Nearly 100,000 supporters have generously donated more than $90 million to Forests for All, our 7-year, $110 million campaign to elevate our zoo like never before.
Their gifts have moved us closer to a bright future where plants, animals and people flourish together.
They’ve helped transform the Living Northwest Trail, increase our sustainability, enhance animal well-being, expand access and inclusion programs, and so much more. We’ve built strong momentum toward our goal, but we have much to do before we can declare victory.
Join us as we complete our vision for Forests for All—for our zoo, for our community, for the Puget Sound region, and far beyond. With your support, we will elevate our inclusive and extraordinary zoo experience—and become a premier center for conservation action.
Your campaign gifts strengthen everything we do. Support for Forests for All is enhancing our grounds, driving conservation action, and investing in the zoo’s future. We’ve upgraded beloved conservation programs, improved the excellence of our exhibits, introduced new inclusion initiatives, and so much more. Read on to learn more about how we’re reaching new heights—for the good of our planet and all living things—because of your generosity.
Making Children’s Programming More Inclusive
The Impact of Our Urban Forest Initiative
The Camp Inclusion Specialist worked to understand how practices of inclusion can better inform children’s programming and operations at the zoo, making camp accessible and meaningful to all children.
Expanding ZooDoo: Composting for Conservation
The Impact of Our Urban Forest Initiative
We’re reducing the zoo’s landfill-bound trash by an estimated 75% and keeping 221 metric tons of carbon out of the atmosphere annually.
Imagine celebrating your birthday by shoveling animal manure. That’s how one Seattleite recently decided to spend his 80th birthday because of his appreciation for ZooDoo—the compost we’ve been creating at Woodland Park Zoo from our animals’ manure and bedding for nearly 40 years.
ZooDoo not only saves us thousands yearly in waste disposal fees, it also prevents the release of greenhouse gases into the environment and generates funds that we can reinvest into our mission.
“The composting program is probably the single best-aligned program with on-site conservation that we have,” says Liv Johansson, Sustainable Waste Management Specialist at Woodland Park Zoo. “Running a zoo is resource intensive. To do so in a way that’s respectful to the earth means going out of our way to implement sustainable solutions on-site.”
And our ZooDoo just keeps getting better. Thanks to the Forests for All campaign, we recently adopted a new composting system that helps us create more compost, reduce composting time, and deliver a higher-quality product.
Incredibly, the new system has doubled our composting production, putting us on track to create 800-900 cubic yards of compost this year. That’s enough to completely cover the Seattle Seahawks’ playing field with one foot of ZooDoo!
And that’s not all. This past summer, our supporters also made it possible for us to compost our carnivore and primate waste in addition to herbivore waste. As a result, we’re reducing the zoo’s landfill-bound trash by an estimated 75% and keeping 221 metric tons of carbon out of the atmosphere annually.
Today, Woodland Park Zoo stands as one of the few zoos that collects manure from all our animals for composting. As we look to the future, we’ll keep improving our approach with new machinery and pursue more opportunities to educate people about the benefits of composting. This is just the beginning of our sustainability journey.
Creating a Sustainable Sanctuary for Komodo Dragons
The Impact of Our Urban Forest Initiative
“With more donations, we’d do exactly what we did with the Komodo dragon exhibit elsewhere,” says John. “We’d design the best environment for each animal and then make it happen.”
“Especially in Seattle, we all know what it feels like to relax in a warm, sunny spot. We’ve created a space where Komodo dragons can do just that,” says John Borgmeyer, Director of Exhibits and Maintenance at Woodland Park Zoo. “When they climb up on the new rock we designed as a hot spot in the exhibit and visibly relax, I think to myself, ‘Nailed it!’”
Komodo dragons are the earth’s largest lizards, an endangered species native to Indonesia, and one of more than 250 species that call Woodland Park Zoo home. Thanks to the Forests for All campaign, the zoo’s Komodo dragon exhibit was recently transformed to be even more comfortable for our animals, sustainable for our environment, and accessible to our visitors.
The revamped exhibit now boasts new areas where our reptiles can indulge their love for digging and tunneling as well as hot spots where the cold-blooded creatures can bask in the warmth of concealed heat sources.
“We wanted to produce an environment where Komodo dragons could thrive,” says John. “And these are the happiest, most active Komodo dragons I’ve seen during my time here.”
