Feel Good Friday - Oakland Zoo

Tomorrow I’ll be visiting Oakland Zoo with my nieces so today’s Feel Good Friday is a great time to find out more about this nonprofit organization.

Founded in 1922 by naturalist Henry A. Snow, Oakland Zoo is now managed by the Conservation Society of California and focuses on “connecting people, animals and the natural world to inspire conservation and wonder.”

 

It will come as no surprise that Oakland Zoo is full of animals. You can visit over 850 native and exotic animals at the zoo or spend some time on their YouTube Channel learning all about the residents. Oakland Zoo not only cares for the animals, but also the local community. They offer free and discounted education programs to schools, support other non-profits, host holiday parties for local charities, and offer free and discounted admission to underserved community members.  

 

Oakland Zoo’s education programs include training Teen Wild Guides to be interpreters in the Children’s Zoo, overnight ZooFari experiences for the community, and visits with the zoo’s Education Animal Ambassadors to name a few. While some of these programs are currently on hold, you can still connect with Zoo@Home and take a virtual field trip, Zoom with the animal ambassadors or tune in to hear zookeepers share animal anecdotes.

 

Finally, Oakland Zoo is actively involved with many researchers and organizations dedicated to various conservation projects around the world. You can use this map to find the zoo’s wildlife conservation partners and learn more about their work. And click this link to see how Oakland Zoo exemplifies sustainability through their actions around composting, solar power, the Green Café and more!

 

If you want to support all the work being done by Oakland Zoo to “inspire conservation and wonder”, there are many ways to do so. Bay Area locals can volunteer or become a zoo member. No matter where you live you can make a donation and share the work of Oakland Zoo on social media by liking their Facebook page and following them on Twitter @oakzoo and

Instagram #oaklandzoo.