October 2003
October
30,
2003 - Zoo
Receives
$300,000
Murdock
Challenge
Grant
For Condors
October
23, 2003 - Smithsonian
Scientist Shares Conservation
Success Story
October
20, 2003 - Wilderness
Conservationist Legend Dave Foreman to Speak at Oregon Zoo
October
15, 2003 - Oregon
Zoo Hosts Howling Good Time
October
14, 2003 - Tour Dracula's Haunted
Castle At Oregon Zoo
October
13, 2003 - $50,000 Federal Grant
Helps Oregon Zoo Elephants
October
10, 2003 - Zoo's Halloween Events
offer Something For Everyone
October
10, 2003 - Zoo Hosts Baby Panda
Event, Oct. 23
October 7, 2003
- Oregon Zoo's Eagle Canyon Nearing Completion
October 3, 2003 -
Wells Fargo Summer Concerts Raise More Than $1 Million For Zoo's Education,
Conservation Programs
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October | November | December
October
30, 2003
Zoo
Receives $300,000 Murdock Challenge Grant For Condors.
Condors
return to Oregon after a near 100- year absence with the help
of a challenge grant.
PORTLAND,
Ore.-The Oregon Zoo's new condor breeding facility in Clackamas
County has received a $300,000 challenge grant from the M.J. Murdock
Charitable Trust. The Oregon Zoo is only the nation's third zoo
to join the prestigious condor-breeding program. To fulfill the grant
requirements the zoo must secure an additional $300,000.
"Murdock's
$300,000 challenge grant is a great milestone in helping bring condors
back to Oregon after nearly 100 years," said
Tony Vecchio, Oregon Zoo director.
The
zoo has raised $1.2 million for the condor-breeding center- the first
phase of which is nearly
complete. Twelve condors from
the San
Diego Zoo, the Los Angeles Zoo and the World Center for Birds
of Prey in Boise will arrive at the breeding facility on November
20.
The
Murdock grant is designed to help the zoo raise additional funds
to complete the breeding center construction. The zoo must
secure an
additional $1.8 million to finalize the last two phases, which
will include more holding space, a separate flight aviary, a
veterinary clinic, and an educational condor exhibit at the zoo-
only the
third
zoo in the world and the first in the Pacific Northwest.
Condors
have a long history in Oregon. Many Native American tribes in the
northwest have used the image of the 'Thunderbird' in
art and myths, for hundreds of years. "Lewis and Clark
wrote in their journals about condors flying high above the
Columbia
River during
their trek to find the Northwest Passage," said Vecchio. "This
is the first step in realizing our dream of seeing condors
flying free in Oregon."
The
zoo has received support from a variety of sources. The zoo's
governing agency, Metro provided a secluded piece of property
for the breeding facility and The Oregon Zoo Foundation's board
of trustees
made a commitment of $450,000. Significant investments
by corporations, foundations and individuals have included:
· In kind donations of construction materials, equipment and services
from Portland General Electric, Hoffman Construction, DeWitt Construction,
Portland Fence Company and Banfield, The Pet Hospital;
· Funding from Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation, Standard Insurance Company,
Wells Fargo Bank and Wendy's Operators of Portland;
· Grants from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Foley/Frischkorn
Wildlife and Conservation Fund, The Kenneth Jonsson Family Foundation
and The Bridges Foundation;
· Proceeds from Zoolala 2003 - the Zoo's annual fundraising event; and
· Major contributions from two anonymous individuals, Jim and Jenny Mark,
Eric Parsons, and many zoo members and friends.
Secretary
of the Interior Gayle Norton and Senator Gordon Smith announced the zoo's acceptance
into the California
Condor Recovery
Program in
late 2001. The California Condor Recovery Program reflects
a partnership of public agencies and private organizations
with
a common goal
to remove America's largest bird from the federal list
of endangered species.
