The Zoo needs your help for this second shutdown!

The Minnesota Zoo is a critical resource for environmental education and access to nature.  In a typical year, the Zoo would be welcoming over 1.2 million guests and reaching 500,000 people through education and outreach programs.

The Zoo closed its gates to the public for the first time on March 14, reopened in a safe, socially distanced way in July, and is now forced to close again due to the global pandemic. A third of the Zoo’s operating budget comes from earned revenue. We need your help again, more than ever! Staff provides top notch animal care and the Zoo also needs to care for its staff. 

As an employee of the Zoo, I am privileged to see guests of all ages making connections with exhibit animals, presenters and instructors. Some of these encounters lead to life-long passions, careers and volunteerism. I can also speak to the behind-the-scenes commitment from staff that maintains the infrastructure and facilities, builds animal habitats, and maintains 485 acres of grounds. From purchasing to planting, we are an entire community of dedicated staff.  We want to continue to be a destination for Minnesota families, as well as a leader in the field of conservation.  Minnesotans need nature more than ever!

-Jessica