And it doesn’t stop there: the exhibit was also updated to be more energy efficient. The Exhibits, Maintenance, and Projects team also oversaw the replacement of a glass roof with a well-insulated metal roof. The result? Not only a warmer home for the Komodo dragons but also a significant reduction in the zoo’s natural gas costs and carbon emissions.
Visitors are in for a treat too. They can enjoy an up-close-and-personal look at these impressive creatures thanks to a new glass viewing area that makes the exhibit even more immersive.
“With more donations, we’d do exactly what we did with the Komodo dragon exhibit elsewhere,” says John. “We’d design the best environment for each animal and then make it happen.”
Safeguarding Tree Kangaroos with Renewable Energy
The Impact of the Forests for All Initiative
At the heart of this project is the zoo’s passion and Forests for All’s rallying cry: uniting people around forward-thinking solutions that benefit all living creatures.
A remarkable change is underway in Papua New Guinea. Thanks to the Forests for All campaign, many villages are using clean energy for the first time to light up the night—and protect the health of local ecosystems.
In the past, these communities were forced to rely on firelight and kerosene lamps—unsustainable light sources that threaten endangered species local citizens are eager to protect, including Matschie’s tree kangaroos. Thankfully, many homes in Papua New Guinea are now aglow with solar lights, and their families and forests are better off because of it.
“Communities that safeguard tree kangaroos have no roads, no electricity, no easy access,” says Lisa Dabek, Senior Conservation Scientist and Senior Director of the Papua New Guinea Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program at Woodland Park Zoo. “Our donors enable us to approach conservation holistically, supporting the communities who steward species facing extinction.”
The new solar lights, which are now illuminating 350 homes and 21 walking paths across seven villages, decrease the need for firewood, eliminating hours of daily labor while reducing deforestation. Now, at night, midwives can help women give birth and families can spend more time studying, meeting, and working with reduced exposure to smoke.
At the heart of this project is the zoo’s passion and Forests for All’s rallying cry: uniting people around forward-thinking solutions that benefit all living creatures. And because of our donors’ generosity, we are working toward providing 43 more villages with solar light. It’s all part of what Lisa calls “playing the long game” in the tree kangaroos’ backyard.
“We are one of the few zoos that has been committed to a place—including its people, animals, and forest—for more than 25 years,” says Lisa. “Our long-term dedication, made possible by our donors, has allowed us to invest in local leaders so our work is community-led, and it’s become a model for other zoos.”
Studying Urban Carnivores to Promote Peaceful Coexistence
The Impact of the We Are Living Northwest Initiative
“Volunteers get excited about what we capture on camera,” says Deb. “It’s incredible to see animals who are so close to the margins finding ways to endure. This program really draws people into conservation and community awareness.”
Nature intertwines with cities and towns across the Pacific Northwest, creating a mosaic of green expanses and bustling urban areas. Within this diverse landscape, our Living Northwest Conservation initiative includes the Seattle Urban Carnivore Project (SUCP), which was co-founded by the zoo and Seattle University to study urban carnivores like coyotes and bears to help people better understand and coexist with these unexpected neighbors.
“It’s so important that we create landscapes that support the flourishing of both people and wildlife,” says Katie Remine, Living Northwest Conservation Manager at Woodland Park Zoo. “We can all meet our needs to survive and thrive.”
Thanks to the Forests for All campaign, the SUCP gathers valuable data on carnivores throughout King County, spreading Woodland Park Zoo's influence across many people and communities.
“If we can dispel myths with data, people are less likely to fear coexistence with carnivores,” says Brianna Widner, Community Science Specialist at Woodland Park Zoo. “Our data has helped show that many things that benefit wildlife benefit people too, like having larger, more connected patches of green space.”
And the SUCP simply wouldn’t be possible without many dedicated volunteers, like Deb Seaney, a local resident who manages several camera traps—remote cameras placed in strategic locations to capture photos of carnivores using motion sensors.
“Volunteers get excited about what we capture on camera,” says Deb. “It’s incredible to see animals who are so close to the margins finding ways to endure. This program really draws people into conservation and community awareness.”
And the SUCP’s impact isn’t limited to Seattle. Data and insights are shared broadly to benefit communities across North America through the zoo’s involvement with the Urban Wildlife Information Network. It’s all part of Woodland Park Zoo’s dedication to bringing together plants, animals, and people through Forests for All to protect the well-being of all living things.
Bringing Conservation to Life with New Lynx and Turtle Experiences
The Impact of the We Are Living Northwest Initiative
Forests for All allowed us to reframe the Living Northwest Trail to showcase conservation, helping people understand our work in species preservation and feel inspired to protect the planet, too.
