The Audobon Zoo Essay Example for Free

The Audobon zoo EssayTHE AUDUBON ZOO, 1993 The Audubon zoological garden is located in New Orleans, Louisiana and is a 501(3)(c) non-profit organization. In 1914 the Audubon Com missionary station was created to maintain and develop Audubon Park. In 1919 the Audubon Institute was established as the pargonnt agency. oer the next several decades many changes would occur including the addition of a monkey cage, mammal cage and a deer paddock. Louisiana school children purchased the first elephant in 1924 and shortly thereafter an aquarium and sea lion pool was added. Through the Great Depression of the 1930s and 1940s the zoo was barely able to glide by its doors openand in the 1950s it was labeled an animal ghetto by the media. In 1970 the U. S. Humane Society insisted the zoo be brought to industry standards. In the early 1970s the Commission worked closely with Mr. Ron Forman, City Hall Liaison for Audubon Park, to turn back a special referendum that gene sayd close to $2 one thousand thousand in bonds. These funds were the beginning of the Zoos restoration project that enabled it to expand from 19 acres to over 55 acres.Volunteers at the Zoo formally became known as Friends of the Zoo. By the 1980s the Zoohad received accreditation from the American Zoo and Aquarium Association and was note as one of the nations top-rated zoological parks. And in 1989, Friends of the Zoo became known as Audubon temper Institute where it remains today. Today, the zoo combines research laboratories with acres of pristine natural habitat where rare and be animals roam and reproduce (ANI, 2009). The Audubon character Institutes mission to servesone purpose Celebrating the Wonders of Nature.Its facilities carry on this mission through the Audubon Park, Audubon Zoo, Woldenberg Riverfront Park, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center, Entergy IMAX Theatre, Audubon Louisiana Nature Center, Audubon Center for Research of threaten S pecies, Audubon Wilderness Park, Audubon Insectarium and Audubon Nature Institute Foundation. Additional opportunities for the Zoo include technological advances in animal breeding and smart interactive computer programs that allow visitors to become educated close the animals history, environment, special characteristics, feeding and origination.Educational programs for both children and adults are offered through visitor programs, school field trips, outreach programs, and educators resources. A very real curse to the Zoo is the unpredictability of Mother Nature. New Orleans is located on the Gulf of Mexico and hurricanes cause a threat to coastal athletic fields during the summer and fall seasons. Tourists and residents go away be deterred from visiting the Zoo during inclement go and will have a negative impact on admissions revenue for an undetermined amount of time. A SWOT analysis is essential in evaluating the market potential of the Zoo.In areas of strength new attrac tions will draw repeat customers and with the educational activities offered year round there is a limitless supply of new school children as they grow and develop their interest in the world around them. The rehabilitation subject matter for injured animals is a favorite of the public and should be marketed accordingly. And, the Zoos Center for Research of Endangered Species has been recognized as top notch and as such also holds considerable value in marketing. The one major weakness of the Zoo is its absolute necessity to depend on donations from a handsome public.Unfortunately, not all funds that are pledgedare actually received by the Zoo and this creates challenges in budgeting from quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year. In a poor economy when the public are forced to worry about basic extract needsdonations will sharply decline. While the Zoo enjoys a heavy supply of volunteers, which creates a positive scope to the community, they cannot be held to the same standards as pa id employees. Volunteers are more disposed(predicate) to come and go as they will and this leaves the Zoo at the mercy of over worked, understaffed employees.A financial analysis of the Zoo reveals that it has done very well and that at the end of 1982 it was virtually self-sufficient. Improved efficiency in the area of operations was the first step towards this turnaround. The Zoo is entering a maturity stage and should look for opportunities to subdue its employment costs, non-value added programs and departments, administrative supplies and expenses associated with daily overhead. Media exposure can be highly expensive and as a non-profit entity the Zoo should take advantage of as much free exposure as possible.Press releases about new acquisitions, programs, animals, and the rehabilitation center should be sent to the media on a continuing basis. News articles with discipline about the different animals and the lands they originate from could become a regular travel guide fea ture of the topical anesthetic print media. Holding special events for a targeted segment of the public could draw additional revenue expire music on the green or in the park, Sunday afternoon Jazz Concert, or birthday parties with the special childs favorite animal as the thememay stimulate growth in revenue. some other idea would be to consider an adopt-an-animal program. Local schools, businesses or individuals could agree to adopt an animal and provide fiscal support through fund-raising or in-kind donations. Offering a yearly pass for residents at a discounted rate may seem contradictory to the idea of increased revenue but, if the community felt that they could visit the Zoo at any time without paying an entrance fee they may be more apt to spend discretionary dollars on hats, tee-shirts, sweat-shirts or other accessories, concession stand items and impulse buying of souvenirs. key fruit factors in bringing a successful turnaround of the Zoo begins with the original bond o f $2 million and the total of a $5. 6 million development program that was created by the Audubon Park Commission. These funds permitted enlargement of the Zoo to its present 48 acres allowing the area to be divided into geographic sections that featured the distinction of the animals.Next was the implementation of admission charges to generate revenue and help off-set the few donations the Zoo received. The creation of the base Friends of the Zoo, which managed guidelines for the many topics and programs available also offered the edZOOcators conductededucational programs. The implementation of fundraising through new and interesting events and finally, the continuous expansion of programs and update of other programs helped to create the Zoos success.