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October
23, 2003
Smithsonian
Scientist Shares Conservation Success Story
Costa
Ricans are saving rainforests through sustainable butterfly farming
PORTLAND,
Ore. - Renowned Smithsonian Entomologist Nathan Erwin will lecture
at the Oregon Zoo about Costa Rican butterfly farmers who
are saving rainforest habitat through sustainable farming practices.
The
lecture, slated for Saturday, Nov. 8 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., is
free with zoo admission. Erwin will bring unusual insects to help
illustrate
his lecture.
"Costa
Rican butterfly farmers are helping the environment because they're
saving tropical rainforests," says Tony Vecchio, zoo director. "This
is a win win; farmers protect habitat while they support their
families by selling tropical butterflies to zoos and aquariums."
Currently
butterfly farmers in Costa Rica farm butterflies and then sell
the chrysalides to butterfly gardens in zoos. Chrysalides
are the cryptically colored pupas in which caterpillars transform
into butterflies. Butterfly gardens can order these chrysalides
on a weekly
basis from butterfly farmers to create their own butterfly
exhibits such as the one the Oregon Zoo displayed last summer.
Erwin's
lecture will focus on butterfly farming in Costa Rica
and how he is encouraging farmers to expand their techniques
to include
other
insects such as katydids, praying mantises, millipedes, and
other large arthropods.
According
to Erwin, insect zoos have few sources of farm-raised insects from
which to order. Diversifying
butterfly farming to include other insects and arthropods will benefit
butterfly farmers and the
environment.
"Saving
rainforests and the insects that live there is critical to our planet's
health," says Vecchio. "Of the more
than ten million known animal species on earth, 85 percent
of them are insects. Approximately
80 percent of the world's plant population would die
without insects to pollinate them," added Vecchio.
Erwin
will also talk about how insects help clean up the
earth by feeding on dead matter, and how he believes
that
preserving
insects can protect
the planet.
"People have negative impressions of
bugs that are based on TV commercials telling us to
get rid of bugs," says Erwin. "But
less than one percent of the insect species cause harm
to humans. And the rest
are what keep the world ticking."
However,
Erwin is encouraged by insects' growing popularity as seen
in the recent star roles in movies such as "Antz" and "A
Bug's Life."
Erwin
is the manager of the Smithsonian Institution's Otto Orkin Insect
Zoo in the National
Museum of Natural
History.
In addition,
he has
taught at the Audubon Naturalist Society of the
Central Atlantic States and the USDA Graduate School. He
has been published in the Environmental Entomology
journal.
The
lecture, Farming for Butterflies: Nature's Crop, is free with zoo
admission and will be held
in the
Cascade Crest Banquet
Center (by main entrance).
This lecture is brought to you by Smithsonian
Magazine's CultureFest. For
information or tickets call 503-525-4281.
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October
20, 2003
Wilderness
Conservationist Legend Dave Foreman to Speak at Oregon Zoo
Director
of The Rewilding Institute wants to "Rewild North America"
PORTLAND,
Ore. - Dave
Foreman, honored by Audubon Magazine as one of the 100 Champions
of Conservation of the 20th Century, will present his
visionary concept
to "rewild" North America in a zoo lecture on November 4,
at 7 p.m.
A
wilderness conservationist, Foreman envisions currently existing
wilderness areas so broadly linked, that he hopes to one day
see wolves
roam from Mexico to Alaska and cougars inhabit a region from Florida
to Maine.
"The scientific approach of rewilding is based on three Cs: Carnivores,
Cores and Connectivity. Large carnivores are important to healthy
ecosystems, they need secure wilderness core habitat, and they need landscape
connectivity
between cores," says Foreman. "If we are to protect and
restore wild nature, we must be guided by a vision that is bold,
scientifically
credible, practically achievable, and hopeful."
According
to Tony Vecchio, director of the Oregon Zoo, "Dave Foreman's
plan provides a new, positive approach to improving the big picture,
rather than trying to save species and habitats individually. For those
who have been working defensively to save individual species, Foreman's
vision provides hope that things can truly be better."