The reimagined Living Northwest Trail shines a light on our region’s native wildlife and local conservation efforts, demonstrating how we can discover, recover, and coexist with plants and animals across the Northwest. Thanks to the Forests for All campaign’s generous supporters, the new exhibit now offers up-close encounters with charismatic Canada lynx and endangered Western pond turtles, among other exciting additions.
The new lynx exhibit provides our animals with a diverse, enriching environment—and our zoo guests with close-range experiences. “We created a dynamic space where the lynx have a variety of choices and places to go,” says Erin Sullivan, Animal Curator at Woodland Park Zoo. “People love seeing our cats smelling different scents, trying unique foods, and climbing high and low.”
At Carthy Herzig Basecamp Northwest, also located in the Living Northwest Trail, guests can enjoy a never-before-seen glimpse into the zoo’s 30-year investment in Western pond turtle conservation, during which the zoo has distinguished itself as a leader in research and helped bring the species back from the threat of extinction right here in Washington state.
“We’ve worked with Western pond turtles for so long, know so much about the species, and have advanced the field, so we decided to move our lab from a corner of the zoo where it wasn’t visible into a brand-new space,” says Erin. “Now, our pioneering conservation work is on full display—you can see incubators filled with turtle eggs, tubs of swimming baby turtles before they are released into their wild habitats each year, and adult turtles swimming around a habitat.”
In the past, when our staff shared stories of their conservation work, zoo guests were eager to know more—including how they could help. Forests for All allowed us to reframe the Living Northwest Trail to inspire conservation, helping people engage directly in our species restoration work and feel inspired to protect the planet, too.
Driving Empathy for Animals at Zoos Worldwide
The Impact of the Forests for All Initiative
“As people get to know animals’ personalities and preferences, true connections form,” says Marta. “When they understand what animals need, it’s easier for them to link their own actions, like using a plastic straw, to the future of penguins, for example.”
Can building empathy for animals strengthen the conservation movement? Absolutely, says Marta Burnet, Woodland Park Zoo’s director of advancing empathy, who has firsthand experience with empathy’s transformative power.
“Long before I worked at the zoo, my daughter asked me to take her to a bat talk and observation program—and it completely changed how we thought about them,” says Marta. “It motivated us to volunteer our time to help save bats.”
And Marta is far from alone. The Advancing Conservation through Empathy (ACE) for Wildlife learning network, led by Marta and her team at Woodland Park Zoo, is uniting zoos and aquariums around the world as they increase empathy for animals to motivate behavior change, thanks in large measure to support from the Forests for All campaign.
“As people get to know animals’ personalities and preferences, true connections form,” says Marta. “When they understand what animals need, it’s easier for them to link their own actions, like using a plastic straw, to the future of penguins, for example.”
Forests for All campaign funding from a generous foundation not only supports the ACE for Wildlife Network but also empowers the zoo to award grants to select zoos and aquariums, helping them to introduce empathy practices that encourage guests to support conservation.
A recent grant from our zoo enabled the Racine Zoo to open Becoming Bear, an indoor playspace overlooking its bear habitat within which children step into a bear’s world. While inside, kids are invited to imitate bear behaviors, see themselves reflected in a special mirror with bear ears and markings, and leave messages on a tree-themed chalkboard to mimic how bears leave markings to communicate.
It's just one way that Forests for All is extending the Woodland Park Zoo's commitment to securing a bright future for our planet: “by enabling us to cultivate empathy for wildlife here and worldwide."
Elevating our Leadership in Butterfly Restoration
The Impact of the We Are Living Northwest Initiative
“We’d never done breeding before and the first year it didn’t work,” says Erin. “But our second year was wildly successful. We had our first breeding and larvae hatching at the zoo in 2023!”
Butterflies are treasured not only for their vibrant beauty but also for the essential role they play in our planet’s biodiversity. As pollinators, butterflies sustain other species and make it possible for ecosystems to flourish.
Woodland Park Zoo has protected the threatened Oregon silverspot butterfly in partnership with the Oregon Zoo, US Fish and Wildlife and other partners for more than two decades. Our collaborative efforts have established the program as a model for other zoos dedicated to protecting butterflies.
“For many years, we’ve brought in fertilized female butterflies so their eggs can safely hatch, turn into larvae, overwinter, and receive food and water before we release the new butterflies on the Oregon Coast,” says Erin Sullivan, Animal Curator at Woodland Park Zoo. “Today, the Oregon silverspot butterfly simply wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for our program.”
