A special fund to assist with the areas of greatest need within the Zoo and Garden.
THANK YOU. Your support of Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is vital to our success in the care and conservation of animals and plants in our protection. Thanks to you, Riverbanks works round-the-clock to provide outstanding animal care and deliver extraordinary experiences that connect you to the natural world.
This past year, we have been especially proud of the achievements of our bird team, in what we have coined the “Year of the Bird.” Your Zoo was recognized at the 2022 Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Mid-Year Conference for significant contributions to the sustainability of zoo-managed bird populations.
This honor was due, in part, to the amazing work of our keepers, who tirelessly care for all of the birds at Riverbanks during late nights and early morning hand-rearing, and, in part, to the work of our curator of birds, who developed a powerful tool called the S-Index that gauges, assesses and plans for the sustainability of a species.
At Riverbanks, for example, we excel at breeding songbirds, especially endangered Asian songbirds. The S-Index can help predict how many chicks we are likely to produce and provide to other zoos to help with their sustainability efforts. This tool, developed at your Zoo, is now used by animal managers worldwide, ensuring a successful roadmap for animal care that aims to preserve vulnerable species.
Important scientific work like this happens every day at Riverbanks. From birds to corals to large mammals, our ability to care for animals and learn from them significantly impacts global efforts to save their species in the wild.