WHAT IS GIVING ZooDay?
We have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting deals. Now, we have #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. On Tuesday, December 1, 2015, charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give.
#GivingZooDay is an effort to rally support for zoos working to preserve wildlife for generations to come. The Maryland Zoo is a nonprofit organization that relies on your support to fund operations, animal care, education programs and wildlife conservation. We hope this #GivingZooDay you’ll consider a gift to help The Maryland Zoo continue its wild mission.
YOUR GIFT DOUBLED
As part of #GivingZooDay any gift of $25 or more will be matched (up to $10,000!) thanks to generous Maryland Zoo donor support. Every dollar is doubled as part of this special #GivingZooDay match. Plus, every individual who gives $25 or more will be entered to receive special Zoo gifts and experiences including a behind-the-scenes tour of the Zoo. It’s our way of showing thanks for your support of the Zoo’s wild work.
VOTE FOR CONSERVATION
Where should your #GivingZooDay gift go? Help rally for your favorite conservation effort at The Maryland Zoo. Your votes will help decide which preservation project gets an extra boost of financial support this #GivingZooDay.
Voting is now closed and African Elephants conservation received the most votes! The elephant team will receive an extra financial boost to use to further their conservation work.
Learn more about these important Zoo conservation programs:
- African Elephants – The Maryland Zoo is home to a herd of four African Elephants. The Zoo participates in the Elephant Species Survival Program to help preserve these extraordinary mammals that are facing serious threats to their survival in the wild, including poaching. Nearly 100 elephants are killed in the wild each day as a result of ivory sales and trade. The Zoo is working collaboratively with other AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) accredited facilities and non-profit organizations to support the care and preservation of these threatened animals.
- Panamanian Golden Frogs – The Maryland Zoo helped establish Project Golden Frog in 2001 and since then the Zoo has worked with a goal of returning these critically endangered frogs to the wild. Believed to be extinct in their native Panama, golden frogs are an iconic species and a symbol of national pride for Panamanians. The Zoo was first to successfully breed this species and now houses the largest collection of golden frogs anywhere in the world. The Zoo recently received an Edward H. Bean Award for Conservation from the AZA for its work to save this species.
- White Rhinos – There are five distinct rhino species in the world and each faces obstacles to their long term survival. The Zoo is home to two Southern White Rhinos, a subspecies, and actively supports rhino conservation through programs and collaborations with other zoos and nonprofit organizations working to raise rhino awareness. Daisy, the Zoo’s female Southern white rhino is one of the oldest rhinos in the Zoo community at the age of 47, far outliving her life expectancy in the wild.
- African Penguins – The Maryland Zoo is home to the most successful breeding colony of African penguins in North America. Since 1967, the Zoo has worked with African penguins and has hatched nearly 1,000 African penguins, a species whose decline has caused them to be listed as endangered. In addition to an extensive role in the Species Survival Program, the Zoo also participates in research to help further understand these unique warm weather penguins and combat some of the threats to their survival.
LEARN MORE ABOUT #GIVINGZOODAY
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