Annual Report 2024-2025

2024-2025 Annual Report

OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM

Allen Monroe President/CEO

RoxAnna Breitigan Chief Operating Officer

Dwight Middendorf CFO/Vice President of Information & Innovation

Jeff Petrovic Chief Development Officer

James Danoff-Burg, PhD Vice President of Conservation

Kait Hilliard Vice President of Marketing & Communications

Terrie Terrell Vice President of People & Culture

Anna Young, PhD Vice President of Learning & Impact

THE LIVING DESERT BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2024-2025

Chairman: Bill Appel*

Treasurer: Craig McCollam*

Secretary: Sandra Cooper Woodson*

President/CEO & Assistant Secretary: Allen Monroe*

Deborah Chapman *

Susan Cooper

Marylynn Gladstein

Phil Hasbrouck

Candace Holzgrafe *

H. Earl “Bud” Hoover II ✝

Suz Hunt*

Michael Kiner

Jaishri Mehta

Jneil Nelson

Peter Scheer

Sally Simonds

Bill Simpkins

Phillip K. Smith, Jr. *

Mary Lou Solomon

Larry Spicer

Sam Spinello

Nancy L. Stegehuis *

Judy Vossler

*Board of Directors ✝ In Memoriam

PRESIDENT EMERITA

Karen Sausman TRUSTEE EMERITUS

Curt Ealy

LEGAL COUNSEL

Brian S. Harnik Roemer + Harnik, LLP

ADVISORY COUNCIL

City of Indian Wells

Mayor Bruce Whitman

City of Palm Desert

Mayor Jan Harnik

City of Rancho Mirage

Mayor Ted Weill

Coachella Valley Water District

Jim Barrett and Anthony Bianco

Visit Greater Palm Springs

Scott White and Davis Meyer

A Letter from Our President/CEO & Chairman of the Board

DEAR FRIENDS,

None of this would be possible without you, our community of supporters, who share in our commitment to protecting the natural world.

As we reflect on the past year at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, we are filled with immense pride and gratitude. With your support, our dedicated staff, passionate volunteers, and generous partners have achieved remarkable milestones that strengthen our mission of desert conservation through preservation, education, and appreciation.

We continue connecting more guests than ever to the beauty and wonder of desert ecosystems. Our educational programs reached tens of thousands of children and families, sparking curiosity and inspiring the next generation of conservationists.

We also advanced our visionary campus improvement project: Crossroads of Conservation. Creating a welcoming and enriching guest experience remains central to our mission. This year we proudly opened the Bighorn Cafe, providing

guests with fresh dining options in a beautiful, sustainable setting. Families can now enjoy the new Bill Gross & Pax Stangaard Gross Oasis Splash Pad, a refreshing and interactive water play area that has quickly become a favorite spot for children and parents alike.

We continue to create engaging, immersive experiences for our guests while deepening our role as a living classroom and conservation leader. These investments ensure The Living Desert remains a cherished place of discovery, learning, and joy for generations to come.

None of this would be possible without you, our community of supporters, who share in our commitment to protecting the natural world. Every visit, every membership, and every donation fuels our ability to make a difference both locally and globally.

As we look to the year ahead, we are energized by the opportunities before us. With your continued support, The Living Desert will keep advancing conservation, education, and the profound connections between people, animals, and the desert landscapes we call home.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we are ensuring a future where desert wildlife thrives.

With gratitude,

Allen Monroe, President/CEO

Bill Appel, Chairman of the Board

55 Years in Operation

51,351 HOURS DONATED BY 612 VOLUNTEERS

1,300

VETERINARY EXAMS

1,130

128,613

ANNUAL VISITORS TO THE PARK 631

1/2 OVER HOUSED

GUESTS VISITED US FROM AS FAR AS H SOUTH AFRICA

H SINGAPORE

H AUSTRALIA H FINLAND

ANIMALS IN OUR CARE

CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES LEARNED TOGETHER AT ME & YOU AT THE ZOO

75,807

POUNDS OF BROWSE GROWN ON-SITE FOR ANIMAL DIETS

160 TRAINED UP-CLOSE MOMENTS FOR GUESTS FEEDING A GIRAFFE OUR LONGEST-SERVING VOLUNTEER HAS BEEN WITH US SINCE 1988

CONSERVATIONISTS IN SOCIAL SCIENCE

63

ANIMALS RESCUED FROM ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING

83.5% OF SCHOOLS REPORTED STUDENTS FELT MORE CONNECTED TO NATURE AFTER THEIR FIELD TRIP

4,499

STUDENTS FROM TITLE 1 SCHOOLS WERE AWARDED FREE FIELD TRIPS THROUGH OUR SCHOLARSHIPS

21,105

STUDENTS FROM

311

SCHOOLS ATTENDED SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS

MET WITH

1,800+ OHV USERS ON PROTECTING DESERT TORTOISES DURING THEIR RIDES

THE TWO BCCS WORKSHOPS I ATTENDED THROUGH THE LIVING DESERT WERE EYE-OPENING FOR ME AND FOR WASIMA AS AN ORGANIZATION.” — BELINDA MLIGO, WASIMA, TANZANIA

42 YEARS OF AZA ACCREDITATION

$54,000 AWARDED IN COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS

8,832

PLANTS PROPAGATED FOR LOCAL CONSERVATION

72

ENDANGERED TORTOISE HATCHLINGS WERE GIVEN A HEAD START

2,800

VULTURE NEST SURVEYS CONDUCTED IN IKH NART, MONGOLIA

105+

12 IN

CONSERVATION PROJECTS COUNTRIES

No matter how large or small, each and every animal at the Zoo receives regular wellbeing assessments and veterinary care.

Animal CareVeterinary and

ANIMALS

141 SPECIES

DID YOU KNOW?

53 MAMMAL SPECIES

ANIMALS IN OUR CARE

43 AVIAN SPECIES

10 ARTHROPOD SPECIES

34 REPTILE SPECIES

1 AQUATIC SPECIES

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. Of the 240 accredited members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), The Living Desert is one of only 14 members of the IUCN.

SAVING ANIMALS FROM EXTINCTION (AKA SAFE) IS A FRAMEWORK THAT:

Protects threatened animals.

Builds on established recovery plans and history of commitment.

Prioritizes collaboration among AZA member institutions.

Implements strategic conservation and stakeholder engagement activities.

Measures and reports on conservation progress.

36 SSP SPECIES

117

SPECIES AT THE ZOO ARE ON THE IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES

SAFE SPECIES ARE AT RISK OF EXTINCTION AND NEED OUR HELP.

The Living Desert is proud to lead the SAFE programs working to save the:

• Vaquita

• Peninsular Pronghorn

• Black Rhino

Species Survival Programs (SSPs), are a collaborative program among fellow AZA accredited institutions to ensure genetic diversity and sustainability in human care populations.

The Living Desert has a long history of leadership in SSP management and currently helps lead the programs for Scimitar-horned oryx, Asian wild horse, sand cat, and addax.

Southern ground hornbill, Mabel

A Continued Commitment to Excellence

HERE AT THE LIVING DESERT ZOO AND GARDENS, we are deeply committed to animal wellbeing, desert conservation, and creating a passionate community of Desert Defenders. Every five years those values are put to the test through AZA accreditation and, once again, The Living Desert passed with flying colors!

What is AZA Accreditation?

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is an organization dedicated to ensuring that zoos and aquariums meet or exceed the highest standards in animal care, welfare, conservation, and education.

Accreditation through the AZA is considered the gold standard within the industry.

Earning accreditation isn’t easy — and it’s not supposed to be. It’s a rigorous process that ensures zoos and aquariums are providing the very best for both animals and guests.

When did accreditation start?

In 1971, in response to the nation’s growing concern for animal care in the United States, AZA appointed a committee to establish a set of best practices to collectively improve professional operations among the zoological park and aquarium community. The first institution was accredited in 1974.

The Living Desert has been accredited since our first application in 1983.

Who oversees the process?

The Accreditation Commission is a group of sixteen experienced and trained experts in operations, animal welfare and husbandry, and veterinary medicine. They are sworn to maintain complete impartiality in their judgements and to thoroughly examine each zoo or aquarium to determine if AZA standards are being met.

Why AZA?

Currently, The Living Desert’s President/CEO Allen Monroe and Chief Operating Officer RoxAnna Breitigan serve as AZA inspectors for other organizations going through the accreditation process.

No one knows more about our profession than those who are part of it and who live it every day! AZA has been the primary accrediting body for zoos and aquariums for over 40 years. U.S. agencies like USDA and OSHA consider AZA standards as the “national” standard and refer to the AZA standards when evaluating institutions.

What does the process look like?

AZA accreditation is also not a onetime achievement — it requires ongoing commitment. Every five years, The Living Desert undergoes a comprehensive evaluation that includes a detailed application and an intensive, multi-day, on-site inspection by a team of industry experts. This team reviews all aspects of the Zoo’s operations, including animal care and wellbeing, veterinary care, education programs, conservation, safety protocols, staffing, finances, organization governance, guest services, and physical facilities.

The Living Desert is one of roughly 250 elite organizations in the world accredited by the AZA. Less than 10 percent of the 2,800 wildlife exhibitors licensed by the USDA under the Animal Welfare Act meet the more comprehensive gold standard of AZA accreditation.

The Living Desert has been an accredited member of AZA for 42 years!

New Arrivals

Bobcats, David and JoAnn, were rescued near Eugene, Oregon, and when the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife determined they would not be eligible for rerelease, they were brought to The Living Desert in May 2025.

Creating

Connections

AT THE LIVING DESERT ZOO AND GARDENS, our mission is rooted in an unwavering commitment to the animals entrusted to our care. Every day, we strive to provide our animals with the highest standards of husbandry, guided by modern wellbeing strategies that build resiliency, encourage natural choice, and foster a true sense of agency.

In recent years, we have embarked on an exciting evolution, transitioning many of our ambassador animals from behind-the-scenes spaces into vibrant, guestfacing habitats. This shift has enriched not only their daily lives but also the experiences of the guests who can witness these animals thriving in more dynamic, naturalistic settings. Many of these individuals now serve a dual role, living in immersive habitats that encourage natural behaviors while also participating in our connection programming, where they help create personal, memorable moments for guests. This balanced approach allows them to choose how they interact with their environment and when they engage in ambassador activities, reinforcing their sense of autonomy and wellbeing.

