September 2010
Zoological Society of Milwaukee County Development Office 10005 W. Blue Mound Rd. Milwaukee, WI 53226 (414) 258-2333
A ‘Club’ That Helps Animals
Please remember the Zoological Society in your will or estate plan.
Photo by Rick Heinlein
New-Member Profile Name: Nick and Sandra Oliver City: Colgate, Wis. How to contact them: (262) 628-8486 or noliver@execpc.com Reason you joined the Platypus Society: Says Sandra: “We’ve been members of the Zoological Society for almost 10 years. When our kids, Gillian, 10, and Rebekah, 9, were born, we got a Zoo Pass so we could go to the Zoo for long or short visits. The kids loved it. Our life circumstances later changed so we could move our charitable giving to a higher level, and so we joined the Platypus Society. Platy gives us the opportunity to participate in really great events such as the special exhibit premieres (the family is shown here viewing a robotic dinosaur at the Zoo in May), the annual family picnic and special programs like a Jack Hanna show last year.” Personal history with Zoological Society and Milwaukee County Zoo: “I grew up in this area,” says Sandra, “and for my family it was a very special event to go to the Milwaukee County Zoo. For our kids, we wanted to make it something you could do anytime. When th the kid kids were littl little, we would the ZZoo on ld go with ith another th ffamily il tto th Christmas or Christmas Eve. It’s cold but all the animal buildings are open, and we were the only ones here! The Zoo is beautiful at this time of the year—it’s decorated, and it’s not very crowded. I love the penguins and my husband, Nicholas, and the girls love the bush baby in the Small Mammals Building.” Why the Platypus Society is important: “It continues the tradition of the Zoo, and it’s a gift we can give to our kids. Also, the Platypus Society allows us to bring additional visitors on our pass. It’s really appealing to be able to bring friends and out-of-town guests and show off our Zoo!” [Each patron Platypus Society card allows up to eight people and one vehicle per visit into the Zoo. Members also receive 14 extra guest admission passes.]
Calendar Oct. 7 Platypus Society Recognition Dinner, 6 p.m., Peck Welcome Center; look for your invitation in the mail.
Oct. 22 & 23 Boo at the Zoo, sponsored by westbury bank, 6-9 p.m.*
Oct. 23 Wolf Awareness Day at the Zoo*
Oct. 28 Simba Society Recognition Dinner, 6 p.m., Peck Welcome Center; look for your invitation in the mail.
Nov. 13 Zoological Society members’ holiday trip to Chicago’s Magnificent Mile*
Oct. 29 & 30 Halloween Trick-or-Treat Spooktacular, sponsored by westbury bank; Oct. 29, 6-9 p.m., Oct. 30, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.*
Nov. 6 & Dec. 4 Family Free Day at the Zoo, sponsored by North Shore Bank & FOX 6, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.*
Dec. 4-5, 11-12, 18-19 Breakfast and Lunch with Santa, sponsored by Racine Danish Kringles; to get on Zoo mailing list, call (414) 256-5466 after Oct. 1* *For more information, call (414) 258-2333 or go online at www.zoosociety.org.
Caroline Krider likes to be in the know. That’s why she joined the Platypus Society, the Zoological Society of Milwaukee’s (ZSM’s) premier annual giving group. “With Platy, you get a lot of opportunities to go behind the scenes and learn things,” says Krider, a senior vice president at U.S. Bank. “It’s like being a member of a special club.” U.S. Bank has been a corporate member of this “club” since 1984. The bank has also supported the ZSM gh and the Milwaukee County Zoo through s, sponsorships of three touring exhibits, donations to events such as Zoo Ball, and capital campaign contributions. In 2004 the bank announced that it was making one of the largest contributions in its history: $2.5 million to the Zoological Society. Much of that helped make possible the Zoo’s entrance atrium that opened in May 2008 and is called the U.S. Bank Gathering Place. The Platypus Society allows U.S. Bank to emphasize its commitment to Milwaukee, says Krider. “Platy helps companies get involved in the community and increases visibility.” On a personal level, Krider, who has had her own patron Platypus Society membership since 2007, enjoys networking with like-minded people and attending VIP premieres of special exhibits. “It’s about building relationships,” she explains. “It’s fun meeting people who’re active in the community.” She attends ZSM special events and annually invites bank clients to the MillerCoors Birdies & Eagles Golf Tournament and to Zoo Ball, major fund-raisers for the Zoological Society. Krider also helps shape the ZSM’s mission through her work on the Board of Directors and four of its committees: the executive, conservation and research, education, and marketing committees. “The committee work is an opportunity to get to know people such
a Zoological Society CEO Dr.Bert as D Davis and Dr. Bruce Beehler, deputy Z director,” Krider says. “You can Zoo l learn what’s going on at the Zoo a brainstorm.” and She especially enjoys learning a about conservation. The ZSM runs t Bonobo & Congo Biodiversity the I Initiative, an extensive program t that helps the highly endangered b bonobos and the people who share t their habitat in Africa’s Democrat Republic of Congo. The ZSM’s tic c conservation coordinator, Dr. Gay E. R Reinartz, spends nearly six months e each year in the Congo. Next spring, a new display near the indoor b bonobo exhibit at the Zoo will f feature Dr. Reinartz’s field work. “ “It’s great to get the word out a about conservation work here a abroad,” says Krider. “The and S Society increases awareness and e education about these animals a their natural habitat.” and Krider has always liked animals a nature. She and her husband, and P Smith, outdoors editor for Paul Sentine enjoy taking wildlife-themed the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, vacations to places like the Galapagos Islands, the Amazon, Antarctica and Africa. As a child growing up in Chicago and Philadelphia, Krider often visited local zoos, she says. Besides the bonobos, her favorite animals at our Zoo include Mahal, the orphaned orangutan toddler, and his surrogate mom, MJ. Orangutans are losing their homes to palm-oil plantations on their native South Pacific islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Zoos and wildlife preserves may help the species survive. “I think there are a lot of opportunities to educate people on why we have the Zoo and its value to conservation,” says Krider. For example, not only is Mahal’s story touching, but “it also has certainly helped shine a light on the broader mission of the Zoo.” By Julia Kolker
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