THE LIVING DESERT ZOO AND GARDENS

As a leading conservation zoo and gardens, improving the zoo experience to help meet local and global environmental challenges requires holding a steadfast gaze on our vision - a world in which people protect wildlife and conserve habitats for all species - while fulfilling our mission of conservation through preservation, education and appreciation.

To engage others in this vision, and empower them as active partners in our mission, we are focused on strategic investments in six goal areas. Together they integrate expansion and innovation in some areas, focus and refinement in others—all reinforcing each other strategically to create a more sustainable future for wildlife and people.

1. Build the guest experience of the future
2. Advance animal well-being and species conservation
3. Grow our conservation actions and impact
4. Empower people through conservation and science education
5. Accelerate the reach and awareness of our mission
6. Strengthen our organization

Our reach and influence are growing as evident by our increase in general admission visitors and our school field trips. We are in the fifth year in a row of record attendance, anticipating closing in on the half-million mark by then end of this year. Our school field trips have increased by almost 20% with new school reach doubling this year alone allowing us to reach over 100,000 school-age children. Not only are we servicing the growing population in the Coachella Valley, but we are reaching regionally into Southern California, stretching from the Coast to the Inland Empire.

In addition, our donor base is growing to support our mission and goals. We are currently in our $30 million capital campaign, The Pride of the Desert. This campaign supports a three-phase development that will support our future growth in attendance with a new admissions area, our community outreach with a new special events center and our conservation impact with the addition of popular African animals such as lions, rhinos and spotted hyenas.

The mission and goals provided above are represented in our newly devised “Mission 2020: Celebrating 50 Years of Conservation" which is The Living Deserts Five Year Strategic Plan 2017-2020. This journey from good to great focuses first and foremost on how we engage our guests based on their hierarchy of needs. We are taking them on a journey of providing a safe, comfortable and educational experience to one of inspirational and transformation where they see how their daily decisions impact and can change the trajectory of the natural world and the plants and animals that are in it.
During the fiscal year ending 2017 The Living Desert has invested heavily in improving the guest experience and our physical infrastructure. New wayfaring signs help guests navigate the park and develop a deeper and richer understanding of the plants and animals we protect. New animal habitats support animal well-being and a richer guest experience. Replacement of energy-consuming lights, air conditioners and other physical structures supports our efforts to model sustainability. And our focus on Year of the Cheetah as a critically endangered species allowed us to not only partner world-wide on habitat conservation and local education efforts but also share the educational message and promote understanding in the Coachella Valley.
Fiscal year ending 2018 allowed us to break ground on the first phase of our $30 million capital campaign, The Pride of the Desert. Phase one includes a new admissions entrance and Legacy Garden that will provide entrance directly in to the heart of The Living Desert. New ticketing and admissions facilities, membership services and a new retail gift shop will support a “best day ever" member experience. The Living Desert celebrated The Year of the Giraffe, designed to educate our members and volunteers on the threat of silent extinction of which the giraffe has experienced. Our local engagement was enhanced with the NEW Me & You at the Zoo to engage toddlers and their caregivers in nature play, conservation education programs developed in partnership with the California Science Teachers Association and habitat restoration in the southern Mojave Desert and northern Sonoran Desert Ecoregions.