The Sequoia Park Zoo Foundation has a New Executive Director

Eureka, calif. (KIEM)- The Sequoia Park Zoo Foundation welcomes David Reed as their new Executive Director. The new addition to the team brings 26 years of fundraising and non-profit management experience to the table. The foundation aims to promote, stimulate, and support the Sequoia Park Zoo’s development through various programs. 

David Reed is excited to be taking on the position of Executive Director of the Sequoia Park Zoo Foundation, a non-profit that works closely with the city of Eureka who owns the zoo. 

“One of the things about the Zoo Foundation working with the Sequoia Park Zoo is that a lot of people don’t know that there’s this amazing public-private partnership that happens between the nonprofit, the foundation, and the city of Eureka,” said Reed. “A lot of the improvements and improvements to the animal habitats and new exhibits that you see come from that foundation side.”

Growing up in Humboldt County himself, Reed has seen the progression of the Sequoia Park Zoo and is thrilled to lead the coming changes. 

“We’re standing on the Redwood Skywalk, which was donor-funded through the foundation. You can hear the construction in the background of the Bear and Coyote exhibit that is about two months away from being completed,” said Reed.

Like the black bear that is soon coming to the park, many other native and endangered species are rescued by the zoo.

“When I was growing up as a kid, you know, we had our experience of the zoo as it was. And zoos have really evolved since then,” Reed explained. “There’s so much more of a conservation ethic at zoos today, and part of that is in the Species Survival Program, where threatened or endangered species are here at the zoo to help those species survive.” 

Reed goes on to explain that there has also been a new emphasis on native animals at Sequoia Park Zoo.

“So you’re seeing Black Bear. You’re seeing native reptiles. You’re seeing other native species like the raptors in the aviary. So that’s an exciting difference from what I grew up with.”

Coming up on October 30th the park will hold Boo At The Zoo, a family fun Halloween event from 12 pm to 4 pm.