Author name: Denise Verret

There’s lots of great animal news coming out of the Zoo! Catch up on the latest with CEO and Zoo Director Denise M. Verret.

As we transition to the summer, the Zoo is focused on expanding our impact in the community and on connecting more Angelenos to nature. 

The Zoo and its staff and volunteers are hard at work celebrating and conserving our marvelous planet during Earth Month. From a focus on birds to the creation of new garden spaces, read on to see why Zoo Director and CEO Denise M. Verret is excited for the rebirth and renewal of spring at the L.A. Zoo.

To help foster a safe space for all Angelenos, including African American youth, the Los Angeles Zoo has expanded its programming and partnerships to create more meaningful and active connections to nature and wildlife.

The holiday season is my absolute favorite time of the year. It reminds me of another year gone by and of the opportunity for reflection, as we look back at our progress and impact and renew our spirits for a brand-new year to come—a new year that will bring with it opportunities for continued growth and lasting connections.

It’s a great time to enjoy the outside and connect with wildlife and nature, and your Los Angeles Zoo is doing just that in a variety of ways.

It’s August, which means we are hosting nearly 900 Zoo Campers and are also taking our outreach programs to 36 parks throughout the City as part of the Recreation and Parks Summer Play L.A. program, where we are engaging over 1,000 campers.

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of traveling to Africa for the very first time in my life. The purpose of this trip was to prepare and inform me of the full journey I am going to co-lead in Botswana and Namibia later in the fall as part of the Zoo’s travel program, but what happened was far more incredible than anything I could have imagined.

Spring is one of my favorite seasons of the year – it’s a time of birth and renewal when the natural world around us springs back to life. We also use spring as a time to commemorate our planet and the role we all play in protecting it. As we embark on another year celebrating Earth Day on April 22, I am thinking about how the L.A. Zoo is making a sustainable impact on our planet.