Central to bringing these moments to life is our Wildlife Connections team. With a passion for storytelling and animal care, this dedicated team creates truly lasting experiences for guests with moments that spark curiosity, ignite compassion, and deepen understanding. Through carefully crafted programs and thoughtful interpretation, the Wildlife Connections team introduces guests to our ambassador animals, offering personal, up-close encounters that highlight the individuality of each animal while reinforcing our conservation mission.

From positive reinforcement training to innovative habitat design and hands-on care, our team is dedicated to ensuring every animal’s full range of needs are met. Through this holistic approach, and with the Wildlife Connections team at the forefront of inspiring guest engagement, we aim to elevate animal wellbeing while fostering a community of Desert Defenders devoted to protecting wildlife and wild places.

Renovation with Intention

CAMPUS PLANNING across the park continues to evolve, with each project uniquely tailored to enhance both animal wellbeing and guest experience. The vision for Bighorn Cafe and the Oasis Splash Pad was to create lively, engaging spaces that offer something fresh and fun for our community. As those projects took shape, it was a natural opportunity to evaluate nearby areas and implement complementary upgrades.

At the heart of the Zoo, Bighorn Mountain — a longstanding icon — received a major transformation. Irrigation was added to sustain year-round greenery, complemented by new plants, shrubs, and trees. Large pieces of “deadfall furniture,” or natural logs, were flown in by crane, and new rockwork was installed to enhance both texture and guest viewing. These updates have enriched the habitat, offering the bighorn sheep a more engaging and stimulating environment.

The Speke’s gazelle and Arabian oryx habitats also underwent significant renovations. Fresh landscaping, increased varied terrain, and new grass, trees, and deadfall furniture have revitalized these spaces. Together, these upgrades create vibrant, complex habitats that foster animal wellbeing while also inspiring guests through more dynamic and beautiful viewing experiences across the Zoo.

These improvements not only promote natural behaviors and enriching experiences for the animals but also elevate the visual appeal for visitors.

To the Rescue

IN SEPTEMBER 2024, the Line Fire burned more than 60 square miles of the San Bernardino mountains, threatening nearby communities and creating dangerous air conditions. As the fire spread, the Big Bear Alpine Zoo called upon The Living Desert for help. They had many small animals who were highly sensitive to smoke and needed urgent evacuation. Within 48 hours, nearly 50 small mammals and birds were safely relocated from Big Bear to Palm Desert. Upon arrival, both teams ensured all the animals were safe and comfortable in their temporary, behind-the-scenes home at The Living Desert. Local housing was also provided to the Big Bear Alpine Zoo’s animal care team while their community remained under threat. For the next week, the two teams worked side by side to care for the animals until conditions allowed for their safe return home.

“The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens’ dedication exemplifies what zoos do — not just for the animals in their care, but also for the passion they share for conserving wild populations,” said Jessica Whiton, Big Bear Alpine Zoo Curator. “The Big Bear Alpine Zoo is thrilled to have experienced such exemplary resources, especially as we look to become accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. We want to thank them once again for being such a shining example of compassion and collaboration in wildlife conservation. Together, we’re making a positive impact!”

The Living Desert’s dedication to exceptional animal care comes with a commitment to helping animals in need. The Living Desert regularly trains and prepares for emergency scenarios to be ready should the need arise.

The Living Desert is proud to work with organizations like the Cheetah Conservation Fund to help protect cheetahs, through public messaging, education, and raising awareness, in addition to hands-on fieldwork when called upon. By combining on-the-ground action with impactful community outreach, we help inspire global understanding and support for cheetah conservation.

Protecting Cheetahs

THE LIVING DESERT’S commitment to protecting desert wildlife extends far beyond the Colorado Desert. So when an urgent call from the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in Somaliland, Africa, came in early Summer 2025, Animal Care Curator Heather Down and Assistant Curator Hannah Stoeve traveled 10,000 miles each way to provide emergency care for a litter of four-week-old cheetah cubs rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. Their work included round-the-clock feeding, medical care, health monitoring, and providing the vital nurturing young cheetahs need to survive. This support is critical, as an estimated 300–500 cheetah cubs are stolen from the wild each year, contributing to the rapid decline of a species with fewer than 7,500 individuals remaining in the wild. While CCF commits to the lifelong care of the cubs they rescue, the bigger challenge they are working toward is preventing the initial poaching. The Living Desert is proud to join them in this cause and works alongside The Wildlife Trafficking Alliance to do our part in ending the devastating practice.

Animal Wellbeing

ONE OF OUR CORE VALUES is the care and wellbeing of the animals that call the desert home. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) defines wellbeing as “a state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy.”

One of the ways we measure this is through regular wellbeing assessments. This process was developed based on the Five Opportunities to Thrive Model, which provides a framework for evaluating an individual animal’s wellbeing. The model gauges five key components: nutrition, physical environment, health, behavioral interactions, and mental state. We assess each individual or group across these factors to ensure that their needs are met on an annual basis. This assessment has forty questions and evalutes criteria such as the frequency of encounters abnormal to the species and how closely their diet matches what they would eat in the wild. Each response is assigned a point value, with some questions weighted more heavily based on their

impact on an individual’s wellbeing. The assessment compiles a total score, which provides the data we need to track trends in response to the changes we make.

We also use this during significant life changes, such as a habitat move or birth of an offspring. For example, Dune is a nine-year-old Arabian sand cat that moved to The Living Desert in February of 2023. He lived primarily behind the scenes for his first year and a half here, then he was selected to move into the African carnivore habitat where we share the conservation story of sand cats and the Desert Carnivore Breeding Center. This transition created the opportunity to experience new sights, sounds, and smells. These assessments, along with behavioral observations, helped track how he adapted to this new space. Scores

Our wellbeing model gauges five key components: nutrition, physical environment, health, behavioral interactions, and mental state.

can trigger a “wellbeing watch” or an “opportunities plan.” Dune’s move to public view triggered an opportunities plan, so his care team and the wellbeing team met to discuss behaviors to monitor as well as determined steps to improve Dune’s wellbeing. In his case, this included an increase in enriched experiences and training, as well as a habitat renovation that could encourage more natural behaviors. These assessments helped provide data to support the positive change in Dune’s behavior, as well as a meaningful increase in his wellbeing score!

Dune’s story is one example of how wellbeing assessments translate directly into significant improvements for the animals and reinforce our commitment to their thriving at The Living Desert.

These assessments helped provide data to support the positive change in Dune’s behavior, as well as a meaningful increase in his wellbeing score!

Animal Care and Nutrition

EVERY DAY, our team prepares hundreds of meals for more than 140 species of animals, ensuring each species receives a diet tailored to their unique needs. From calories and vitamins to minerals and portion sizes, every detail is carefully calculated to promote health and wellbeing.

To maintain consistency and safeguard against shortages, we keep a three to six month inventory of essential food items. This proactive approach ensures uninterrupted care, even during emergencies.

Our two nutrition centers, the behind-the-scenes facility on the North America side and the guestfacing Chaiken Nutrition Center in Africa, are the heart of this operation. Every day guests can witness firsthand the meticulous process of weighing, chopping, and mixing ingredients that make up each animal’s diet.

Food sourcing is diverse and specialized. Carnivores receive highquality meats, delivered in thousands of pounds at a time. Herbivores enjoy fresh produce purchased in

A bettong’s daily meal includes 1/3 cup of its special pre-mixed diet, 100 grams of mixed vegetables, 1.5 grapes, 4 sunflower seeds, and 6 mealworms.

bulk, locally grown hay, and browse — branches, leaves, and shrubs — that replicate their natural diets. Browse is particularly important for grazing and browsing species, reducing reliance on hay and grain while promoting natural feeding behaviors. Some browse is grown onsite, while additional shipments arrive biweekly to ensure variety and nutritional balance.

Specialty items such as bones, vitamin supplements, beef hearts, livers, fish, and whole prey — including frozen rodents, rabbits, and lamb or goat carcasses — are provided to carnivores. These items not only meet dietary needs but also encourage instinctive behaviors, that enrich the animals’ lives. Every meal reflects a deep understanding of each species’ natural history, life stage, and health requirements.

Our nutrition program is a complex, highly coordinated effort that combines science, logistics, and care. By prioritizing quality, variety, and

A sample diet for Memo, the jaguar

• 800 grams of meat

• 1 whole natural prey item

• 8 capelins (fish)

DID YOU KNOW?

Big cats, like jaguars and cougars, have specialized teeth called “carnassials” that work like scissors to shear meat off bones.

precision, The Living Desert ensures that every animal, from the smallest invertebrate to the largest mammal, receives the nourishment it needs to thrive. This dedication underscores our mission to provide world-class care and create an environment that mirrors the wild as closely as possible.

Nia’s specially tailored menu includes roughly 2.5 pounds of greens, 1 pound of vegetables, and ¾ of a pound of fruit, with the remainder made up of browse, grain, and hay.

Black rhinos are herbivores with hefty appetites. Weighing around 3,000 pounds, an adult black rhino can eat around 80 pounds of food a day!

The Living Desert partners with local communities in 12 countries to safeguard wildlife and conserve desert ecosystems.

Conservation

Local and Global Conservation

THE CONSERVATION TEAM is on a mission to advance arid ecosystem conservation through ecological restoration while addressing the human dimensions of conservation.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND SOCIAL IMPACTS

The Living Desert is transforming how conservation is being done through social science training for conservationists across the globe as well as with local businesses, community members, community leaders, and youth groups.

RESTORING HABITATS

To ensure both immediate and longlasting habitat restoration successes, The Living Desert uses a multifaceted approach to provide native food plants and improved habitat for surrounding wildlife as well as greening spaces within urban areas.

AT THE ZOO

The Zoo’s conservation mission continues on grounds through both promoting and implementing sustainable practices. Some of our field conservation projects can even be seen in action throughout the park.

The Living Desert in Mongolia

THE LIVING DESERT has been partnering with the Mongolian government to help protect wildlife in the Ikh Nart Nature Reserve for three years now. We are proud to report another very successful year of field work and research. Ikh Nart is a biodiversity hotspot and home to many at-risk species including imperiled argali sheep, Siberian ibex, and cinereous vultures.