Foreman's
presentation at the Oregon Zoo will feature a slide show on an international
project, featuring four "MegaLinkages" to
connect wild areas of the North American continent. His focus is to
benefit large animals because, as Foreman puts it, "Current scientific
research around the globe shows that large carnivores are essential
to healthy wild ecosystems. Remove them, and the ecosystem begins to
unravel. Restore them, as we've done with wolves in Yellowstone, and
the ecosystem begins to heal."
Foreman
believes that the current wildlife refuges are not adequate to support
the larger, carnivorous species that are native to
North America. "Even Yellowstone National Park and the
surrounding area is too small to maintain viable populations
of grizzly bears or gray
wolves," says Foreman.
The answer to this problem, according to Foreman, is to close
the gap between preserves, establishing corridors between
nationally recognized
ecosystems. For example, the Yellowstone National Park ecosystem
should be linked with the Glacier/Bob Marshall ecosystem
in Montana, and the
central Idaho ecosystem should be linked with the Canadian
Rockies. Foreman adds, "In Oregon, we need to be sure
that wolverines can move between Crater Lake National Park
and Mt. Hood Wilderness Area."
In
Foreman's words, "In the east, we want a connected chain of
wilderness areas from the Everglades to northern Maine
and into Canada, so the Eastern Cougar and the Florida Panther will
be once again connected." The
same would be true in the west, according to Foreman's
vision."
Some
may dismiss rewilding as romantic dreaming. But it is being done
in the West," comments Foreman on rewilding victories. "For
example, Caltrans (the California Transportation Department)
recently closed an on-off ramp on the Riverside Freeway
in Southern California
and restored it as a mountain lion corridor between
habitats on either side of the 12-lane freeway. In
Washington, the
Cascades Partnership
has raised millions of dollars to acquire private lands
along Interstate 90 through Snoqualmie Pass to protect
and restore
linkages for wolverine,
lynx, and other species between Mt. Rainier National
Park and Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area."
In
recent years, Foreman has been at the forefront of conservation theory
and action. Not only is he
the co-founder
of the Wildlands
Project, he is now director of the Rewilding Institute,
an organization committed
to the advancement of ideas for conservation on
a continental scale. Foreman is the publisher of Wild
Earth magazine
and has published
several books including Confessions of an Eco-Warrior
and a novel, The Lobo
Outback Funeral Home. His new book, Rewilding North
America, will be published in 2004.
The
Wildlife Conservation Lecture Series is hosted by the Oregon Zoo
and The Audubon Society of Portland.
The
lecture
will be
held in the
Oregon Zoo's Cascade Banquet Center. Cost for
each lecture: $10 general admission, $8 for members
of host organizations,
students
and seniors.
Series Tickets: $32 general admission, $25 for
members of host organizations, students and seniors.
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October
15, 2003
Oregon
Zoo Hosts Howling Good Time.
PORTLAND,
Ore. - Families can trick-or-treat and learn more about wildlife
during Howloween at the Oregon Zoo on October 25 and 26, from 11
a.m. to 4 p.m.
In keeping with the zoo's mission, this event is educational as well
as fun. An intriguing scavenger hunt directs trick-or-treaters to easily
accessible activity stations located throughout the zoo in order to
collect candy or prizes.
"
Kids of all ages can hunt for candy and prizes while in the company
of some of the world's most exciting and exotic animals," said
Tony Vecchio, zoo director. "When children and adults
visit the zoo, we hope they make a connection with the animals
that promotes
caring about their future."
Howloween
is presented by Meier & Frank,
which is operated by Robinsons-May, a division of May Department
Stores, headquartered in Los Angeles,
California. The group operates 73 stores, including 57
Robinsons-May stores in California, Arizona and Nevada, and 16
Meier & Frank
stores in Oregon, Utah and Washington.
The
first 500 zoo visitors attending Howloween activities will receive
cooler bags donated
by Subway. Other prizes will also
be available.
