Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Terra Vleeshouwer-Neumann, Intern, Public Affairs Photos by John Loughlin, Woodland Park Zoo A volunteer leads a guided tour at hippos. Woodland Park Zoo is dedicated to providing experiences that connect everyone to wildlife and conservation. Blind and low vision guests can request a trained sighted guide for their visit.  Here at the Woodland Park Zoo, we want everybody to feel welcome. One way we are working to include more of our community is through a series of Zoo For All events. Our most recent event on July 2, Celebrating All Abilities, was a huge hit. Despite the drizzly weather, the zoo was buzzing with excitement! Service animals are welcome. Woodland Park Zoo is responsible for the health and well-being of all of its animals, including many sensitive species. Therefore, there are additional steps to bringing fully-trained service animals on grounds. Here are all the details for service animals. Visitors learn about the special shoes our giraf...

Posted by Kirsten Pisto, communications  with Gypsy Darrow, educator at Kent Public Schools Connecting people with their love for animals occupies the core of who we are. Woodland Park Zoo serves the diverse communities of Seattle and King County through an inclusive approach to lifelong learning. We are dedicated to making our programs accessible and relevant for all community members. Our wide range of initiatives and outreach programs provide opportunities to learn about and connect with animals. While many of our visitors come from all over the country (and even the world) to adventure through our 92 acres—it is our honor and privilege to also serve our local schools and learning programs. The zoo’s Learning and Innovation department works with educators from around Puget Sound to introduce their classrooms to endangered species, dive into conservation actions, wander our pathways and explore our biomes. For many kids, a field trip to Woodland Park Zoo...

By: Alejandro Grajal, President and CEO Imagine what it would be like if you never came to the zoo. You may have memories of your children enjoying the open space, learning about animals, or just being happy to share time with you. But in a wildly booming city like ours, we are also seeing increasing economic inequality. Too many of our neighbors, community groups, and families never have the chance to come and enjoy the zoo. As the President and CEO of Woodland Park Zoo, I am proud of our efforts to more than double the opportunities to keep our zoo accessible to everyone in our community– whether it’s through complimentary passes to local nonprofit partners or through new programs we launched to make the zoo more affordable and accessible to all. A quiet moment on the Northern Trail. Through the $5 DiscoverTicket and a $35 Explorer Pass membership , current recipients of Washington Quest/EBT and/or WIC assistance will have more opportunities to visit the zoo. The $5 Disc...

Posted by: Carolyn Stevens-Wood, Staff Writer Financial Trader. Poet. All-around sweet guy. Floyd Udell Jones (1927 – 2018) Goldie stood to the right upon entering Floyd’s sitting room. He had a place of honor right behind a sofa on a small platform by the window.  Goldie the lion sculpture was purchased on a trip to South Africa Floyd took with his companion, Alene Moris, a number of years ago. The purchase was a quick decision, something for which Floyd was well known, on a side trip during a delay en route to the airport. Floyd was taken with the beauty of the lion, a piece of incredible artwork composed of thousands of tiny gold beads in intricate handiwork. Goldie served as a reminder of the safari they took and the extraordinary memories of seeing lions in their wild habitat. Floyd was keenly aware that most people will not have the chance to see the majestic, awe-inspiring lions in Africa as he did, and wanted them to be able to see them u...

Posted by Kirsten Pisto, communications Photos by Pisto, Woodland Park Zoo Sparkling colors and magical scenes draw many families to explore Woodland Park Zoo's WildLights. This year, in addition to welcoming members and visitors—the zoo's Community Access Program invited some very special community members to share in the magic of the season. Our friends from White Center CDA, thank you for joining us! The weekend after Thanksgiving, the zoo invited more than 50 community partners to attend WildLights presented by Sound Credit Union. These local organizations serve low-income, at-risk or underserved children and families in our shared community and include organizations such as Mary's Place, Ryther, Big Brothers Big Sisters Puget Sound, Sibling House, White Center CDA, Youthcare, Treehouse and more. By partnering with these organizations over the Thanksgiving weekend, the zoo welcomed more than 3,000 attendees to our Community Access Program WildLights n...

Posted by Kirsten Pisto, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Standing in the sun-soaked tent at Molbak’s Butterfly Garden, we are surrounded by fluttering pollinators, gorgeous blooms and the giggles of some very special visitors. They wait, holding very still, anticipating a lucky butterfly landing.  Gabriana and her little sister Asuzana, 3 years old, soak up the magic of a butterfly overhead. “I really think they will land on me,” an optimistic 4-year-old Emilio explains to his mom. The butterflies seem to flit and dart just above the laughter of this group of toddlers. These kiddos and their parents are here with a group called YoungLives, which offers support and provides resources for teen moms and their young children in the greater Seattle area. YoungLives is part mentorship and part community resource for young mothers (primarily middle school through high school-aged) at a time when they may feel isolated from family, friend...

Posted by Kirsten Pisto, communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo “I’m really not a seafood person.” quips Giovanni, “Ooohwee, that’s a strong smell! Humboldt penguins feast on anchovies, trout, smelt and herring at Woodland Park Zoo to mimic their natural diet in the Humboldt Current off the coast of Chile and Peru. Sometimes the aroma can be potent! Giovanni, ‘G’ for short, is visiting the Humboldt Penguin exhibit with his Big Brother Luke. The pair is a match with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound and they are here to get a special close up look at penguins with keeper Celine. The pair has experienced many outings since being matched by Big Brothers Big Sisters about 8 months ago, from trips to the arcade to grabbing burgers to just hanging out after school — but this experience is by far the most pungent. Community Access Program tickets provide a special opportunity for the children in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, a...