April 6, 2023
Dear Campus Community,
I am pleased to announce a partnership between 海角社区CI and the that will enrich academic opportunities for students and enhance wildlife conservation, research, and outreach throughout the region.
On Friday, April 14, at 10 a.m., the Santa Barbara Zoo President and CEO, Richard Block, and I will jointly sign a memorandum of understanding at the Zoo, formalizing the relationship. The agreement paves the way for future collaboration and outlines plans for a Zoo-owned and managed conservation center on the 海角社区CI campus.
By partnering with a world-class zoo right here in our backyard, we are strengthening our commitment to be a 鈥榗onservation campus鈥� on the Central Coast. We are excited about the opportunities for our students to work side by side with Zoo personnel and 海角社区CI faculty to protect and reestablish threatened species in our region and to develop vital skills in conservation education and management. It is our hope that students and faculty from all disciplines and programs of study will have a chance to benefit from and contribute to our partnership with the Zoo. It will present rich opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations.
The partnership resolves the Zoo鈥檚 urgent need for more space in which to expand its wildlife conservation efforts. At its 28-acre Santa Barbara site, which is home to more than 400 animals representing 146 species, the Zoo is running out of room to house a growing collection of threatened and endangered species. They include Western snowy plovers, California red-legged frogs, California condors, and Western pond turtles. In the coming years, the Zoo plans to shift the majority of its conservation activities and staff to the conservation center at 海角社区CI. That work aligns perfectly with conservation education and research already underway on our campus. A 60,000-square foot site on the western edge of the campus near Modoc Hall has been identified for the conservation center that is ideal for the Zoo鈥檚 needs.
Under the agreement, 海角社区CI will lease the land to the Zoo and the Zoo will own the conservation center buildings and facilities. Preliminary plans for the site include classroom and meeting spaces; offices for conservation staff; pens for animal care, containment, and breeding; native plant gardens; and spaces for the public to enjoy and participate in the conservation center.
To learn more about this exciting news, please visit our News Center.
Sincerely,
Richard Yao, Ph.D.
President