Zoo Update

Outside my window on this beautiful late-winter morning are school children in red hats readying for a tour of the Zoo. They will have a lot to see, and there will be a great many more of them in the upcoming spring months, as field trips begin in earnest.

We are so very glad they are here, for we have stories to share—stories about the species in our care, stories about the work that is being carried out across the world by zoo professionals and field biologists to ensure their future, and facts about what still needs to be done.

As these children pass into adulthood, theirs will be the generation to care for our Earth’s natural environments. Our own legacy, as we pass the baton to them, must be that we have done all we can to provide them with the empathy and the knowledge to consider and protect the fragile balance of all living things. I am mindful of this great responsibility (as are all my Zoo colleagues). I know you are as well.

L.A. Zoo Curator of Mammals Josh Sisk has some good news to share with you about his recent trip to Baja California, Mexico, where the Zoo is working with Mexican conservation agencies as well as other U.S. zoos to assist in the repopulation and release into the wild of peninsular pronghorn. You can bring young ones to see this wonderful species at the Zoo, in the North America section.

Although Josh must travel to do his work, you can accomplish conservation work right at home by participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count on February 17. Sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, this annual event inspires birders across the country and around the world to participate. The Zoo takes part, too, with a special docent-led bird walk open to GLAZA members only. See our Member Events page for registration information. Whether you count birds in your gardens or in ours, be sure to include the youngsters in your life in this activity—they will find it fun and memorable. And carrying that memory into the future can help ensure their attention to Mother Earth as they grow.

Enjoy these last weeks of winter here in beautiful Southern California. Nature shows its great promise at all times of the year.