fact sheet and other goodies.

Annual Appeal Taylor Family Foundation Humboldt Penguin Exhibit Revamped as part of the Zoological Society’s 2009 annual appeal, the Zoo’s Humboldt penguin habitat is a treat for both the birds and Zoo visitors.

Thanks to donors, we raised more than $185,818 for this project! Visitors can now watch the Milwaukee County Zoo’s 11 playful Humboldt penguins through large, clear windows. Gone are the metal barriers that partly obstructed the view. For the penguins, cleared walkways and fewer shrubs make it easier to explore the exhibit. Zoogoers can also enjoy new and colorful signs with fun facts on Humboldt penguins at the Zoo and in the wild (did you know that our Zoo’s female penguins wear bands on the left wing, while males are banded on the right?). A Web cam on our site, zoosociety.org/PenguinCam, shows the penguins 24-7 in their outdoor area.

A close-up view of the Humboldt penguin habitat’s new, clear windows.

The Taylor Family Foundation Humboldt Penguin Exhibit is surrounded by beautiful greenery in spring and summer.

Sponsor an Animal Whether you like baby orangutan Mahal or Happy the hippo, you can sponsor popular animals at the Milwaukee County Zoo. Animal sponsorships range from $20 for membership in the Zoological Society’s Kids Conservation Club to $2,500 for individuals who exclusively sponsor just one animal. In the 2008-’09 fiscal year, the Zoological Society’s Sponsor an Animal program had 3,247 animal sponsorships, raising $166,819 to support all the animals at the Milwaukee County Zoo. Zoological Society of Milwaukee Annual Report 2008-2009

10

Simba Society www.zoosociety.org/simba

Decades of Support The Simba Society was created to recognize and thank those donors, during their lifetimes, who remember the Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM) in a will or with a legacy gift.

Gifts become a permanent asset of the Zoological Society’s Endowment Trust (see endowments list below). Each year, the earnings from the gift,as well as other contributions to the fund, ensure that the Zoological Society can continue its mission to conserve wildlife, educate the public and support the Zoo long into the future. Irrevocable trusts, wills, annuities and endowments are some of the ways to give a gift.

If you’d like to join the Simba Society or learn more about planned giving, please contact the Development office at (414) 258-2333. Here is a profile of one Simba Society member.

Lygere Panagopoulos

Lygere Panagopoulos is a longtime fan of the Milwaukee County Zoo. “I’ve had the Zoo in my will for almost 40 years,” she says. In the late 1980s, she joined Zoo Pride, the Zoological Society’s volunteer auxiliary, and helped with office tasks. A busy work schedule caused her to leave Zoo Pride, but volunteering renewed her commitment to the Zoo and the Zoological Society.

In 1999, she became a member of the Simba Society. “The Zoo is a great community resource,”Panagopoulos explains. She appreciates the year-round Zoo and Zoological Society events that appeal to both children and adults.

She also values the Zoo’s international reputation and its dramatic growth in the last two decades. “The Zoo has certainly done a lot of improvements and innovations over the years.” (The Zoological Society conducted two capital campaigns in partnership with Milwaukee County from 1988 to 2008.

The second capital campaign improved almost 25% of the park.) “A planned gift helps support Zoo enhancements so future generations can enjoy the park as much as I do,” says Panagopoulos.

Endowments The following donors have elected to create funds to further a particular area of interest: The Bertagnolli Endowment • Zoological Society of Milwaukee General Operations

Halbert & Alice Kadish Foundation Inc. • Student Intern Program Endowment

McGourthy Family Endowment • Giraffe Exhibit

The Lynde & Harry Bradley Foundation, Inc. • Wildlife Conservation Grants for Graduate Student Research

Mary Ellen Bush & Donna Larsen Estate • Ornithological Intern

The Dorothy J. Nelson Living Trust Endowment • Student Intern Program Endowment

Bill Borchert Larson • Otto Borchert Family Special Exhibits Building • Florence Mila Borchert Big Cat Country Fund • Idabel Wilmot Borchert Flamingo Exhibit and Overlook

Fred Ott Endowment • Wildlife Preserve, Fond du Lac County

Roland & Florence Schroeder Cron Charitable Unitrust • Bonobo Species Survival Plan (SSP) Endowment Gretchen & Andrew Dawes Endowment Fund • Veterinary Intern Program Dohmen Family Foundation • Hippo Home exhibit support Robert T. Foote Charitable Trust • Foundation for Wildlife Conservation, Inc.

Liz Little Endowment • Student Intern Program Endowment

Gordana & Milan Racic Endowment • Education Interns Roswell N. & Leona B. Stearns Foundation, Inc. • Apes of Africa

Herbert & Nada Mahler Family Aviary Endowment Fund • The Aviary

Zoological Society of Milwaukee Annual Report 2008-2009

11

Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM) – Year ending September 30, 2009

Financial Summary Support & Revenue

Expenses Direct Project Costs Expenses relative to capital projects and specific programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $584,476

Zoo Support Membership Dues Contributions

Expense of providing, promoting and supporting education, graphics, and conservation programs, special exhibit projects, and ZSM and Zoo special events; payments to the Zoo for all ZSM events; parking for Zoo Pass Plus; and coupons. . . . . . . . . . . $6,621,055

toward capital projects and specific programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,395,602

Research/Conservation

from all Zoological Society and Platypus Society members. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,170,546

Special Events Programs/Sponsorships including animal sponsorship, Zoo Ball, education, ZSM and Zoo special events and sponsorships. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,252,934

Interest Income from contributions toward capital projects and specific programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,610

Expenses relating to state, national and international programs supporting species preservation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $704,808

General and Administrative Expenses relating to daily ZSM operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $379,527

Total Support & Revenue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9,606,899

Total Expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8,289,866 Total Cost of Support, Revenue and Expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9,541,197

Cost of Support and Revenue

ZSM Cash-Flow Summary 2008-2009

GRANTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $784,207

(Support Services) Membership Dues

Cash & cash equivalents at start of the year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,120,240 Cash & cash equivalents at end of the year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $886,334 Net decrease in cash & cash equivalents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $233,906

Expense of providing benefits to all Zoological Society and Platypus Society members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $853,093

Special Events/Programs Expense of providing and promoting ZSM special events/programs . . . . . . . . . . . . $398,238

Total Cost of Support and Revenue

(Support Services) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,251,331

Zoological Society of Milwaukee Annual Report 2008-2009

12

New animals at the Zoo A variety of animals joined the Milwaukee County Zoo’s collection in 2009. They ranged from a highly endangered Guam kingfisher hatched in April to Harley the sea lion (who arrived in May) to Happy the hippo (see cover), who arrived in September.

Here are photos of some of the newcomers: Gentoo penguins – six Gentoo penguins arrived in April 2009.

A Zoological Society of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County Zoo Partnership 10005 W. Blue Mound Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53226 (414) 258-2333 www.zoosociety.org

Robin, an orphaned female moose from Alaska, arrived in July 2009.

Amba the Amur tiger is protective of her cubs – Nuri, next to Mom, and Tula, lying down – born at the Zoo in July 2009.

Zoological Society of Milwaukee Annual Report 2008-2009

13