Mongolian nature reserves are unique in that nomadic people and their animals can use all of Mongolia’s open spaces freely; Ikh Nart is home to 150 such families! The lack of hard borders presents unique conservation challenges, such as overgrazing, unregulated mining, and poaching but also offers unique opportunities to work with the local people to ensure sustainable stewardship of this important natural resource.

Major Milestones from the Year

■ Fitted five large mammals with satellite transmitters

■ Tagged 45 cinereous vulture fledglings

■ Surveyed five lesser kestrel colony sites

■ Studied 50+ vegetation plots

■ Assessed eight small-mammal habitats

■ Collected large mammal movement data

■ Mapped 108 restoration structures

■ Built 29 new water-retention structures

■ Hosted the reserve’s first ecological restoration workshop with 32 local herders and community members

Key Projects at Ikh Nart Nature Reserve

Cinereous Vulture Conservation

Ikh Nart has the highest concentration of nesting cinereous vultures in Mongolia. The Living Desert is working alongside Mongolian researchers, graduate students, and the local herder communities to monitor them and advocate for vulture conservation.

Protecting Mongolia’s Iconic Large Mammals

Ikh Nart supports significant populations of argali sheep, goitered gazelle, and Siberian ibex. Our efforts focus on protected area expansion, improved wildlife enforcement, and communitydriven awareness to mitigate threats and support population stability.

Biodiversity Conservation Through Science-Based Management

Together with Mongolian graduate students, biologists, international experts, and local herders, we conducted long-term, applied research with small and large mammals, birds, plants, hydrology, and other ecosystem processes at Ikh Nart to protect the diversity of wildlife and function of the Ikh Nart ecosystem.

Improving Health for Wildlife and Livestock

Through wildlife disease surveillance and working with local herders to improve livestock husbandry and monitor diseases among domestic herds, we were able to decrease the prevalence of transmissible disease between livestock and wildlife.

Community-Driven Rangeland Restoration and Management

Leveraging 20 years of data and community relationships, our projects empower herding communities, reserve administration, and policy makers to develop and implement adaptive rangeland management and ecosystem restoration practices at Ikh Nart.

Caring for Native California Deserts

OVER THE PAST YEAR, we have significantly intensified our collaboration with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) stretching across the entire third of California that is classified as desert. With funding from the BLM, we grew and outplanted black willows in Afton Canyon, propagated over a thousand mesquite trees to restore the Amargosa River near Death Valley, collected and cultivated sedges for San Felipe Creek, and helped control invasive tamarisk along the Salt Creek Hills north of Mojave National Preserve.

This partnership now takes our conservation efforts from the edge of Death Valley National Park nearly to the Mexican border. We are proud to help support our federal land managers through our restoration efforts and that we are having an impact across the entirety of our Southern California deserts.

Leading Community-Based Conservation Globally

THIS SUMMER, The Living Desert announced the launch of the United States’ first Center for Species Survival – Behavior Change (CSS-BC), established to support conservationists around the world in addressing the human dimensions of conservation. Through this partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission, our collective reach and impact is even greater.

Through the CSS-BC, we will continue offering our Building Community Conservation Success (BCCS) social science workshops globally both in person and online. These trainings provide conservationists with the knowledge and tools to effectively engage local communities, collect robust human-centered data, evaluate their efforts, and continuously strengthen their work. We also continue to support BCCS graduates through ongoing collaboration on their research and applied social science projects.

By centering on community engagement and human behavior change, we are helping transform how conservation is practiced around the world, by addressing the root causes of species decline and habitat degradation.

“

Species are declining around the world, because of human-driven pressures such as habitat loss, climate change, and exploitation. Because people are the problem, people must also be the solution.

Conservation is not just a biological science, it is a social science.”

— Dr. James Danoff-Burg, Vice President of Conservation

To date, the BCCS program has trained more than 675 conservation professionals across 32 countries, equipping them with the tools to work effectively with local communities and address the root causes of species decline.

Conserving California’s State Reptile

TO SUPPORT THE DECLINING POPULATIONS of the critically endangered desert tortoise, this year we successfully raised our fourth cohort of head-started hatchlings. This unique program allows newly hatched tortoises to grow to the size of a wild-raised two to three-year-old within only nine months. With funding from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance this unique program significantly increases their chance of survival in the wild. To complement this, we continue our long-running pet rehoming and foster program so that pet tortoises remain pets and are not released into the wild, which could otherwise potentially spread diseases among wild populations.

All species, including the desert tortoise, are declining because of human activities and behaviors. The Living Desert has been leading behavior change campaigns to promote desert tortoise conservation across the Sonoran and Mojave deserts with funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Southern California Edison, and the Heimark Foundation. We work with students, off-highway vehicle users, general community members, and restaurants to promote responsible recreation in the desert and decrease human food scraps available to ravens, the top predator of the desert tortoise.

International Desert Conservation Summit

THIS FEBRUARY, we hosted the fifth annual International Desert Conservation Summit. This inspiring event was a gathering of conservation experts from around the world, including leaders from Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mongolia, India, and the United States. These leaders shared their passion for protecting vital desert ecosystems, with many potential collaborations emerging! The keynote speaker was Coyote Peterson, host of YouTube’s Brave Wilderness channel, with over 21 million subscribers. We awarded the 12 conservation leaders more than $160,000 to continue their critical community-based conservation efforts to protect the plants and animals who call the desert home.

IDCS 2025 was once again a SOLD-OUT event! More than 1,000 community members also visited the Zoo to hear keynote speaker, Coyote Peterson speak following the summit.

The 2025 Conservation Heroes included:

n Toby Otieno, Director of Operations & Impact at Ewaso Lions, Kenya

n Dr. Greg Rasmussen, Founder & CEO of Painted Dog Research, Zimbabwe

n Luke Basulto, President & CoFounder of Saving Slowpoke, USA

n Art Basulto, Co-Founder of Saving Slowpoke, USA

n Tsakane Nxumalo, Senior Environmental Education Officer at Bush Babies Environmental Education Program, South Africa

n Craig Spencer, Executive Director of Transfrontier Africa, South Africa

n Mark Butcher, Managing Director of Imvelo Safari Lodges & Community Rhino Conservation Initiative, Zimbabwe

n Dr. David Kimiti, Director of Research & Impact, Grevy’s Zebra Trust, Kenya

n Gana Wingard, Founder of Mongolian Conservation Initiative, Mongolia

n Dr. Archana Godbole, Director of Applied Environmental Research Foundation, India

n Jayant Sarnaik, Joint Director of Applied Environmental Research Foundation, India

Supporting Native American Conservation

THE FIELD OF CONSERVATION urgently needs more Indigenous voices. Lasting conservation success can only be achieved when people from every community are empowered as ambassadors, advocates, and leaders. The Living Desert, in partnership with the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, has extended its Youth Environmental Ambassador (YEA) program for a third year thanks to ongoing support from the California Natural Resources Agency. The YEA program aims to reconnect youth with their ancestral

land and develop future conservation leaders by taking participants on trips to regional nature sites and engaging them in various conservation projects.

The Zoo also completed the second year of the Native American Conservation Workforce Development (NACWD) program. Thanks to a generous grant from the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy (CVMC), this program provided two nine-month paid training sessions for local Tribal members. The sessions focused on building their conservation workforce capabilities and ability to

Creating Urban Native Landscapes

AS URBAN AREAS OCCUPY more and more of native desert ecosystems, we must not only ensure the health of existing natural areas, but also create more native natural areas in urban spaces. This process helps wild populations of the native plants themselves, native and migratory wildlife, and enriches the lives of the humans living in those cities.

One such initiative is our Pollinator Pathways Project, creating urban pollinator gardens that act as stepping-stone corridors across the Coachella Valley with funding from the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy (CVMC). We have built these gardens in four East Valley cities and are currently working in Desert

Hot Springs. In time, we plan to link the entirety of the Coachella Valley with gardens to benefit plants, ecosystems, and people.

We have also been collecting native seeds for both urban and natural restoration projects. These seeds are sustainably collected on behalf of and with funding from the Coachella Valley Conservation Commission (CVCC). These seeds are sustainably harvested, cleaned, stored, grown, and outplanted to ensure the health of wild populations.

This summer, we officially opened the doors to our new conservation greenhouse to grow all these plants. Made possible through generous support from our partners at the

continue conservation work within their communities. With the ongoing support from CVMC, NACWD was able to transition those training sessions into eight full or part-time internships for an additional two years, which will allow us to further develop Native American conservation job skills through in depth training and handson applications.

CVMC, the new greenhouse is already nurturing new generations of native plants for our botanically focused projects funded by the Bureau of Land Management, CVMC, and CVCC. Cultivating native plants alone is not enough to prevent habitat degradation. As people move, so do seeds of invasive plant species. With funding from the CVCC, we have been monitoring emerging populations of stinknet across the Coachella Valley and eradicating these populations before they are able to become established in a new location.

Conserving Rare Fish and Riparian Habitats

DOS PALMAS PRESERVE, located on the far eastern edge of the Coachella Valley, plays a critical role in protecting endangered species, such as the desert pupfish and the Yuma Ridgway’s rail marsh bird. Over the past two years, we surveyed 226 locations across more than 800 acres to assess habitat health. Our surveys revealed that over 500 acres support rare plant communities that thrive in both desert and wetland environments. We continue to support this fragile ecosystem through regular monitoring of water quality and flow, with funding from the Coachella Valley Water District, the San Diego County Water Authority, and the Bureau of Land Management .

Our work at Dos Palmas Preserve and San Felipe Creek is helping ensure that these unique desert waterways and their rare inhabitants continue to survive for generations to come.

Across the Salton Sea, we are also working to restore San Felipe Creek. These two watersheds represent the only natural homes of the desert pupfish, Southern California’s only native fish. Now in our sixth year of partnership with the California Fish and Wildlife Department, we monitor and breed this federally endangered species through three refugia ponds at the Zoo built with funding from the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy.

Through habitat monitoring and restoration, water management, and species restoration, our work at Dos Palmas Preserve and San Felipe Creek is helping ensure that these unique desert waterways and their rare inhabitants continue to survive for generations to come.

Learning and Impact

This year, our ZooCamp program welcomed 416 students to learn about nature and how they can help protect deserts.

The Learning and Impact team is on a mission to inspire lifelong learners and ignite a passion for desert conservation.