In recent years, specialized grant funding through the Forests for All campaign has made it possible to expand the program in challenging yet thrilling new ways, giving butterflies an even better shot at a bright future.
“We’d always just done population augmentation before,” says Erin. “And that’s wonderful—but we have an opportunity to learn even more about their biology and reproduction. What do these butterflies need? How can we help them be even more successful? Let’s prepare in case there is a time when fertilized butterflies are harder to find. We have an opportunity to expand our approach.”
The zoo was embarking on something new: breeding Oregon silverspot butterflies, which would serve as a safety net against the species’ extinction in the wild. And that meant that we would need to determine what they need while in our care to successfully reproduce.
“We’d never done breeding before and the first year it didn’t work,” says Erin. “But our second year was wildly successful. We had our first breeding and larvae hatching at the zoo!” What was the secret ingredient? We are still teasing out the different factors but sunlight and a light breeze definitely help! Now, zoo staff can’t wait to expand butterfly breeding, safeguarding the Oregon silverspot butterfly—and the ecosystems it helps sustain—and paving the way for the restoration of many other threatened species.
Pioneering Research to Protect Threatened Wildlife
The Impact of the We Are Living Northwest Initiative
We’re investing in one-of-a-kind initiatives with the potential to safeguard our local ecosystems for generations to come.
Right now, thanks to generous donors of the Forests for All campaign, the zoo is on the cusp of a thrilling milestone: the official launch of an unprecedented research program that aims to protect endangered carnivores and the ecosystems they sustain.
The Cascades Carnivore Monitoring Program is a sweeping initiative that will monitor wolverines and lynx—threatened species critical to ecosystem health—across the Cascade Mountains in Washington and into British Columbia over a 20-year period.
Robert Long, Senior Conservation Scientist and Director of the Living Northwest Program, and Paula MacKay, Carnivore Conservation Specialist, began to lay the groundwork for this effort with their colleagues at Woodland Park Zoo more than a decade ago by building relationships, conducting research, and designing survey tools.
More recently, they have started bringing together a strong and diverse network of conservation partners—including government agencies, Native nations, non-governmental organizations, and universities—to co-lead the extensive research program.
“No single entity could conduct this level of monitoring across such a broad area over the long term,” says Robert. “Engagement from a variety of organizations will be crucial to ensure that the work keeps going strong.”
As field work begins this year, program partners will begin collecting more comprehensive data than ever before on regional wolverines and lynx. This information will play an important role in enabling the species to persist.
“We’ll have a better understanding of wolverines and lynx, which is essential for policy decisions at all scales that have a direct impact on them,” says Robert. “As one example, wildlife bridges and underpasses along highways can help keep animals and people safe, but data are required to justify the funding for those important structures.”
Local species like wolverines and lynx are not just a unique feature of our region—they enhance the biodiversity of our forests. Contributions to the Forests for All campaign are making it possible for us to invest in one-of-a-kind initiatives like the Cascades Carnivore Monitoring Program, which have the potential to safeguard Pacific Northwest ecosystems for generations to come.
Developing Tomorrow’s Conservation Leaders
The Impact of the We Are Living Northwest Initiative
“My hope is that through our work, immigrant and refugee communities feel included in our efforts to create a thriving, sustainable world.”
Research shows that people who spend time outdoors build strong bonds with nature and with their communities. That’s why the zoo is creating more opportunities than ever for people to connect with our region’s beauty and local conservation efforts.
By supporting the Forests for All campaign, our donor community has enabled us to establish a one-of-a-kind Empathy Collaborative that allows us to work alongside south Seattle communities to co-create programs that respond to local interests and priorities.
“I am a Latina and a person of color, and I rarely encountered people who look like me in zoo environments,” says AR Lopez, Empathy Collaborative Manager at Woodland Park Zoo. “My hope is that through our work, immigrant and refugee communities feel included in our efforts to create a thriving, sustainable world.”
We recently co-designed and delivered a community-created nature photography camp in partnership with Gabriela Rivarde, Youth Programs Manager at Seward Park Audubon Center.
According to Gabriela, the program helped south Seattle teens, many of whom have limited financial means and identify as persons of color and/or are gender diverse, to grow in knowledge and confidence as they explored urban green spaces, built photography skills, and connected with nature and one another.