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October
14, 2003
Tour
Dracula's Haunted Castle At Oregon Zoo
PORTLAND,
Ore. - Oregon Zoo wants its visitors to enjoy a good scare this Halloween
season on their new thrill ride, Dracula's Haunted Castle. The frightening
feature, which is produced by SimEx-Iwerks, opens on Saturday, October
18 and runs through Sunday, November 2.
Riders
begin their terrifying tour on a dark stormy night outside a foreboding
castle. Two huge, wooden doors creak open and an eerie looking butler
appears. After an ominous warning, the audience is transported
through secret passageways where their worst nightmares come to life.
The
ride continues down dark, lantern-lit hallways at break-neck speeds.
Horrifying skeletons jump out of nowhere to attack with swords, while
packs of flying bats head straight for riders' faces. Tumbling backwards
down an enormous staircase, riders dodge disembodied creatures and
narrowly avoid a head-on crash.
"The
ride is filled with terror and excitement; scary images pop up from
every direction," says Tony Vecchio, Oregon Zoo director. "You
really feel every turn, drop and fall."
Dracula's
Haunted Castle is the zoo's latest simulator ride. The simulator
premiered in May with Deep Sea, which according to Vecchio was a "tremendous
success." Proving to be even more popular is Dino Island, which
debuted in August and will return to the simulator on November 3.
Revenue from the simulator helps pay for many conservation and education
programs at the zoo.
Dracula's
Haunted Castle plays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the SimEx-Iwerks simulation
theater located on the former entry plaza directly across from the
Amur Tiger exhibit, close to the Zoo Railway Station. In addition
to regular zoo admission, a $4 ticket ($3 for members) is required.
Due to the limited number of seats, a maximum of 800 visitors per
day are able to experience the ride.
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October
13, 2003
$50,000
Federal Grant Helps Oregon Zoo Elephants
PORTLAND,
Ore. - Elephants at the Oregon Zoo are stepping more easily these
days with the recent installation of new rubber flooring. The floor
was made possible by a $50,960 Conservation Project Support grant
from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
"The
new rubber floor will not only improve their lives, it may save them," says
Oregon Zoo Director Tony Vecchio. "Foot diseases in elephants
can be fatal. This grant pays for floor improvements that may relieve
some foot care issues."
The
elephants are already showing preference for the new floor, playing,
exercising and sleeping more easily on the soft surface compared
to the old concrete floor. Camie Meichsner, an OSU graduate student,
is observing and analyzing the elephants' reaction to the new floor.
While elephant keepers have reported an obvious preference for the
rubber floor, the Oregon Zoo is the first in the world to do scientific
research on foot-friendly flooring and its prevention of potentially
deadly foot problems.
Meichsner's
short-term study of elephant behavior on concrete versus rubberized
surfaces will attempt to demonstrate any behavioral changes and/or
flooring preferences. In addition to supporting the flooring
installation, the IMLS grant will fund updates to an existing educational
display, incorporating data from this project and adding part-time
interpretive staff in the elephant viewing room to discuss the flooring
project and elephant foot care with visitors.
The
research of the elephant flooring will include a medical history
for each elephant. The elephants' feet are inspected for visible
foot sores or injuries, which are documented. Their feet are also
x-rayed on an annual basis. All of these records will be used to
detect any change after extended exposure and use of the rubber floor.
Over the course of the installation of the rubber floors, closed circuit cameras
monitor the behavior of the elephants. The video is then viewed by a team of
researchers, headed up by Meichsner, who look for behavior changes and reactions
to the rubber floor. They also check for preference between the foot-friendly
floor and the standard concrete. "We're done with the video recording
stage," says Meichsner, "now we're collecting
the data to be analyzed."
The
Oregon Zoo added the new flooring in the elephant barn as part of
its proactive role in preventing foot disease and foot injuries. "With
the softer surface, the elephants don't get the blunt impact of a
cold, concrete surface," says Elephant Keeper Jeb Barsh.
"The
floors are a way to take better care of the elephants through early
intervention."