DEPARTMENTVISION STATEMENTS

To develop and empower the next generation of zoo and conservation professionals.

Conservation action is relevant and achievable for all.

ZooTeens Volunteer Program Learning and Community Engagement

Volunteer and Interpretive Programs

We are a community of passionate volunteers that lead and inspire impactful change for conservation.

Sustainability and Behavior Change

Sustainability is a shared, perpetual, and joyful practice that unites and benefits the entire community.

Small Mammal Studies at ZooCamp

Two Deserts, One Mission

THE LIVING DESERT’S PARTNERSHIP with the Mongolian Conservation Initiative (MCI) bridges two deserts on opposite sides of the world — linking conservationists, educators, and students in a shared mission to protect wildlife and wild places. Over the past year, this unique collaboration has deepened through staff exchanges and hands-on learning programs designed to empower youth to explore, question, and protect their local environments. In the Fall of 2024, MCI educators and staff visited The Living Desert to see the Zoo’s conservation education in action and develop new approaches for programs at Mongolia’s Ikh Nart Nature Reserve. Then, in May 2025, members of The Living Desert’s staff traveled to Mongolia to help put those ideas into practice — introducing outdoor science, observation, and inquirybased learning to local classrooms and communities. The exchange continues this year as another group from MCI prepares to visit The Living Desert once again. Together, we are fostering curiosity, strengthening environmental understanding, and helping the next generation gain the knowledge and confidence to drive meaningful conservation change.

Campers learned how scientists, like our partners in Mongolia, safely monitor wildlife by taking on the role of a small mammal scientist. They checked small mammal "traps" and recorded observations of their plush animals. They also "tagged" plush tortoises and used coordinates to track their movements on a chalk map, learning how scientists use real GPS data to study wildlife behavior and plan safer habitats and conservation solutions.

Zero Waste Warriors in Action

During AZA Zoo Day, trained volunteers helped guests sort their waste, leading to perfect sorting accuracy at some stations and inspiring our visiting zoo colleagues to replicate the model at their own facilities.

Setting the Standard: Zero Waste Events at The Living Desert

ON MARCH 27, 2025, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens proudly hosted a groundbreaking Zero Waste event during the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Mid-Year Conference. With 820 attendees and an ambitious goal to divert 90% of event waste from landfills and incineration, the Zoo achieved an impressive 88% waste diversion rate. This success was the result of months of crossdepartmental collaboration and thoughtful planning. From reusable souvenirs and compostable dinnerware to volunteer “Zero Waste Warriors” assisting guests at waste stations, every detail was designed to minimize environmental impact and support sustainability. The event not only demonstrated what’s possible through intentional design and teamwork, it also laid the foundation for future waste reduction efforts across Zoo operations. Lessons learned from this event are now informing updates to The Living Desert’s event practices, vendor partnerships, and sustainability goals, ensuring that every gathering moves closer to true zero waste.

820 GUESTS

222.3 POUNDS OF RECYCLABLES

614.5 POUNDS OF TRASH DIVERTED

392.2 POUNDS OF COMPOSTABLES

88%

OVERALL DIVERSION RATE

Supporting the Next Generation: ZooTeen Scholarships

“

Being a ZooTeen meant so much to me in high school! I made friends, joined a community with similar interests, and grew my compassion and interest for animals. Receiving The Living Desert Scholarship helped support my path — after graduating with a BS in Biology from CSU Monterey Bay in 2024, I started working at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.”

THE LIVING DESERT ZOO AND GARDENS is proud to recognize its 2025 scholarship recipients: Alec Palato, Destiny Hernandez, Jorge Alburez, Tilda Rector, and Adysin Lozano. These outstanding ZooTeens exemplify leadership and dedication, balancing school, volunteer service at the Zoo, and their extracurricular commitments with enthusiasm and dedication.

This year’s recipients are attending colleges across California, Oregon, and New York, pursuing degrees in Biology, Environmental Science, and Zoology.

The Living Desert Scholarship is designed to support students throughout their entire college journey — not just their first year. This year, new and returning recipients will receive a combined total of $54,000 to further their studies in conservation-related fields. Now in its second decade, this program has supported dozens of Coachella Valley students, many of whom have gone on to careers in wildlife research and at AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums.

Scholarships are offered in partnership with OneFuture Coachella Valley as part of a coordinated college success initiative. Through this partnership and its role in the Regional Plan for College and Career Success, The Living Desert is proud to help advance educational attainment

and economic mobility for local students.

High school students interested in conservation and education are encouraged to join the ZooTeen program. Learn more at LivingDesert.org/ZooTeens.

“I am deeply grateful to The Living Desert for awarding me [this] scholarship. It is truly an honor to be recognized and supported in pursuing a career in a field I hold so close to my heart. Beyond the financial help for me and my family, this award affirms the value of my passion and hard work.”

—Jorge Alburez 2025 Scholarship recipient

Desert Defenders: Everyday Actions for Extraordinary Impact

DESERT DEFENDERS is The Living Desert’s new conservation awareness initiative to empower guests, community members, and partners to take tangible, everyday actions that protect desert ecosystems. Organized around four key themes, the campaign offers practical tips and resources — aligned with our mission and rooted in social science — to make conservation accessible to everyone.

PLANT NATIVE

Native plants use less water, provide food and shelter for local wildlife, and reduce the spread of invasive species. This action also encourages avoiding chemical pesticides and transforming home gardens into thriving native habitats that support local biodiversity.

EAT LIKE A GIRAFFE

Sharing the habitat is a reminder that our daily habits impact the world around us. Sharing the habitat means coexisting with wildlife through respectful recreation, mindful outdoor behavior, and responsible pet ownership — ensuring our actions keep natural spaces safe for all species.

SHARE THE HABITAT

While the phrase “Eat Like a Giraffe” is playful, its impact is powerful. Swapping even a few meals per week for plant-based options can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Supporting local farms and growing food at home further reduces packaging and transportation — healthier for both the planet and us.

The Desert Defender message is clear: conservation is for everyone. With small, consistent actions, individuals can become allies in protecting wildlife, water, and wild places. The Living Desert invites all to join this movement and take action where they live, shop, eat, and explore.

MANAGE YOUR MESS

Managing your mess means taking responsibility for what we leave behind (our trash!). Recycling, composting, and reducing singleuse plastics all contribute to cleaner, healthier environments for desert wildlife and communities.

How The Living Desert is Setting an Example

PLANT NATIVE

The Living Desert partners with local schools to create native pollinator gardens across the Coachella Valley and hosts native plant sales for the community each Spring and Fall. In addition to expanding native planting in the Valley, The Living Desert saved 3.2 million gallons of water through animal habitat upgrades!

EAT LIKE A GIRAFFE

During our World Giraffe Day celebration, our Eat Like a Giraffe campaign saw a 100% increase in percentage of vegan/vegetarian meals sold.

SHARE THE HABITAT

In addition to our work with the Wildlife Trafficking Alliance caring for endangered animals rescued from illegal trafficking, The Living Desert is sharing the AZA message of Not a Pet!

MANAGE YOUR MESS

Zero-waste events are becoming built into operations at The Living Desert. We have switched to aluminum bottles saving 29,421 plastic bottles this year

Developing the Next Generation of Conservation Leaders

THE LEARNING AND IMPACT department is dedicated to inspiring and empowering the next generation of conservation leaders. Across the Coachella Valley, local high schools share this vision, preparing students for meaningful careers through Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs that combine classroom learning with real-world experience.

Within the Coachella Valley Unified School District (CVUSD), Desert Mirage High School’s Green Academy focuses on sustainability and environmental careers. Students enter the program as sophomores to explore sustainability-focused fields

and gain the skills needed to thrive in them.

To help bring these lessons to life, The Living Desert partnered with CVUSD to provide hands-on, skillsbased training for Green Academy students. Last fall, the Sustainability and Behavior Change department hosted a 20-week job shadowing program for five participants, offering direct experience in projects such as compost management, public communication, waste audits, and native plant restoration. Working alongside Zoo staff, students collected and analyzed waste management data and presented their findings during the

AZA Mid-Year Conference event at The Living Desert.

The program fostered teamwork, adaptability, and technical expertise, while introducing students to careers in conservation and environmental science.

Building on this success, this year’s partnership, with support from Disney’s Cotino, will expand the experience even further. Students will explore the wide range of careers that make a zoo thrive, from animal care to operations, gaining a holistic understanding of how every role contributes to wildlife conservation and community impact.

Building Community Through Inclusion: The Desert’s Pathway Volunteer Program

FOR MORE THAN FIVE DECADES, The Living Desert’s Volunteer program has been a cornerstone of community connection in the Coachella Valley. Since our founding in 1970, volunteers have played an essential role in advancing our mission. From guest relations and interpretation to animal care, conservation, and office support, volunteers can be found contributing their time and talents across nearly every department year-round.

Over the years, our volunteer community has grown to better reflect the diversity of the Valley. One of our newest initiatives, the Desert Pathways Program, is designed to ensure that adults with accessibility or accommodation needs have meaningful opportunities to participate. As the demand for supportive spaces continues to grow, Desert Pathways provides individualized approaches and thoughtful adaptations that help every volunteer fully engage and thrive as part of The Living Desert community. By opening doors for everyone to contribute in meaningful ways, we are not only strengthening our mission but also deepening our connection to the community we serve. As Desert Pathways blossoms, we look forward to the new voices, talents, and perspectives that will help shape the future of volunteering at The Living Desert.

Desert Pathways: Support Tailored to Every Volunteer

Personalized onboarding: One-on-one introductions that customize training, tasks, and learning to each volunteer’s strengths and interests.

Collaborative support: The ability to work alongside personal coaches or mentors while on site.

Flexible scheduling: Shorter or modified shifts make volunteering accessible to more people.

Open communication: Regular coordination among volunteers, coaches, caregivers, and partner organizations ensures emerging needs are met — creating a truly inclusive and supportive environment.

The Living Desert has more than 50 gardens highlighting the remarkable diversity of desert plantlife around the world.