“As I told the camp participants about the challenges faced by urban old growth forests in our community, I wasn’t always sure how much my words were resonating with everyone,” says Gabriela. “Then, to my surprise, one of the girls quoted much of what I’d said, almost verbatim, during a presentation of her photography. She also connected what I shared back to her own experience, saying that the beauty and delicacy of the forests reminds her of her own people, the struggles they’ve been through, and how they’ve been resilient through it all.”
You can read more about camp participants’ perspectives and see their nature photography in a digital photography exhibit.
Your support for the Forests for All campaign is making it possible for us to connect with people throughout our community, building more resilient, engaged citizens ready to act as agents of change across the Pacific Northwest.
Creating a Welcoming Zoo for Everyone
The Impact of the Our Urban Forest Initiative
Our volunteer inclusion program is unlocking exciting opportunities for people with disabilities to support the zoo’s mission in new ways.
Expanding what you see is key to expanding your mind. That’s a principle zoo volunteers Morgaine McFarland and her mother, Jenny McFarland, have seen repeatedly through the volunteer inclusion program.
By doubling down on our commitment to inclusion and making more zoo spaces and tools accessible—including removing barriers that make it difficult for people in wheelchairs to see zoo animals and signage—we’ve been able to welcome people with disabilities like Morgaine into our volunteer programming for the first time in our history.
“I enjoy volunteering at the zoo, where I’m in the open air and can see a lot of things instead of being in a closed off area,” says Morgaine. “And many zoo visitors—especially kids and people with disabilities—feel more comfortable when I’m speaking to them because I’m on their level in my wheelchair. Kids ask questions about my chair too, which helps them better understand my experience.”
The volunteer inclusion program was launched thanks in part to Forests for All, the zoo’s major campaign to deepen our community’s understanding of the many connections between plants, animals and people in our world and translate that awareness into conservation action.
Because of the campaign’s generous supporters, the zoo is expanding innovative initiatives like the volunteer inclusion program and launching exciting efforts like a state-of-the-art Forest Trailhead exhibit. Volunteers like Morgaine and Jenny are helping zoo guests understand how these different parts of our work supported by the campaign work together to build a more inclusive, forward-thinking zoo and community.
“During a recent volunteer shift, Morgaine and I were helping some zoo visitors find a red panda—but he was hard to see because he was a story and a half up,” says Jenny. “After it opens, the new Forest Trailhead exhibit will enable everyone to see red pandas on their level because it will have viewing areas at different elevations. It’s an example of adapting for all abilities, which is a wonderful way to highlight inclusion and accessibility.”
Fueling Sustainable and Innovative Animal Care
The Impact of the Our Urban Forest Initiative
We’re providing the highest quality animal care and pioneering new methods of supporting endangered species—and in many ways, it’s thanks to endowment programs.
What powers our excellence in animal care? There isn’t one simple answer, but endowment funding makes a big difference, enabling us to remain at the cutting edge as we work to enrich our animals’ lives.
Endowment programs like the Pamela Foster Endowment for Animal Care, established through our Forests for All Campaign, offer long-term funding that allows us to provide the highest quality animal care and pioneer new methods of supporting each species at the zoo—from gorillas to giraffes.
“We’re forward-thinking in many ways—including how we support newborn gorillas whose mothers don’t accept them,” says Martin Ramirez, Acting Senior Director of Animal Care at Woodland Park. “Our techniques teach mother gorillas how to care for baby gorillas and teach babies how to be with their mothers. It took three months to bring a baby and mother back together the first time. The next time it took only two weeks because we’d improved our process.”
Thanks to our generous supporters, we’ve earned recognition among top zoos and aquariums worldwide for how we nurture our animals.
“When the zoo hosted a conference of zoo professionals, attendees were so impressed with us that they wanted to better understand our approach to animal care,” says Martin. “After that gathering, I was so proud to be at Woodland Park Zoo—and I kept getting emails from zoo colleagues wanting to know more!”
Strategically investing in animal well-being is good for our wildlife and good for the global conservation movement. That’s because people are often most drawn to animals that are open, curious, and content.
“Our guests are much more likely to connect with healthy animals like the ones at the zoo,” says Martin. “And when people grow in empathy for animals, it inspires them to protect the environment.”
Thanks to the Pamela Foster Endowment for Animal Care, we’re providing exceptional animal care and growing our species-saving movement—empowering us to achieve the aims of the Forests for All campaign and fulfill our organization’s mission of saving wildlife and making conservation a part of everyone’s lives.