2008 Annual Report - Denver Zoo

While we did not have a major exhibit opening in 2008, we did invest in a numberof exhibit improvements and renovations during the year. One of the most uniqueinvolved the addition of a shipwreck to the polar bear exhibit. The replica of ahistoric Arctic shipwreck was constructed as a polar bear playground, equippedwith numerous devices to encourage exploring a variety of textures and smells,and foraging for food. Keepers stock the shipwreck with a variety of items eachday that serve to stimulate both physical and psychological activity. We alsoexpanded the season for our popular Lorikeet Adventure exhibit. The highlyinteractive exhibit was open 208 days and was enjoyed by 192,311 guests.Design work continued in 2008 on the final construction drawings for AsianTropics, the largest capital improvement project in Denver Zoo’s history. The tenacreexhibit will provide an innovative and critically needed Asian elephant andIndian rhino breeding facility in North America. Elephants, rhinos and Malayantapirs will rotate among six diverse habitats providing both physical exerciseand mental stimulation. In an effort to provide leadership as a conservationorganization, Denver Zoo is also developing a gasification system in Asian Tropicsthat, if successful, will convert 90 percent of the entire zoo’s waste stream(animal waste and human trash) to generate clean energy to heat buildings andrun major water features. The construction schedule for Asian Tropics dependson our success in completing our capital campaign. At the conclusion of 2008,80 percent of the total funding had been secured. Our capital campaign team,chaired in 2008 by trustees Meyer Saltzman and Eddie Robinson, is activelyfundraising and we welcome any inquiries from individuals or organizationsinterested in supporting this groundbreaking exhibit.The green energy system under development by Denver Zoo’s PlanningDepartment represents a small portion of our commitment to sustainable businesspractices. For many years, staff has worked to reduce our energy and resource usewhile making wise environmental choices in every area of the organization. Thislong-term work is now being recognized. During 2008, Denver Zoo was nameda Gold Member of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’sEnvironmental Leadership Program and achieved ISO 14001 certification for ourcomprehensive sustainable management system, the first zoo in the United Statesto attain this international standard for its entire facility.Organizationally, Denver Zoo embarked on strategic planning during 2008.Initial efforts were focused on one of Board Chair Patrick Green’s primarygoals to restructure the board to operate more efficiently. During the year,Trustees revamped the board recruitment process, refined and reaffirmedtrustee responsibilities, and streamlined the committee structure from elevento six standing committees. Trustees also voted to switch from monthly tobimonthly meetings of the full board of trustees beginning in 2009. Thestrategic planning effort will continue in 2009. We also experienced a numberof senior staff changes during the year. Dr. Dave Kenny retired as our long-termChief Veterinarian. Luckily, Dr. Kenny will join our Department of ConservationBiology on a part-time basis as the zoo’s first Field Conservation Veterinarian.Associate Veterinarian, Dr. Felicia Knightly, was promoted to succeed Dr. Kenny.In September, we welcomed Dr. Kyle Burks as Executive Vice President/ChiefOperating Officer. Kyle relocated from Orlando, Florida, where he had worked forten years for the Walt Disney Company. In December, we hired Trish Ennis as thezoo’s first full-time Director of Workplace Safety. Trish will assume her position inJanuary 2009.Much of the zoo’s success can be attributed to the dedication of the zoo’stalented staff and volunteers. During the year, our 647 adult and teen volunteerscontributed 77,496 hours of service, equivalent to more than 37 full-timepositions. A record 101 teens participated in our Zoo Crew teen volunteer programdid you know?Total number of hits to denverzoo.orgin 2008: 79,708,942.Total value of Media Coveragein 2008: $5,359,3707