This is
Maryland’ s Zoo
ABOVE: YOU CAN TAKE UNLIMITED RIDES ON THE CAROUSEL AND TRAIN WITH ADMISSION
The impact of The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore extends far beyond its grounds.“ In a lot of ways, we’ re really important to the state and the city,” says Fowler.
Every year, 18 of the 24 public school districts in Maryland take field trips to the zoo, often for free. Zoo staff work with the state of Maryland to evaluate the health of the local black bear population, and they have programs to save and rehabilitate local turtle and woodrat populations. Their thriving research program, which furthers understanding about the health of species in the zoo and in the wild, is helping to protect wildlife ecosystems for future generations. The zoo also lends a hand when animals are confiscated at the airport or the Port of Baltimore by transferring them to a facility for care or bringing them into their collection.
“ In order to retain and attract talented people to live and work, every great city and state needs to have important cultural assets like an orchestra, like a theater and like a zoo,” Fowler says.“ Subconsciously, when people are looking at a city, they want to know that these types of things are available to them. I think that’ s [ what makes us ] really, really special for the region.” VB
BALTIMORE. ORG 39