Lack Of Help For Zoo From Rec & Park and Other Related Irritations (Bison Paddock and Fundraising)

I still have five final posts, in simultaneous draft.  The energy in my ambition to reach each goal for finishing and publishing continues to get pushed.  During that time other things enter my realm and I have to decide if those things are necessary to post about at this time.  While wanting to stay current, I also need to stick to the theme of those five posts.  Mostly because at this time in my life, I really do need to wrap-up documenting Zoo stuff.  

I wondered if this irritation should be documented now or wait for the last post in my series that details the Pyramid of Power that has caused the downward spiral of our Zoo.  While I maintain that direction dive is solely been perpetrated and perpetuated by Director Peterson, there is a cast of enablers, both inside and outside the Zoo, that have allowed her mismanagement.  

The Zoo is part of the Recreation and Parks Dept. As I understand it, that department is supposed to have taken a management position in regards to the Zoo, as outlined in the Lease Agreement. The relationship is supposed to provide a sort of checks and balances, along with the Zoological Society.  Neither of which has hapoened in far too long, if ever.  More will be outlined in that final post.

For the purpose of this post, my irritation is focused once again on fundraising, and mismanagement on that level by all three entities.  San Francisco Zoo Director Tanya Peterson, San Francisco Zoological Society, and the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Dept.  None of which has contributed in anyway to actively continuing to create ideas for and implement fundraising ideas outside of the Zoo's annual fundraiser ZooFest.

A few days ago, I opened an email newsletter from the Golden Gate National Recreation.  Note that I gave up reading newsletters from the Rec and Park as they were filled with reporting all the ways they spend money to beautify the Parks in their system.  They do not consider the Zoo part of their "system".  I realized this when I contacted them during their fence building project to see if there was something that could be done within that (financed) project to fix the exterior appearance of the Zoo.  The perimeter fence in the main part leading to the Zoo is literally crumbling, yet in the fourteen years of Director Peterson's reign nothing had been done to fix it.  At this point with allegedly no money for Animal Needs, I wouldn't want limited funds diverted that way, so I inquired if the Rec and Park could include that portion of the Zoo fence in their project.  The Rec and Park said No.   

I'll note here while on the Rec and Park, that I continue to take issue with them in regard to keeping the Bison Paddock meadow in Golden Gate Park hydrated.  It is my understanding that the grounds are the responsibility of the Rec and Park.  The Bison are grazing Animals, yet their meadow is always dried up. I don't see that in any other part of the park.  Everywhere else the grass is lush and green, except in the one area where it is a diet supplement to the Animals living there.  Why are the sprinklers never turned on?  I saw them on once, two years ago.  They can not claim water reducing as they continual have the sprinklers on everywhere else.  Last week I saw a sprinkler flooding the road at Stow Lake.

This post from three years ago contains more information about the fence and Bison issues.

https://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2021/08/blog-status-future-post-subjects-rec.html

The Oakland Zoo recently did a Facebook live about their Bison.  In it the Keeper noted, "They have over fifteen acres of habitat to naturally graze on.  So when you look out you'll see there's lot of grass out here and that's really important because they are natural grazers.  So, they'd spend about nine hrs of their day out in the wild foraging and grazing, so we wanted to replicate that here at the Oakland Zoo and that's why you see so much grass and so much land, cause they do actually need all that."

FYI this was the Bison meadow last week...

Back to the Golden Gate National Recreation newsletter, the main reason for this post.  Apologies for the digression.  Their newsletter contains updates for our Park areas that are on Government land versus the Rec and Park which is City owned land.   In this email, there was a link to an extensive update on the new Presidio Tunnel Tops project.

https://www.parksconservancy.org/parks/presidio-tunnel-tops?utm_source=pev&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pev-june-2022

The linked site noted that their campaign raised $98 million.  I thought Wow, if only the Zoo could raise a quarter of that, the things it could do (with the right management of course).  I was curious, Who is raising these funds?  I expanded the link to view the names of the Campaign Committee.

Surprise, surprise, none other than the SF Rec and Park Manager Mark Buell is the Co-Chair.  All I could feel was disappointment and disgust.  Good grief, the Zoo is in the Rec and Park Dept and seriously, What has Mark Buell ever done for the Zoo?  He must know their struggles.  If he has some magic as far as raising funds, Why hasn't he lent a hand to the Zoo?

Oh yea, because the Rec and Park does not consider the Zoo part of its responsibility.

Fundraising irritation side note...

This was recently posted to the Zoo's social media.

So, in addition to the usual irritation if renaming Animals, that arrive at the Zoo with an established name, there's this...

While I think these trips are a great thing to offer, I do not think it's something necessary (and certainly not a Need), especially at a time when the Zoo is so desperate for funds for Animal Needs.  It is my understanding that donors have previously underwritten these trips.  I have never seen the Zoo do outreach to fund for travel expenses.  

I'm completely offended that there are actual Animal Needs that have never been fundraised for, and that the Zoo is choosing to use the word NEED in this way.  

Unfortunately, our Zoo excels in skewed priorities

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