Gardens

Rooted in Purpose: Growing for the Zoo

THE PAST YEAR brought significant improvements to The Living Desert’s Propagation Nursery, which is an essential piece of our horticultural efforts, both on and off site. Recent construction on the parking lot created an opportunity to repurpose the discarded pavers and build new growing areas in the nursery. Now, the nursery can accommodate over 300 five-gallon trees, 150 fifteen-gallon trees, and more than 50 twentyfour-inch tree boxes. Much of this growing space will be devoted to producing additional browse for our animal nutrition program. Additional upgrades include the construction of new shade structures and growing tanks, allowing the nursery to house over 5,000 one-gallon plants. Many of these plants will enhance the on-site botanical collection and contribute to ex situ plant conservation efforts on the grounds. During the year, nearly 1,000 desert-adapted plants were grown and planted throughout the Zoo. Additional plants were cultivated to sustainably support animal nutrition, experiences, and habitat needs. However, the majority of nursery-grown plants are used to create and restore habitats and gardens across the Coachella Valley, extending The Living Desert’s impact beyond its gates.

Rooted in the Region, Planting Native

THE LIVING DESERT is one of the region’s leading resources for desert native gardening. To support the growing community of Desert Defenders planting native species, The Living Desert continued hosting plant sales during in-park events and expanded to include sales open to the public. The Fall Plant Sale was specifically planned to coincide with the start of Southern California’s planting season. The day earned record-setting attendance, with visitors coming from as far as Arizona! Over the year more than 800 plants were sold to help populate local landscapes, with proceeds benefiting conservation projects at the Zoo and around the world.

Chase Agave Garden Renovation

IN OCTOBER 2024, the Gardens department completed a renovation of the Agave Garden at the Chase Administration Building. Originally landscaped in 2007–2008, the garden had undergone many updates over the years and was ready for an eye-catching new design. For this renovation, the team refreshed the garden by removing existing plants and substrates while carefully preserving the original geometric planting beds. New agave species were chosen for their striking shapes and colors, creating a bold contrast against the updated decorative gravel and granite. With exceptional attention to detail, the Gardens department brought the vision to life, creating a revitalized garden that is both visually stunning and a living testament to the resilience and beauty of desert plants.

Did you know?

Agaves are monocarpic plants, meaning that when they flower, they use all the energy from the main plant to produce the flower stalk and seeds or plantlets. Eventually the main plant dies, providing space for the next generation of plants to grow and flourish.

PARKING LOT END CAPS

As part of the Chase Agave Garden project, we expanded our beautification efforts to the main entrance of the Zoo, particularly the parking lot end caps. These areas were redesigned using a vibrant mix of cactus and succulent species, paired with decomposed granite to brighten the space and showcase the natural colors and textures of the plants. The result is a welcoming, desert-forward entrance that reflects the beauty and character of The Living Desert from the moment guests arrive.

Native to North and Central America, agaves are ideal for landscaping, as their striking forms and textures beautifully accentuate surrounding plants.

Xerophilous

on activities to learn about desert ecosystems and the vital work being done to protect them. The festival was an immersive experience that brought the magic of the desert — and our gardens — to life for the entire community.

Community Browse

THIS YEAR, we launched a new initiative designed to strengthen our community connections, inspire conservation action, and support the animals in our care. Led by Browse Coordinator Ash Arons, the Community Browse Outreach Program partners with country clubs, landscaping teams, residents, and local cities to collect chemical-free plant trimmings for use in animal diets at the Zoo.

In just nine months, the program gathered more than 6,320 pounds of highquality browse — providing our giraffes, rhinos, wallabies, and several other species enriching and nutritious food. This effort represents the equivalent of $39,000 in donated value.

To complement this work, The Living Desert maintains several browse farms on our grounds, including a new site established behind the giraffe barn. Additional farms are planned for next year to help meet our growing needs. Across the park (and even in our parking lot) our horticulture practices are intentionally designed to sustainably supplement animal diets through careful plant selection and chemical-free care.

This innovative approach has earned recognition across the zoo community. Our team has shared its work at major professional gatherings, including the Giraffe and Okapi Conference and the AZA Mid-Year Conference, highlighting The Living Desert as a leader in browse management and sustainability.

Animal Habitat Enhancements

WHILE THE LIVING DESERT is home to more than 50 official gardens, horticulture touches nearly every corner of the park — even places you might not think of as “gardens.” Take Bighorn Mountain, for example. Its rocky terrain might not seem like fertile ground, yet this spring the team spread 14 pounds of native seeds to add flora that supports the bighorn sheep and enhances the natural look of the habitat.

Maintaining habitats where animals love to dig presents another challenge. Wild Prairies, home to prairie dogs and burrowing owls, requires grasses and soil that can withstand year-round activity. The Gardens team carefully tends to the habitat: reseeding, reinforcing soil, and selecting plants that thrive alongside the animals’ natural behaviors.

These thoughtful designs not only improve the lives of the animals in our care but also create an immersive, natural setting for guests to enjoy.

“Browse” is the term used for any tree or shrub material that is eaten by an animal. Just as “grazers” are animals that eat grass, “browsers” are animals that eat leafage or strip bark from trees. At The Living Desert, this includes giraffes, rhinos, wallabies, and more! Providing browse is an important part of a browsing animal’s care plan because, in the wild, most of their diet and daily activities come from searching for food.

This Year at the Zoo

ZOO DAY

In March 2025, approximately 1,100 industry professionals came to Greater Palm Springs for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Mid-Year Conference. At the end of the week, conference attendees joined us at the Zoo for a celebration and special look into the inner workings of The Living Desert. Throughout the day, our team hosted special open houses, demonstrations, and activities so that our zoo and aquarium colleagues could learn more about our mission first-hand.

NEW TO THE ZOO

In April 2025, The Living Desert proudly unveiled two exciting new additions: the Bighorn Cafe and the Bill Gross & Pax Stengaard Gross Oasis Splash Pad. The Bighorn Cafe was designed as a multipurpose space to enhance guest experience — offering fresh dining options, serving as a venue for events and catering, and providing visitors a unique perspective of the bighorn sheep habitat.

The Oasis Splash Pad quickly became a favorite of children and parents as a place to gather, enjoy, and make memories throughout the year.

Both the Cafe and Splash Pad incorporate sustainable practices, making every visit enjoyable and environmentally responsible.

ZERO WASTE

AZA Zoo Day was The Living Desert’s first large event designed to be Zero Waste, meaning 90% or more of the associated waste would be diverted from landfills through recycling or composting. After sorting and weighing all the event’s trash, an impressive 88% was successfully diverted.

MONGOLIA STAFF EXCHANGE

As part of The Living Desert’s global commitment to conservation and the expansion of social science programs, 13 staff members journeyed to Mongolia (right) to participate in hands-on fieldwork and educational discussions. Their work directly contributed to protecting the threatened species in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve and building lasting partnerships with local communities. Four delegates from the Mongolian Conservation Initiative also visited The Living Desert (above) to work alongside and learn from our Conservation, Animal Care, and Learning and Impact teams.

BLIPPI

The Living Desert’s dedication to world-class animal care reached a global audience when Netflix’s Blippi’s Job Show chose the Zoo to film the premiere episode of its second season. “Keeper Tim” — Animal Care Curator Tim VanLoan — brought viewers behind-thescenes for a special look at how we care for more than 600 desert animals.

TRAINING

The Living Desert continued to lead the way in our field by hosting two high-impact industry events this year: the Canid and Hyaenid TAG Husbandry Course in October 2024 and the Giraffe and Okapi Conference in January 2025. These events allowed us to share our animal care expertise and highlight the critical importance of desert ecosystems with colleagues from across the country.

WORLD DESERT DAY

The Living Desert proudly launched the first-ever World Desert Day in 2024 and spent the following year advancing recognition of the holiday at both the local and state levels. In 2025, this effort reached a major milestone when the California Assembly and Senate unanimously passed resolutions officially designating the second Saturday of January as World Desert Day.

Year-at-a-Glance Donor Support

Donor Spotlight

edeltraud “Edie” McCarthy’s passion for giving back began as a young girl, where she volunteered in a German hospital and discovered the profound joy of helping others. “I helped with sick kids and saw how much joy you can give those kids — and the parents,” she recalls. That early experience shaped a lifelong commitment to compassion and philanthropy. After moving to Indian Wells in 1996, Edie quickly fell in love with The Living Desert’s focus on desert plants and animals, a connection that deepened through her symbolic adoptions of animals, like camels Felix and Axel, and her fondness for the roadrunner — a special reminder of her late husband, Patrick, who once served on The Living Desert’s Board of Trustees. Over the years, Edie’s generosity has touched nearly every corner of The Living Desert, from the Pride of the Desert Capital Campaign for Lion Ridge to the Adopt Donor Wall near the Wildlife Hospital and the Rhino Oasis Overlook. A loyal supporter of the annual Gala and countless initiatives, her impact extends far beyond the Zoo to organizations throughout the Coachella Valley. She was recently recognized by the Association of Fundraising Professionals during National Philanthropy Day with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Gifts like Edie’s ensure we can continue our mission of desert conservation and inspire the next generation of Desert Defenders.

Lifetime Giving

VISIONARY CIRLCE

($10,000,000+)

Dorothy L. and Max Weber

CORNERSTONE CIRCLE

($5,000,000 - $9,999,999)

Jeannik and Edmund Littlefield

Connie L. and Robert A. Lurie

Marilyn and Bill Tennity

LEADERSHIP CIRCLE

($2,500,000 - $4,999,999)

The H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation

Stephen B. Chase

City of Palm Desert

Mary and Lawrence A. Cone

Susan E. Cooper

Patti and Jack Grundhofer / John F. Grundhofer

Charitable Foundation

Miriam U. and H. Earl Hoover

Maxine W. Poyas

Mary and George Storer

CHAIRMAN

CIRCLE

($1,000,000 - $2,499,999)

Mary Ann Altomari Living Trust

Suzan and Bill Appel

Sharon and Dean Baltzell

Peggy and Hal Bernthal

Bebe Bowen

Kelly Carmien Charitable Gift Fund

City of Indian Wells

Gloria and Vernon B. Clinton

Mildred B. Cosgrove

Rita Stec and Lance Eldred

Mary and Robert H. Flint

Dorothy and James E. Frank

William Fries II

Wayne N. Garwood and Pamela W. Garwood

The William, Jeff and Jennifer Gross Family Foundation

Ethelmae and James E. Haldan

Mary Lou and Leonard Hoeft

The H. Earl Hoover Foundation

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens shows our appreciation to our major donors for their generosity and lifetime of giving.

