March 24, 2022 – Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) President Dan Ashe was on the Northwest Campus Wednesday to present the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo with a plaque for their continued accreditation. The college was notified late last year that they passed accreditation and would be recertified for the next five years. The SF Teaching Zoo has the nation’s only accredited zoo on a college campus.
AZA President Ashe congratulated the student zookeepers for their work adding that the accreditation “is the gold standard, not just here in the United States, but worldwide. What you have here is not just a good zoo, not just a great zoo, but one of the best in the world.”
Over the last 5 years, guests to the zoo have experienced a new Florida walk-through aviary, the addition of Florida Key deer, Golden Conures, expanded alligator habitat. The SF Teaching Zoo has contributed directly to conservation of endangered and threatened species in the wild. SF Teaching Zoo Zookeepers have delivered thousands of hours of keeper talks, guided tours and outreaches to school groups and hosted a variety of presentations.
“This accreditation is a testament to your work,” SF President Paul Broadie II, Ph.D. said during the presentation. “The fact that we’re student-centered and producing graduates who go all over the world shows the impact that we have each day, right here at our zoo.”
The SF Teaching Zoo is open every day from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. except for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Bring the family and come celebrate this honor at your zoo!