Let's celebrate World Wildlife Day
March 1, 2021
Every day at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens we celebrate the wildlife of deserts close to home and around the globe. Deserts are a magical place of hidden treasure and splendid beauty if only we take the time to quietly wait, wonder, and discover the secrets they hold.
World Wildlife Day, held on March 3, is a time for each of us to get curious about nature, and The Living Desert is the perfect place to do just that. We are your link to learning and caring about the plants and animals that call the desert home. Our natural habitats give an up-close experience with the most amusing birds, smallest insects, fastest creatures, and tallest mammals from around the globe. Interpretive signage opens a window to important information about the species, threats to their survival, and what we, as humans, can do to support the species. Unique from most other zoos, we pride ourselves on the 55 immersive gardens on site that offer visitors a walk through a variety of deserts around the world among diverse plant life.
Founded as a nature preserve over 50 years ago, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens continues our rich tradition of preservation and conservation of the Sonoran Desert and beyond. As a conservation-first organization, we support and lead efforts locally including head-starting desert tortoises, breeding desert pupfish to rehome them into their native range, and habitat restoration across Southern California using native plants that we grow on grounds.
International conservation projects include efforts to train conservationists how to best learn from and engage with communities, to protect such iconic animals as the giraffe, black rhino, Grevy’s zebra, and the wild places they call home. As an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), we are proud to be in the top tier of organizations that contribute a percentage of revenue to local and global conservation partners and projects.
As we celebrate World Wildlife Day 2021, we encourage you to take a little time to explore your own back yard, a local trail, or visit The Living Desert. Enjoy the diversity of nature all around you. Learn something new about a plant or animal you see every day, plant a native species that supports the birds and butterflies in your own backyard, or share your knowledge and passion about the natural world with a friend. The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is proud to serve the Coachella Valley as your conduit to supporting wildlife conservation locally and globally. Every little thing we do, when we do it together, can make profound and effective progress towards saving species from extinction.
Did You Know...
- As desert conservation leaders, we support and participate in over 40 projects in ten countries and partner with 57 global conservation organizations; a combined effort that supports the protection of biological diversity, the creation and restoration of intact ecosystems, community building, and sustainability.
- We care for 500 animals and 150 species. Of those species, 17 are threatened or endangered. Our work supports breeding programs that cultivate genetic diversity for animals under human care and provide an insurance population for species.
- Because much of species decline is due to human impact, we have developed a “Building Conservation Success” workshop series that builds capacity among conservationists so they can engage with, learn from, and involve local communities in the protection of wildlife and wild places. So far, we have engaged and trained over 400 conservation leaders from 29 countries in this important work.
- Your support, whether as a volunteer, advocate, educator, or financial support through adoption, donation or membership, allows us to have a greater impact and a larger reach in our conservation efforts. Because we are in this together, each small individual contribution multiplies to make a larger impact!