Benefits for You and Benefits for the Zoo: Membership Appreciation Days

With an average of 10,000 membership households, membership is a cornerstone source of support that plays a critical role in helping the Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo live our mission every day. It’s because of our members that we’re able to help sustain the Rosamond Gifford Zoo as a zoological institution that promotes excellent animal welfare, wildlife conservation, and public outreach. This year, to honor these special supporters, our Membership Department has created a series of days dedicated to members. On June 28, 2025, the Friends of the Zoo celebrated our beloved members with the first of three Member Appreciation Days. Throughout the entire day, members were treated to a variety of special perks, doubled discounts, raffles, and exclusive experiences to enhance their day at the zoo.  

Zoo membership is often associated with benefits for members, and with good reason! There are a lot of benefits to being a member, including free zoo admission, a free t-shirt, a subscription to MyZoo magazine, discounts at the HoneyBee Café and Curious Cub Giftshop, discounts on education programs, discounts on ticketed events held at the zoo, reciprocal membership to over 150 other institutions accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and special opportunities such as Membership Appreciation Days. In tandem with those benefits, Friends of the Zoo gratefully spotlights the benefit that your membership provides to this zoo, our community, and wildlife worldwide. Without the robust and continuous support of our member-family, your zoo couldn’t do what we do.  

“Membership Appreciation Days were designed to show our member-family love and gratitude,” says Allison Angona, Membership Manager at the Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. By hosting Membership Appreciation Days during regular zoo hours, Angona hopes to be able to make the event as accessible and attractive as possible to all members. “It’s a privilege to have created a membership collective that encompasses lots of people across different walks of life,” explains Angona. “Whether you’re a family with small children, a single adult, a senior citizen, or anyone in between, you’re part of our zoo family. That’s why we worked so hard for Membership Appreciation Day to take place during multiple days and to offer fun perks that resonate with everyone.”  

Upon entry, members were provided three complimentary tickets (per membership) and invited to try their luck to win one of ten different prizes. There was something for everyone at the raffle table. Guests had the chance to win wildlife-themed gift baskets, membership extensions, and gift certificates for a variety of local businesses. 

In addition to the raffles and extra discounts, members enjoyed exclusive animal demonstrations inside the education classroom and tours of the zoo throughout the day. Much like the raffles, the outreach animals appealed to members’ wide range of interests and showcased the zoo’s breadth of conservation work by featuring reptiles, invertebrates, birds, and more.  

The first demonstration featured Harris hawk Alex. Sarah Kohler, Senior Ambassador Animal Specialist at the Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, provided an up-close-and-personal look at the magnificent bird of prey. As part of Membership Appreciation Day, the demonstration was limited to members only, creating an intimate setting where attendees were able to ask questions and cultivate a deep connection with Alex and Sarah. 

After sharing some behind-the-scenes tidbits about Alex’s favorite food, enrichment activities, and personality, Kohler delved into many interesting facts about the fascinating bird species. She spoke about wild Harris hawks’ habitat and range, diet, and threats to their population as she encouraged attendees to take steps to help conserve bird species around the world by staying pesticide-free and preserving their natural habitat spaces.  

Unlike most birds of prey, Kohler went on to explain, Harris hawks live in social family groups. (Certainly an apropos species to showcase during an event dedicated to the Friends of the Zoo member-family!) As a family unit, Harris hawks help each other survive in their native habitat of dry semi-deserts or spare woodlands in Central America, South America, Mexico, and southwestern regions of the United States. For example, they even engage in a behavior known as “back stacking.” In the wild, Harris hawks will cooperatively perch on top of each other to obtain a better vantage point from which to spot potential prey or danger. The American Bird Conservancy refers to Harris hawks as a “winged wolf pack.” By working together as a team of hunters, Harris hawks are able to chase their prey (usually small mammals, birds, lizards, or even insects) over long distances. They will even strategize to force prey out from hiding places and attack together.  

Later in the day, Friends of the Zoo Volunteer Dave Burch conducted a tour of the full zoo. (Hint for future Membership Appreciation Day goers: Tour availability is limited, so sign up at the Membership Desk when you arrive to nab your spot!) Burch kicked off the tour with the Wildlife Trail, stopping at each and every animal habitat to discuss the many animal residents at the zoo. As an expert tour guide, Burch was ready to answer questions while providing attendees with insights about the zoo’s role as a leader in wildlife conservation. For instance, while at the Amur tiger habitat, Burch explained, “Amur tigers are disappearing from the wild. Their habitat is being destroyed. They’re hunted for fur and other bodies parts. That’s why the tiger cubs born at the zoo were so important.” He took care to highlight the zoo’s participation in a variety of Species Survival Plans (SSPs) and Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) programs through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Zoos work collaboratively to manage the genetic diversity of species in human care by exchanging individual animals for breeding. Now that they are old enough, Amur tiger cubs Zuzaan and Soba have moved to other zoos as part of their SSP in hopes that one day, they, too, will contribute to sustaining their species by starting their own families. It is thanks to the support of our members that the Rosamond Gifford Zoo continues to meet the AZA’s high standards of animal welfare to participate in such vital conservation efforts.    

Once the tour looped the Wildlife Trail, Burch led the members into the USS Antiquities Cave to talk about aquatic and reptile species and then the Diversity of Birds Aviary to talk about a variety of exotic bird species (and a critically endangered radiated tortoise). From there, the tour made its way to the Adaptations of Animals Building, where Burch explained the importance of the reverse light-cycle for comfort and welfare of the many nocturnal species residing there. Finally, Burch’s tour concluded with the Social Animals Building, featuring energetic primate species and other small mammals.   

During intermediary moments on the tour, members took the opportunity to bond and to discuss their own experiences with each other. Some of the tour-takers were brand-new members, having just moved to the area, while others were long-term members who shared their fond memories of the zoo over the years of visiting. Although the tour comprehensively covered all of the animals along the route, there were many moments during which members interacted as a community to celebrate their passion for wildlife and the conservation work going on at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. These interactions also reflected Angona’s vision for Membership Appreciation Days.  

“I hope that members are able to come together and experience all the wonders of the zoo together,” summarizes Angona. “Our members show up for the zoo in so many different ways all the time. Special events, education programs, early-bird mornings, frequent visits, renewing their memberships year after year…” she lists proudly. “But membership is more than a transaction. It’s a communal relationship we create and nurture together. Membership Appreciation Days celebrate our members’ significant impact on the zoo.” 

Are you a member ready to be celebrated (or interested in becoming a member)? Upcoming Membership Appreciation Days will take place on Sunday, July 27* and Saturday, August 9 during regular zoo hours (10:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) We hope to see you there!  

*Please note, there will be no tour opportunities for the July 27 Membership Appreciation Day. Instead, members will have the opportunity to enjoy a Teddy Bear Clinic in the Animal Health Center from 10 a.m.-4 p.m, where all plush pals will be offered first aid and health checks!  

Works Cited 

American Bird Conservancy. Harris Hawk. https://abcbirds.org/bird/harriss-hawk/. Retrieved 8 July 2025.