Spring 2006

www.sfzoo.org

The San Francisco Zoo has called Koret  “a best friend for more than 25 years.” The Foundation has contributed generously to a long list of improvements at the Zoo, including the Koret Carousel Plaza and the thriving Koret Animal Resource Center, utilized by youth in the Zoo’s Nature Trail program as they learn to stimulate public interest in wildlife and conservation.

“Koret’s generous and long-standing support is helping transform the San Francisco Zoo into a national leader and the essence of what a zoo can be in the 21st century,” said Manuel A. Mollinedo, executive director and president of the Zoo.

The Nature Trail program, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary in August, trains teen volunteers to handle the hundred or so animals in the Zoo’s teaching collection, and to staff learning stations in the Children’s Zoo, where they engage visitors in wide-ranging discussions about the animals and their conservation. Some 250 young people are trained and supported each year, enhancing wildlife appreciation by more than 60,000 summer Zoo visitors.

The program is the first work experience for most volunteers, teaching them important lessons about teamwork and work ethics. Nature Trail volunteers develop confidence and self-esteem, and learn to communicate effectively with a wide range of people — lessons that will serve them well throughout their lives. Many youngsters return to the program year after year, and a surprising number go on to become Zoo employees! More than 15 current Zoo staff members started their careers in the Nature Trail program.

The Nature Trail, together with other Zoo education programs, provides a continuum of unique learning opportunities for youth, made possible through long-standing Koret support.