RD and Joan Dale Hubbard Foundation

Louise and Ray Knowles

Lynn and Edward Little

Herbert R. Mayer and Jeanne C. Mayer Foundation

Edeltraud McCarthy Foundation / Patrick M. McCarthy Foundation

Marie B. and Vic Regin

Frances L. Rich

Janet R. Selland

BJ and Van Skilling

The A.C. and Shaughne S. Warnack Foundation

STEWARD CIRCLE

($500,000 - $999,999)

The Annenberg Foundation

Ruth G. Applegarth

Bank of America

The Brinson Foundation

The Chaiken Family / Dana Chaiken and Susan Roll

Tracey and Mike Clark

Candace and Jon Holzgrafe

Marian Miner Cook

Daphne and Tom DeMartino

June Johnson Dickson

Joy and Harry Goldstein

Susan and Jim Gould

Joan and Richard Hamilton

Polly and Nelson Hester

Highland Street Foundation / The McGrath Family

James Irvine Foundation

Margaret and Eugene M. Kay

The Koehler Mahlstedt Family Foundation

Patricia and David Lamb

Janet and A. Kirk Lanterman

The McCallum Desert Foundation

Mary and Ray Mithun / Mithun Family Foundation

Anne and Harry Newman

Diana “Mousie” Powell

Wayne L. Prim Foundation

Harold Matzner

Richard Brooke Foundation

Stacy Schlinger / Schlinger Family Foundation

Rachel and Richard Sidenberg

Patricia Ann and Terry E. Simmons

Lady and Sherman A. Smith

SoCal Edison

Marcy Tonkin

John and Martha Wilson Charitable Fund, a donor advised fund of The U.S. Charitable Gift Trust

Peggy Fouke and James Wortz

Billie F. and E. Eugene Yeager

BENEFACTOR CIRCLE

($250,000 - $499,999)

The Ahmanson Foundation

Monique M. and John D. Barr

Keleen and Carlton Beal

Dorothy and Philip Boyd

The Carr Foundation, Inc.

City of Rancho Mirage

Raymond and Mildred Hegwer Foundation / Ellen and Thomas Gibson

Grousemont Foundation / Carol Wright

Kay and Ralph E. Hemingway

Herman Foundation / Richard L. Herman

Ironwood Country Club

Mary Jane and Paul Jenkins

Sandy and George Kachlein III

Karla Kjellin-Elder and Jeffrey Elder

Drew A. Leander

Michael W. McCarthy Foundation

Sharon and Craig McCollam

Susan and Caleb “Mac” McCormick

Kathy and John McGovern

Sandy and Seward Prosser Mellon / R. K. Mellon Family Foundation

Lee Miller

Sandi and Ralph Miller

Lois M. Milroy

Sandy Myerson and Michael Gailus

Irene Ethel Nelson Revocable Trust

Adele Ruge and V.W. North

Carol Petrie

The Reserve Club

Susan R. Rogowski

The Rosso Family Foundation

The Scott Family Kit and Roger P. Snoble

State of California

Beryl and Robert Sturtevant

The George and Stephanie Suddock Foundation

Virginia H. Terry

Betty P. Thibodeau

Marilyn and Bruce Throckmorton Union Bank, The Private Bank

Lesley Halverson and Rick Waddell

Cynthia and James Williams

PATRON CIRCLE

($100,000 - $249,999)

Ronnie and Byron Allumbaugh

American Honda Motor Co.

Cyndi Andrews

Katherine J. Andrews Foundation

Argyros Family Foundation

Patricia G. and C. Dennis Ashby

Associated Foundations, Inc.

Anne and Walter Auberger

The Auen Foundation

Susan and James A. Baker III

Bighorn Development, LLC

The Eugenia Mayer Bolz Family Foundation

Wendy and Gary Broad / Gary Broad Foundation

Nancy and James L. Burke

Pam C. and Rick G. Carlson

Eric Carson

Dorothy P. and James C. Castle

Cindy V. and Ely Callaway

Clark Foundation

Lenore and Harry Clow

Jean Crummer Coburn

The Sirpuhe and John Conte Foundation / Joyce and Joe Stein, Stephanie and Michael Landes

Deborah L. Cooper

Roy E. Crummer Foundation

William E. de Recat

Cathy and Bill Dickson

Joseph Drown Foundation

Carole B. and Edmund W. Dumke

Tom Eakin

Lola F. Edmiston

Elaine Green Eldridge

Jane and John Evans

Myrle and Jack Farley

Shirley and Jack Farley

Marcia and Robert French / William M. Fuller Foundation

Marylynn and Andy Gladstein

Dorothy B. and Courtney Gould

Mary Lou Graziadio

Rosalind and Stanley Hack

Irene and Herbert Hansen

Libby and Edward G. Harshfield

Jan and Jim Hawkins

Kae A. Hensey

Kay Hillery

Barbara and H. Earl Hoover II

Jackie Lee and Jim Houston

Suz Hunt

Institute of Museum and Library Services

Judith Woolsey Isaac

Sis and Keith Jackson

Kathy and Bob Jaunich

Elaine B. and Jerrold Jerome

Ursula and Gordy Johnson

Carol and Larry Jones - The Larson Jones Family Trust

Norma Sue Jones

Mary Lou Kieffer and Vicki Palmer

Maria and Michael Kiner

Joan B. Kroc

Susan and George LeBlanc

Mary Lester / Lester Family Foundation

Donna and Cargill MacMillan Jr.

The Gilbert J. Martin Foundation / Judy and Roger Anderson

Geraldine and Michael Masterpool

Gayle and John C. McDonald

Marjorie and Loring Merwin

Marcia and Max Messmer Jr.

Jack Moore

Sonia S. Moran

Cherie and John Morris

Victoria A. Muzio

Jneil Ludwick Nelson

Newman’s Own Foundation / Patty and Arthur Newman

JoAnn and Mark Nickerson

Evelyn R. and Lester Nienhuis

John F. Outcault

Pat and Ray Paige

Dr. David E. and Marge Perkins

Norma Petersen

Sandy Petersen

DeDe and Bill Pitruzzelli

The Muriel Pollia Foundation

Gwen F. Randall

Helen and Harry Reinsch

Trudy and Pat Ritz

Jan Salta

Marjorie B. Salter

Eileen and Steve Scheel

Peter Scheer and Matthias Scheer

Lynn Parazak and Cliff Schneider

Sally and Michael Schreter

Hilda Shaw

J. Richard Shelley

Elizabeth B. and Mitchell Simon

Becky and Phil Smith Jr.

Shirley Smith

Mary Lou and Dick Solomon

Grace Helen Spearman Charitable Foundation

Nancy S. and Richard A. Spelke

Barbara C. and Stuart K. Spencer

Patty and Larry Spicer

F. M. “Steve” Stevenson

Judith D. and S. Jerome Tamkin

Connie Faith Thomas

U.S. Bank

Ruth and C.J. Venuto

Vintage Properties

Visit Greater Palm Springs

Jana M. and Frederick Wacker

Elaine and Frank White

Linda Jo and Allan Bankus Jr.

William Randolph Hearst Foundation

Robert S. Wilson

Sandra Cooper Woodson

James E. Wright Jr.

SPONSOR CIRLCE

($50,000 - $99,999)

Scarlett N. and William J. Adams

Eric Affeldt / Carolyn and Clara Forman

Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians

Kay Horn and L.E. Alford

Irene W. and Guy L. Anderson Children’s Foundation

Robert Archer and Charles Hilliar

Barbara and Timothy Arnstein

Association of Zoos and Aquariums

Karen Dennis and Miles Auslander

Emily M. Baker

Linda Bard

Lu Barnes

Sheila and Ed Benson

Betty and Paul Boshard

Kim and George Brace

Mimi and William Brett

Eleanor and Doug Butler

Shelley Gordon and Thomas Camp

Karen and Bryan Casier

Janet Schneider-Cate and Tony Cate

Lillian and David Chase

Sarah and Roger Chrisman / Schlinger Chrisman Foundation

Irene Rich Clifford

Confidence Foundation

Carol and Jesse Couch

Glenn A. Cramer

Sandy and Richard Dallam

Donna Jean and Keith Darby

Nancy and Donald de Laski

Jackie and Curt Ealy

Edenhurst Gallery

The Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation

Suzanne and David Etheridge

Jane and John Evans, recognition at the Evans Family Charitable Foundation giving level

Rose M. Federico

Christel and Phelps Fisher

Martha Berry and John Fraim

Barbara and Albert Garlinghouse Jr.

Ann and Samuel Ginn / The Ginn Family Foundation

Tom Gleitsman and Taylor Jaeger

Alexandra Glickman and Gayle Whittemore

Karen and Robert Gober / Hittman Family Foundation

Tina and Dennis Godecke

Godecke Clark

Maudella and Harold Green

Laura and Joseph Gregorio

Nan and Reed Harman

Jan and Brian Harnik

Mae and O.J. Harper

Rebecca and David Harrison

Susan and Wayne Harvey

Jennie and Phil Hasbrouck

Lynn and Roger L. Headrick

Julie and Peter Heimark

John Herklotz

Patricia and Brian Herman

Jean Ann Hirschi

The Miriam U. Hoover Foundation

Dolores and Bob Hope

Laura and Amory Houghton

The George and Evelyn Howard Family Trust

The Arthur L. Jacobson Charitable Fund at the Inland Empire Community Foundation

Tim Jochen and Lee Erwin / Contour

Dermatology

Helen and Edwin Johnsen

David Kowalczyk and Curtis Johnson

A.D. Johnston

Trudy and Dave Johnston

Elizabeth Fuller Jones

Virginia and P. J. Keeley

Kind World Foundation

Paige Kiner

Ramona and Mark Kline

Marty and Hank Lamb

Samie and Tom H. Lang

Katherine and David Lawrence

Jessica Ledbetter and Ranee Barsanti

Michael A. Leppen

Ellis Lewis

Patricia A. Lyon

Manilow Fund For Health & Hope

Sharon Mattern

June and Harold Mayer / The Oscar G. & Elsa

S. Mayer Foundation

Holly McGrath

Sean McGrath

Mary Jo and Al Means

Carol G. Meier

Karen and Ken Miles

Sharon and Howard Miller

Joanne and Myron Mintz

Deirdre and Allen Monroe

Mildred Moore-Voll

Diane and Mike Morrison

Mousie’s Desert Mice

Rena C. Muzzy

Anne Christensen and Arne Ness

Carol-Ann and Alan Olson

Warner Otto

Palm Desert Foundation

Thomas Patrick and Stephen Rulo

Penske Automotive Group, Inc.