IMLS is a federal grant-making agency located in Washington, D.C. that fosters
leadership, innovation and a lifetime of learning by supporting museums, zoos
and libraries. IMLS Conservation Project Support awards fund a wide range of
projects to help museums safeguard their collections, including conservation
training, surveys, and treatment. The Oregon Zoo was one of six U.S.
zoos to receive a Conservation Project support grant in 2003. For more information
on IMLS, visit their web site at http://www.imls.gov.
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October
10, 2003
Zoo's
Halloween Events Offer Something For Everyone
Kids
attend sleepover, while parents dance at Tiger Ball!
PORTLAND,
Ore. - Halloween celebrations at the Oregon Zoo cover all bases this
year.
On Friday, October 31, adults are invited to the Tiger
Ball, a dance party from 8 p.m. to midnight, while the kids can
enjoy a special Halloween ZooSnooze.
"This
is a great opportunity for parents and children to get in costume,
go trick-or-treating and then come to the zoo-kids to the Halloween
ZooSnooze and parents to the Tiger Ball," said Tony Vecchio,
zoo director.
Tiger
Ball attendees will be greeted by spooky décor
and DJ spun dance music in the zoo's Cascade Crest Banquet Center.
A costume
contest will be held with prizes such as a behind-the-scenes
encounter with the tigers. Admission is $35 per person in advance,
or $40
at the door. Admission includes heavy hors d'oeuvres, 2 drink
tickets (wine or beer) and a ticket to ride the zoo's simulator thrill
ride,
Dracula's Haunted Castle. Additionally, some sections of the
zoo
will remain open for guests, including Cascade Crest, Steller
Cove, leopards,
tigers, Tiger Plaza, which hosts a jack-o-lantern display, as
well as the simulator theater's Dracula's Haunted Castle.
Tiger
Ball attendees must be 21 years of age or older. Tickets
are available at the zoo. Those purchasing tickets before October
20 will
be entered into a drawing to win an exclusive Zoo Director's
Tour, and lunch for four.
The
zoo is also offering a special Halloween ZooSnooze. Children age
seven to eleven will enjoy a pizza
dinner, experience the
simulator theater's Dracula's Haunted Castle and go on a
nighttime safari
tour
featuring bats, elephants, bears, tigers, wolves, as well
as a candy treasure hunt. After a continental breakfast and a
visit to the birds
of prey, kids will have a front row seat to watch the keepers
give
the animals special treats.
Cost
for the Halloween ZooSnooze is $40. A $10 discount is available if
the child's parent is attending
the zoo's Tiger
Ball. Children
may wear their Halloween costume to the ZooSnooze. Children
must be pre-registered
to attend. For further information or to register, call 503-220-2781.
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October
10, 2003
Zoo
Hosts Baby Panda Event, Oct. 23
Join
GLOBIO's Gerry Ellis as he shares Pandas' first birthday and seven
new births
PORTLAND,
Ore. - A lecture titled Baby Pandas: A Journey Into China will be
presented by GLOBIO (the Foundation for Global Biodiversity Education
for Children) at the Oregon Zoo's Cascade Ballroom on Oct. 23
at 7
p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m. for refreshments and a hands-on
Pro Photo display of the cutting edge digital photography used
during the documentary project.
"GLOBIO
will present the most comprehensive collection of photos ever created
of the initial days of a panda's life," says Tony
Vecchio, zoo director. "It's during these first
days that the sightless infants are at their most fragile."
GLOBIO
celebrates the first birthday of panda cubs TeeOh and Xiao
Lei Lei, who live in China and were introduced to Portland
in a
multimedia presentation last June when the cubs were only
a few months old. The
two pandas, whose lives GLOBIO is documenting in a new book
on rare animals, were born at the Wolong Nature Reserve in
China's
remote
Min Mountains. The reserve, located 1,000 miles southwest of
Beijing, is
one of the last strongholds for the endangered giant panda.
"Our
hope is to offer people a rare glimpse at baby pandas in China and
an even rarer glimpse into the extraordinary lives of people working
to save this incredible creature from extinction," says
Gerry Ellis, GLOBIO's executive director and photographer.
