Annual Appeal 2022

Binder Park Zoo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Thank you for your generous support.

One Time Donation

Recurring Monthly Gift

Dear Friends, As we wrap up yet another great season, now is also the time when we reach out to ask for year-end support. We know that you love animals and care about their well-being. We balance running the zoo daily with building new exhibits and making critical facility improvements. It takes every ounce of effort from every staff to strike that balance, and we work hard at it. We are a nonprofit zoo that relies on raising the necessary funding for our important work. Your support invests in our community, kids, animals, and conservation. Many great things happened this year, starting with our colobus monkey family. We went wild over a female black & white colobus monkey born in the spring. “Viazi” spent the summer entertaining guests with her adorable antics. Our herd of addax also grew with the birth of a male named “Fitzpatrick” – a notable achievement since addax are nearly extinct in the wild. The arrival of two male African painted dogs to breed with our female signals the potential for a future litter of puppies. A new young bull giraffe joined our herd in Wild Africa through a breeding recommendation. “Elliott” is already making a good impression with the ladies! As an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Binder Park Zoo is at the forefront of work to preserve animal species like the addax, African painted dogs, reticulated giraffe, and others - animals for whom the clock is ticking on their survival from extinction. With more than 40 Species Survival Plans (SSP) that we participate in, we make a difference in conservation, and it can be a bigger difference with your help. Also this season, we enhanced the guest experience through the visual arts. We opened our season with a unique exhibit called The Music Garden – an outdoor play space with colorful instruments shaped like butterflies, flowers, lily pads, and mushrooms - where kids and adults take cues from nature to channel their inner musician. Several large-scale art installations appeared on zoo grounds, too, starting with a dramatic, original metal sculpture that pays tribute to our critically endangered Mexican wolves. Additionally, a stunning conservation-themed mural in the Binda Conservation Discovery Center depicts a map pinpointing the origins of many of our zoo animal species. Grant and donor-funded projects like these become creative ways for us to share the conservation message and highlight our mission to Connect. Inspire. Conserve. Connect people with nature. Inspire them to conserve. Having an experience is an essential element when visiting the zoo. New this year is the sky-high ropes course and thrilling zip line attraction. The Charles and Lynn Zhang SkyLark Ridge is an epic adventure in nature that opened in September. Fully donor-funded, this project received overwhelming community support. SkyLark Ridge will add immeasurable value to a zoo visit for the entire family. The Consumers Energy Foundation Little Larks course ensures that kids under 48” tall also experience the course adventures and are not left out of the fun. Operational improvements also make for a better guest experience. We implemented online ticket sales. Zoo memberships went digital for a more convenient, flexible experience for our loyal members to enjoy. Our season was full of massive energy, big achievements, and success due to our generous regional community support. The momentum is exciting, and we must continue our important work. Every day we make a difference in conservation and saving animals; your financial support ensures the good work will continue. Thank you in advance for your gift. It makes a positive impact because we are not a zoo without you!

P.S. Simply make your donation online HERE. Thank you for sharing our vision of turning apathy into empathy and compassion into action!

One Time Donation

Recurring Monthly Gift