Pepsi Beverage Company

Pettit Foundation

Linda Phipps and Elaine Allen

Phyllis S. Poehler and Walter E. Stremel

Charitable Trust

Phyllis and C. Davis Poehler

Tom Pogue and Boris Rose

Jebby Potter / The Rockwell Foundation

PVG Architects

Carolyn and John Radebaugh

Linda and Manny Rider

Elizabeth Hutchins Riggs

Eugenia Righter

John and Yvonne Royan

Lynne Rudnick

Judy and Bob Sanders

Linda and John Seiter

Elmina B. Sewall Foundation

Richard Shalhoub Family

Mary Sue and Mike Shannon

Marisa and James J. Shea Jr.

Sally and Kenneth Simonds

Pamela and William Simpkins

Louise Sloneker-Maison

Roswitha Smale

Annette and D. William Smith

Faye Moore Snelling

Gillian and Wilbur F. Snelling

Amber and Sam Spinello

Karen and Nick Steffanoff

Jim and Barb Stuart

Anne Sutherland-DeRosa / Ettore Richard DeRosa, Jr. Foundation

Joy Svenson

Bette and Jack Swain

Sue and Tim Timken

Marianne Armanino and Harry Timmins

Tonamora Foundation

Arthur Underwood

US Bank Private Wealth Management

Lois and John Veneri

Jocelyn and Dick Vortmann Family

Molly Walters

Mary and Gordon Watson

Frank Wiskowski

Frank Yoder

As of June 30, 2025

We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of this listing. Please notify Development@LivingDesert.org of any omissions or inaccuracies.

Heritage Society Members

THE HERITAGE SOCIETY is a select group of donors who have stated their intentions to leave a deferred gift in their estate to The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens.

The Board of Trustees established The Living Desert Heritage Society to honor these individuals during their lifetime. The distinguished recognition afforded by Heritage Society members is reserved exclusively for those who have communicated their charitable intention to The Living Desert as a direct beneficiary of a will, trust, insurance policy, or other philanthropic method. There is no minimum qualifying amount. Any planned gift is appreciated.

By being a member of this elite society, you are making a lasting difference, thus creating an invaluable legacy of wildlife preservation and an enduring testament of your passion for nature and its myriad of species. Your request ensures The Living Desert will continue our mission of conservation through preservation, education, and appreciation long into the future.

Janet N. Allison, M.D.

Kathleen Anamosa and Jim Taggard

Gerald and Wendy Anderson

Bill and Suzan Appel

Phyllis Ardary

Dr. C. Dennis and Dr. Patricia G. Ashby

William and Mary Baker

Michael Baran and Rai Scime

Robert G. Berg, Jr.

Peggy and Hal Bernthal

Karen E. Casier

Joan and Jim Chedester

Candace Clark Holzgrafe

John and Margaret Cleveland

Pat Clinton

Linda A. Crane

Barbara R. Dadanian

Deanna “Dee” Daneri

Ernest and Jan Demarbiex

Daphne K. DeMartino

Jim and Cindy Eshleman

Jeff and Jeanine Feld

Carlotta Flink

Judy Fogt

George and Elaine Foster

Kristine Martin-Gula

Jay D. Hadley

Marilyn Hahn

Jeffrey T. Hall

James P. and Linda L. Hamm

Pamela Howe

Melinda Joyce Nahin-Iuster

Maureen and Wayne Johnson

Barbara Justl

Lois Henning Kahn-Feuer

Linda Karas

Marisa Y. Katnic’

Linda Kayajanian

Ronald E. Iehl

Drew A. Leander

Nancy and Bud Lenzer

Sheri and Robert F. Lietzow, Jr.

Betty Callies and Bonny Light

Patricia A. Lyon

Jaci and David Mach

Sharon L. Mattern

Kenneth F. Maxwell and Richard L. Redman

Charles and Candace McBrayer

Vicki McConnell

Barbara J. Merrill

Joseph Migliore

Lee Miller

David and Tawny Moreno

Stuart Morse and Jeremy Kelley

Fera Mostow

Jneil Ludwick Nelson

Ronald C. Nelson and Pamela F. Nelson

Sandra Norman

Steven C. Parker & Edith A. Parker

Dr. David E. and Marge Perkins

Dale A. Perry

Linda Phipps and Elaine Allen

Kerstin B. Pollack

Jane P. Raimondi

Joseph A. Rangus

Connie Rickords

Carel Adler-Robin and Michael Robin

Gail Robson

Sandy Rosenberg and Don Thompson

Marcus F. Rosenstein

Lynne L. Rudnick

Karen Sausman

Louise E. Schulz

Angelo and Sheryl Sciacca

Richard Shapiro and Barbara Shapiro

Bill and Pamela Simpkins

Brian and Jean Slavin

Lady and Sherman A. Smith

Sandra Smith

Mary Lou and Dick Solomon

Barbara Storms and Sarah Gonzales

Kimberly Scaramella Stromberg

Carla Sullivan-Dilley

Kelly Taylor

William S. Tetsch

J. Bruce Tominello and Larry E. Kirchner

Linda K. Trocki

Lynne Tucker

Sarah S. and John P. Tyler

Raymond and Elizabeth Welch

Susan Westphal

Catherine Hayes and Mark Wiesel

Cynthia K. Williams

Dr. Raymond and Mrs. Shanna Winters

Rita D. Wood

Sandra Cooper Woodson

Steven J Wycoff and Albion A Paradise

Billie F. Yeager

2024-2025 ROLL OF DONORS

Gifts Received from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025

OVER $500,000

Kelly Carmien Charitable Gift Fund

City of Indian Wells

SoCal Edison

The A.C. and Shaughne S. Warnack Foundation

$250,000 - $499,999

City of Palm Desert

Grousemont Foundation / Carol Wright

Patti and Jack Grundhofer / John F. Grundhofer

Charitable Foundation

Mary and Ray Mithun / Mithun Family Foundation

Wayne L. Prim Foundation

Lesley Halverson and Rick Waddell

$100,000 - $249,999

American Honda Motor Co.

Suzan and Bill Appel

The H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation

The Chaiken Family / Dana Chaiken and Susan Roll

City of Rancho Mirage

Rita Stec and Lance Eldred

Karla Kjellin-Elder and Jeffrey Elder

Susan and George LeBlanc

Edeltraud McCarthy Foundation / Patrick M. McCarthy Foundation

Marcia and Max Messmer Jr.

Victoria A. Muzio

Sandy Myerson and Michael Gailus

Dr. David E. and Marge Perkins

Richard Brooke Foundation

Trudy and Pat Ritz

Stacy Schlinger / Schlinger Family Foundation

William Randolph Hearst Foundation

$50,000 - $99,999

The Annenberg Foundation

Linda Bard

Tracey and Mike Clark

Candace and Jon Holzgrafe

Susan E. Cooper

Cathy and Bill Dickson

Jennie and Phil Hasbrouck

Julie and Peter Heimark

Highland Street Foundation / The McGrath Family

Sandy and George Kachlein III

Patricia and David Lamb

Marty and Hank Lamb

Mary Lester / Lester Family Foundation

Sharon and Craig McCollam

Eugenia Righter

Lynn Parazak and Cliff Schneider

Sue and Tim Timken

US Bank Private Wealth Management

Cynthia and James Williams

John and Martha Wilson Charitable Fund, a donor advised fund of The U.S. Charitable Gift Trust

$25,000 - $49,999

Argyros Family Foundation

The Auen Foundation

Sharon and Dean Baltzell

The Brinson Foundation

Clark Foundation

Janine and Alex Florence

Tom Gleitsman and Taylor Jaeger

Alexandra Glickman and Gayle Whittemore

Susan and Jim Gould

Highland Partners Charitable Fund

Suz Hunt

The Arthur L. Jacobson Charitable Fund at the Inland Empire Community Foundation

Norma Sue Jones

Kind World Foundation

The Koehler Mahlstedt Family Foundation

Holly McGrath

Jneil Ludwick Nelson

Sandy Petersen

Vicky and David Rogers

Grace Helen Spearman Charitable Foundation

Anne and Bill Swindells

Marcy Tonkin

US Bank Foundation

Frank Yoder

$10,000 - $24,999

James C. Allen Charitable Foundation / Barbara Allen

Karen Dennis and Miles Auslander

Amjad and Helen Bangash

Emma Trejo and Doug Bender

Bighorn Development, LLC

Wendy and Gary Broad / Gary Broad Foundation

Brookfield Renewable US

Shelley Gordon and Thomas Camp

Jacquie and Martin Casey

Dorothy P. and James C. Castle

Deborah Chapman

Sarah and Roger Chrisman / Schlinger Chrisman Foundation

Margie and Roy Clark

Cindy Claytor

The Sirpuhe and John Conte Foundation / Joyce and Joe Stein, Stephanie and Michael Landes

Joan Cortopassi

Janet Cree

The de Vos Family Foundation

Lavon and Jim DeGraw

Janet and Robert Dryden

Terry and Wally Durham

Gail Dutton

Estate of Diane Dworken

Jackie and Curt Ealy

Robert Firring

Anne Fontaine

Kim and Chris Fox

Maureen Garrett

Ellen and Richard Gilleland

Michael Ginn

Marylynn and Andy Gladstein

Rosalind and Stanley Hack

Jay Hadley

Mary and Ed Hall

Kay Hillery

Barbara and H. Earl Hoover II

Trudy and Dave Johnston

Trish and Steve Jordan

The Joullian Foundation, Inc. / Marion and Craig Story

Gail and Fred Jubitz

Paige Kiner

Drew A. Leander

Ellis Lewis

Cindy and Eric Lissol

Richard E. Longmire

Connie L. and Robert A. Lurie

Patricia A. Lyon

The Gilbert J. Martin Foundation / Judy and Roger Anderson

Martin/Brattrud Inc

Susan and Nick McCully

Molly McGee and Jon Browne

Sean McGrath

Gigi and Thayer McMillan

Sandy and Seward Prosser Mellon / R. K. Mellon Family Foundation

Judy and Brad Miller

Jonathan Miner

Joanne and Myron Mintz

Diane and Mike Morrison

Jeff Nelson and Paul Mahan

Adele Ruge and V.W. North

Thomas Patrick and Stephen Rulo

Carol Pavlick

Pepsi Co.