GLOBIO will show new video and photos highlighting the
first year of the cubs' lives. Ellis will immerse the audience
in still and video
imagery of the remote mountain forests of Wolong, including
use of 360-degree QuickTime VR technology and never before
revealed scenes
inside the reserve's famous conservation center and nursery.
The
2003 birthing seasons has been one of the most successful in Wolong's
long history. After modest success in the past few years, the
2003 birthing season started off with a boon of newborns. By
the end of September, seven baby pandas were born. GLOBIO
documented the critical first days as each baby received
undivided attention
by staff and mother panda.
"The
result of GLOBIO's groundbreaking work is a wealth of new photos
that will astound Oregonians," says Vecchio.
Pandas are endangered, despite substantial international
support and intense effort by researchers at the China
Conservation and Research
Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) in the Wolong Nature
Reserve.
Baby
Pandas: A Journey Into China is sponsored by Pro Photo Supply and
hosted by Oregon Zoo and the Portland
Chinese
Classical Garden.
Tickets are $15 general admission or $10 for members
of the Oregon Zoo and Portland Chinese Classical
Garden. Tickets
are available
at the door (subject to capacity) or in advance at
the zoo
or any TicketsWest
ticket outlet. Proceeds from the event support
GLOBIO's panda project and Oregon Zoo's field conservation
efforts.
The
Oregon Zoo is a charter member of GLOBIO, which is an international
children's environmental
education
organization
based in Portland,
Oregon. The zoo supports GLOBIO's mission of teaching
children about the richness of the world's biodiversity
through
rare
baby animals.
The panda project documents the reserve's unique
biodiversity of wildlife, plants and indigenous
cultures. The
result is an opportunity to share with children
a glimpse of rare animals and
the fascinating
world in which they live.
For
information about the panda project or lecture tickets, please visit
http://www.globio.org/news/public/Pandapg2/index.shtml.
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October
7, 2003
OREGON
ZOO'S EAGLE CANYON NEARING COMPLETION
The
Eagle Has Landed
PORTLAND,
Ore. - Animals are arriving and construction is well underway on
the
Oregon Zoo's newest exhibit Eagle Canyon. Bold features such as 40-foot
poles and mesh to showcase bald eagles in flight will be installed
over
the next week. Large acrylic panels to view endangered salmon swimming
in a swift-moving stream will be added tomorrow.
Eagle
Canyon, the latest element to the Great Northwest exhibit will tell
the story of eagles and salmon and their role in the ecosystem. It will
explain how salmon travel to sea as fingerlings and after three years
return to the tributaries of their birth; and will explore how eagles
and other species rely on salmon for their survival. The exhibit will
expand upon the existing Cascade building that displays local animals
such as river otter, beaver and other native watershed species.
"We
are constantly striving to educate the public about caring for local
wildlife," according to Tony Vecchio, zoo director. "This
new exhibit will focus on the plight of the salmon and other animals
found in our own backyards."
Upon
completion in late spring 2004, visitors will walk along a wooded path
and watch a bald eagle gliding among the trees. Visitors will
stop on a covered bridge and enjoy a scenic view of the wooded ravine.
Nearby, children will climb into a monstrous artificial eagle
nest that gives them a glimpse of what life as an eagle is like. Visitors
will be able to view videos of nesting eagles and migrating salmon-captured
by remote cameras in the wild. Further down the path, interactive
displays and naturalists will tell the story of the salmon's struggle
to survive. Visitors will make a connection with the eagles and
the salmon and realize the importance of the conservation of these two
species.
Further
along the trail, parents and children will come along a hollow log that
kids can scramble through as a shortcut to the salmon stream. Parent
can follow through the log or along side on a boulder staircase. If
one isn't in such a hurry, a less steep walk can be enjoyed to the stream.
