Newest Destination at the San Diego Zoo Entering Final Phases
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA) is expanding its mission to help all life thrive by cultivating some of its most important allies—the next generation. Opening in February 2022, the 3.2-acre Denny Sanford Wildlife Explorers Basecamp at the San Diego Zoo will be a place where guests and their families can enjoy an exciting experience that inspires empathy for all wildlife.
“The new and innovative elements of Wildlife Explorers Basecamp encourage our explorers to gain a better understanding of their role in the natural world by getting a glimpse of life from the wildlife’s point of view,” said Paul A. Baribault, president and chief executive officer of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. “It’s a fun, accessible and meaningful way to discover how we’re all connected, and that the health of the smallest members of the wildlife community is inextricably linked to our own human health.”
“The name reflects the underlying goal of the area,” said Shawn Dixon, chief operating officer of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. “We are calling it a Basecamp because it’s designed to serve as a launch pad for budding conservationists of all ages to be inspired to care for and protect the future of our planet.”
Built on the site of the former Children’s Zoo, Wildlife Explorers Basecamp is designed to appeal to a broader audience, while maintaining its place in the hearts of young explorers. The area blends innovation and immersive technology with opportunities to check out extraordinary species—ranging from leafcutter ants and orb weaver spiders to prairie dogs and sloths—all designed to introduce the next generation to the natural world with an eye toward the future.
Wildlife Explorers Basecamp is divided into four types of habitats and features the wildlife that live in these areas— Rainforest, Wild Woods, Marsh Meadows and Desert Dunes. Included throughout the space will be breathtaking and remarkable wildlife experiences to bring audiences up close to nature as never before, interactive play opportunities, oversized species-themed sculptures and a one-of-a-kind floating, seven-foot-high stone globe representing the Earth and how we are all connected.
Category: Animals, Architecture, Donations, Entertainment, Events, Historical, Local News, Nonprofit