PVG Architects

Jane and Marshall Rafal

Lynne Rudnick

Jan Salta

Judy and Bob Sanders

Donna and Ken Sanger

Sally and Kenneth Simonds

Pamela and William Simpkins

Becky and Phil Smith Jr.

Carlyn and Robert Stonehill

Jim and Barb Stuart

The Tappan Family Foundation

TESSERE

Tonamora Foundation

John Tyler

Visit Greater Palm Springs

Patty Wondries

Mrs. Glen B. Youell Fund

$5,000 - $9,999

Scarlett N. and William J. Adams

John Albrecht

Suzanne and Scott Appel

Art Laboe Foundation

Kristi and Brian Bailey

Linda Jo and Allan Bankus Jr.

Rai Scime and Michael Baran

Chris and John Blair

Diana and Dennis Brandt

Bryant Family Foundation

Bobbie and Glen Ceiley

Cindy V. and Ely Callaway

Pat Clinton

Comerica Bank

Grimm Family Foundation at Community Foundation For Southwest Washington

Deborah L. Cooper

Cortopassi Family Foundation

Donna Jean and Keith Darby

The Walt Disney Company Foundation

Dove Printing LLC

Phyllis and Wayne Duncan

Phyllis Eisenberg

Event Network

Donald Feinberg

Christel and Phelps Fisher

John Fox

Lillian and Steve Frank

Anne and Steve Furgal

Debra Garcia

Susan and Warren Gelman

Denise Stefan Ginascol and John Ginascol

Linda and Michael Goodrick

Helen and Maurice Gratton

Linda Cade and Terry Halverson

Nan and Reed Harman

Susan and Wayne Harvey

Lynn and Alan Hendershot

Chris Hernandez

Mikey Herring and Jim Phelps

Ann and Glen Hiner

Suzy and Marc Homme

Miriam U. and H. Earl Hoover Foundation

Drew Hopkins

Jill and Dale Hurd

Marsh & McLennan Ins. Agency

Peggy Jacobs

Christine and Al Johnsen

Ursula and Gordy Johnson

Squire and Angela Junger

Tanya Karn

Ramona and Mark Kline

Nancy Knowlton

Laura Kukta

Kustom US

Jessica Ledbetter and Ranee Barsanti

Beverly and Steve Leer

Annette Lewis

Jan Beach and Peter Liljequist

Gail and Chris Margarites

Maggie McBennett and Chris Reed

Barbara McClung and Kyle McBard

Patty and Paul McDonald

Justin McNulty and Brad Korell

Carol G. Meier

Susan Meredith

Judith Metz

Sandi and Ralph Miller

Deirdre and Allen Monroe

Anne Christensen and Arne Ness

Jason and Rob Ollander-Krane

Carol-Ann and Alan Olson

Marcia and Bill Pade

Valerie and Ty Peabody

David Pearce and Robert Bunyard

Brooke Peterson

Carolyn and Steve Provenzano

Tina and Joe Pyne

Maureen and Phil Ramer

Maureen and Bob Renner

Anne Roberson

Jon Rogus and David Repoley

Rough Around the Edges Inc

Mary Ann Sage

Lois and Ronald Salcer

Carol Saunders

Cindy and Rocky Schmitz

Sally and Michael Schreter

Carrie and Nick Schrup

Janet R. Selland

OJ and Gary Shansby

Nancy and Malcolm Slack

Lisa and Craig Taylor

Patty and Larry Spicer

Amber and Sam Spinello

Carole and Del Stagg

Susan and Terry Stiffler

Margaret and David Sturdevant

Tianyu Arts & Culture Inc

Ellen Vahan

Molly Walters

Paula Weiss

Deborah and Paul Woodcock

Doreen and Richard Yaeger

Kathy and Jim York

Yves Zsutty and Christopher Thompson

$2,500 - $4,999

Betsy and Mark Adams

Nita Adamson and Leslie Jenkin

Eric Affeldt / Carolyn and Clara Forman

Charles M. Aldrich and Carlos Castaneda

Alison and Michael Armstrong

Steve Benninga

Sejal Bhakta

Joyce and William Biffar

Karlyn and Charles Boppell

Carrie and Rich Breeswine

David Brubaker

Rosemarie and Dean Buntrock

Dean L. and Rosemarie Buntrock Foundation

Patricia and John Campbell

Melinda and Brad Chisick

JoAnn and Ross Cornelius

Debbie and Duane Covey

Wendy and Kevin Cox

Jeanine Cushman / Cushman Family Foundation

Dallas Zoo

Donald Davis

Desert Ron

Charles Rowbens and Co, DBA Richards

Diane and Norman Delaterre

Carolyn and Bob Dietz

Don Diego’s of Indian Wells

Carol and Jim Egan

Judy Fabian

Mattie Fernandez and Chris Flores

Judy Fogt

Lori and AK Forthmann

Larry Fry and Jeff Garatea

Galaxy Gateway Ticketing Systems, Inc.

Walter Gendell and Jack Fitzsimmons

Jeannie Gilbert and Janice Campbell

Frank Goldstin and Paul Clowers

Linda and Tim Gosney

Gribin Simmons Foundation

Annette Guzman and Nastassia Guzman

Lindsey and Mike Harris

Toni and Bart Heath

Lorna and Robert Houck

Cindy and Jay Ihlenfeld

Mary Jacobs

Maren and Adam Jaffe

Jill and Daneen Johnson

Maureen and Wayne Johnson

Suzanne Kanarian

Suzy and Travis Keeler

Bill Kelly

Stuart Kent and Mark Pellegrino

Jeanette Kleist

Donald Knehr

Gail and John Kretchmer

Lane | Terralever

Christine and Ted Ling

Audrey and Chuck Linke

Susanne and Brad Livingston

David Lob

Lorrie DuPont and Nick Lynn

Fern Miller

Lee Miller

Karen Moller

Jennifer and Dave Moreno

Sarah Glonek and Betty Nelson-Lahti

Scott Nevins and Philip Hodges

Anne and Harry Newman

Florence Newton

Cinda Orr

Linda and Ken Owens

Sandy and Harvey Platt

Jean Ravin and David Pollart

Jebby Potter / The Rockwell Foundation

Regan Pritzker

Bonnie and Paul Racano

Jane and Rich Ramsey

Doris Reynolds-Johnson and Gordon Johnson

Suzi Richards

Linda and Manny Rider

Sheryl Rincker

Barbara Rosenberg

Adele and Edward Ruxton

Karen and Mitchell Sack

Gloria Sage

Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens

Kristen Scheel and Scott Askerooth

Terry and Bill Schmidt

Tim Scott

Laura and Chris Seyfarth

Adele and Ron Simmons

Sandee and Greg Smith

Cathy and Warren Smith

Mary Lou and Dick Solomon

Nancy and Jon Stegehuis

Rochelle and Ronald Tamkin

Shirley and Peter Tart

David Taylor

Christa and Randy Treichel

Art Williams and Gene Leone

Sandra Cooper Woodson

Denise and Thomas Youell

We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of this listing. Please notify Development@LivingDesert.org of any omissions or inaccuracies.

Thank you for generously supporting The Living Desert

For 55 years, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens has been a leader in the conservation of the world’s deserts. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that receives no ongoing municipal tax support, we rely on the generosity of donors like you to sustain our operations. Your gift to The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens enables us to continue providing the highest level of care for our animals, educating the next generation about the world’s deserts, and inspiring our guests to care for wildlife and wild places across the globe.

There are many ways to support The Living Desert — here are some important reminders for making your gift.

Making a direct financial gift is the easiest and most effective way to support The Living Desert.

Donate stocks — donating shares of appreciated stock can offer opportunities to save on capital gains and income taxes. Please let us know when your advisor forwards stocks to our bank. The financial institutions do not provide donor names with these transactions, so we are unable to identify and thank you without notification.

Donate cryptocurrency to save on capital gains taxes. We use a trusted third party for processing.

Name The Living Desert as a beneficiary of your retirement assets such as an IRA or 401(k) plan account. *

Make a planned gift by naming The Living Desert as a primary beneficiary in your will or trust. * Participate in your employee gift-matching program.

Create a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) for your assets to go into an investment account from which you can recommend grants to The Living Desert. **

Donate funds from your IRA account directly to The Living Desert — a Qualified Charitable Distribution or QCD — at age 70½ and older. **

A QCD to The Living Desert also counts toward satisfying your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) at age 73 and is not counted as taxable income. **

Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

For More Information

If you are considering a gift of any size and would like more information, please contact us at Development@LivingDesert.org or call (760) 346-5694.

* Ask about our Heritage Society. ** As a reminder, these funds cannot be used to gain any benefits such as event tickets or memberships.

FINANCIALS FOR FISCAL YEAR

For Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2025

* The Living Desert is a California 501(c)(3) non-profit public benefit corporation. (EIN 95-3385354).

** Total Excludes Depreciation $11,196,885 $5,334,649 $2,346,427 $2,857,781 $6,314,092 $146,465

Living Legacy Endowment Report Year Ending June 30, 2025

THE LIVING DESERT thanks you for your generous support. Your giving strengthens every part of our mission, from global conservation initiatives to exceptional on-site animal care.

One of our most forwardthinking and impactful giving opportunities is the Living Legacy Endowment campaign. A gift to the endowment ensures that your principal remains untouched while the investment income

*Complete audited

supports The Living Desert’s long-term stability and growth. These funds can help balance the budget, expand staffing, enhance employee benefits, and address unexpected needs, such as emergency repairs after severe weather.

The campaign launched in 2015 with an initial $21 million, thanks to the leadership of campaign managers and trustees Susan Cooper and BJ Skilling.

We remain grateful for their vision in establishing this important fund. Since then, the endowment has grown to $61,607,097 as of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. To everyone who has contributed to this lasting legacy, thank you. Your support helps secure a strong future for The Living Desert, and we continue to welcome new gifts that strengthen the endowment for years to come.