ABOUT US
From a day at the zoo with a festive barbecue, to a formal gala amid the Manhattan skyline, to a wedding alongside our lemurs, crocodiles, and sea lions, your guests will be treated to a unique event to remember at the New York Zoos and Aquarium!
Make your green go further! All event proceeds help support the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) mission to help save wildlife and wild places around the globe. Together, these activities change attitudes toward nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony. WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on Earth.
HISTORY
The Wildlife Conservation Society was originally chartered by New York on April 26, 1895 as the New York Zoological Society with a mandate to advance wildlife conservation, promote the study of zoology, and create a first-class zoological park. Its name was changed to the Wildlife Conservation Society in 1993.
Among the founders of WCS were Andrew H. Green, Henry Fairfield Osborn, and Madison Grant. Theodore Roosevelt and other notable New Yorkers were also involved in the Society's creation.
The Bronx Zoo (formerly known as the New York Zoological Park) was designed along the lines of other cultural icons in New York City, such as the American Museum of Natural History. The city provided the land for the new zoo and some funding for buildings and annual operating costs. WCS raised most of the funds for construction and operations from private donors and selected the scientific and administrative personnel.
To direct the effort to build the zoo, WCS selected naturalist William T. Hornaday, well known as a founder of the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Hornaday chose the Bronx site for the zoo and selected curators, keepers, and other staff who helped open the facility on November 8, 1899.
The success of the Bronx Zoo fostered stronger ties with the city government. In 1902, WCS took over management of the New York Aquarium, then located at Battery Park in Manhattan, and in 1957 opened a new aquarium at Coney Island, Brooklyn.
During the 1960s and 1970s, WCS took a leadership role in pioneering zoological exhibitions by seeking to recreate natural environments for the animals on display in such exhibitions as the World of Darkness and the World of Birds.
Eventually New York City turned to WCS to renew and manage the three city-run zoos. The redesigned Central Park Zoo opened in 1988, followed by the Queens Zoo in 1992 and the Prospect Park Zoo in 1993.
WCS MISSION
WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature.
WCS VISION
WCS envisions a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and seas, valued by societies that embrace and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth.
WCS SUSTAINABILITY
WCS is committed to protecting the environment through sustainable business practices. Some of our efforts include: purchasing organic and local products wherever and whenever possible; limiting our carbon footprint; reducing overall waste; utilizing biodegradable products when available; avoiding single-use plastics whenever possible; sourcing seafood only from the highest-rated and approved Seafood Watch guidelines; and sourcing food products from vendors who utilize humane and cage-free practices whenever possible.