Visitors will walk behind a cascading waterfall and can place
their hands in the rushing stream to manipulate salmon sculptures to
better understand the streamlining of the fish. Visitors will
also have a chance to feel immersed in the stream, while remaining dry,
through a large acrylic dome and come face to face with salmon as they
swim in for a closer view.
Through
this exhibit, the zoo hopes visitors will learn about bald eagles and
endangered salmon and the integral part they play in the Northwest ecosystem.
"Through these key species, we hope people will be inspired to
care about both these Northwest animals and their habitat," said
Vecchio. "The exhibit will explain how people can help wildlife
and the environment through the choices they make in their daily lives."
Funding
for the $2.4 million construction project was a public and private venture.
Part of the funding came from the 1996 bond measure, and the rest was
raised through The Oregon Zoo Foundation. Spirit Mountain Community
Fund provided a lead gift of $150,000. Other major contributors
include The Collins Foundation, USDA Forest Service and the Paul G.
Allen Charitable Foundation.
The
zoo's commitment to local animals is reflected in the Great Northwest
exhibit. Since 1997, the zoo has completed the first three phases of
the exhibit. The total project cost for Great Northwest is $37 million,
of which the Oregon Zoo Foundation has raised more than 3.2 million.
The Foundation plans to secure the final $800,000 needed to complete
the Great Northwest exhibit through individual, foundation, and corporate
sources. For more information about donor opportunities, call
503-220-5770.
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October
3, 2003
WELLS
FARGO SUMMER CONCERTS RAISE MORE THAN $1 MILLION FOR ZOO'S EDUCATION,
CONSERVATION PROGRAMS
Wells
Fargo commits another $220,000 to sponsor series for next two years
Portland,
Ore. - The 2003 Wells Fargo Summer Concert Series at the Oregon
Zoo -
Portland's longest running outdoor concert series - attracted 60,373
visitors and helped generate nearly $1,060,000 for the zoo. Proceeds
from the concert series, which ran June 29 to Aug. 31, support education
and conservation programs that benefit a variety of threatened and
endangered
species.
In
addition to funding the series, Wells Fargo team members also donated
a total of 600 hours of volunteer labor to the Oregon Zoo during the
concerts.
Wells
Fargo has supported the concert series since 1997. The company recently
committed $220,000 to sponsor the series for the next two years.
"Through
Wells Fargo's generous support, the zoo is able to bring a variety of
nationally renowned musicians to Portland," said Tony Vecchio,
zoo director. "But what's especially important is that the concert
revenue helps support a variety of endangered species, including ones
found here in the Pacific Northwest."
This
year's Wells Fargo Summer Concert Series featured 26 performers, including
Aimee Mann, Roseanne Cash, Asleep at the Wheel and Bela Fleck.
"It's
a great opportunity to sponsor the Wells Fargo Summer Concert Series
every year," said George Passadore of Portland, Wells Fargo's chairman
for Oregon. "These concerts bring world class musicians to our
local residents at affordable prices for local residents. They also
benefit the Oregon Zoo, one of our state's leading educational institutions
and a strong cultural resource for our community."
In
1979, the Oregon Zoo became the first zoo in the nation to
host a summer concert series. The concert series generated additional
revenue to help the zoo fulfill its mission of conservation
and
education.
Next
year's summer concert series will begin in June and run through August.
Concert organizers plan to feature diverse
music, including
folk, jazz, country, blues, salsa and world music.In
addition to Wells Fargo's assistance, the concert series receives
support
from The Oregonian A&E section.
The
non-profit Oregon Zoo Foundation coordinates all private fund-raising
efforts on behalf of the Oregon
Zoo, including
a membership program,
animal sponsorships, corporate and foundation support
and major gifts. The Oregon Zoo Foundation shares the Oregon
Zoo's mission: "Inspiring
our community to create a better future for wildlife."
Founded
in 1852, Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified
financial services company with $370 billion in assets,
providing banking, insurance,
investments, mortgage and consumer finance from more
than 5,800 stores and the Internet (wellsfargo.com) across
North
America and elsewhere
internationally.
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