North American Songbird SAFE

North American Songbird SAFE focuses on some of the main threats to songbirds here in North America. The program goals address or engage the public on:

• Reducing bird strikes by using bird-friendly window treatments and reducing evening lighting during peak migratory seasons
• Keeping cats indoors to prevent predation of songbirds
• Bird Friendly Coffee© which helps preserve neotropical bird wintering grounds
• Selecting grass-fed beef to help save grassland birds
• Purchasing certified sustainable paper products to help preserve the nesting grounds of boreal forest songbirds
• Participating in native songbird citizen science projects and Urban Bird Treaty activities in cities
• Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day annually

Here at Lehigh Valley Zoo, we’re focusing on making Bird Friendly coffee accessible locally, and educating guests about the benefits of purchasing Bird Friendly Coffee. We are encouraging community scientists to report their bird sightings through eBird and the free Merlin Bird ID app, while providing opportunities to practice those skills during our Birding Club outings. The zoo also donates 20% of proceeds from our Rainforest event mingles to Drink Bird Friendly.

Find out how your coffee can be stronger than you think with Bird Friendly Coffee and the Lehigh Valley Zoo.

Giraffe Conservation Foundation

The Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) is the only NGO in the world that concentrates solely on the conservation and management of giraffe in the wild throughout Africa. GCF works closely with many partners in Africa and internationally to ensure high priority for giraffe on national and regional conservation agendas by identifying and providing long-term conservation solutions for all giraffe populations in the wild. GCF currently works on, manages and supports giraffe conservation initiatives that concern all four species of giraffe in 17 African countries and their work has an impact on over 100 million acres of giraffe habitat.

10% of proceeds from Lehigh Valley Zoo giraffe feeds are donated to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation in order to support their conservation efforts.

Mexican Gray Wolves

The Lehigh Valley Zoo is the proud home of a pack of Mexican gray wolves. With less than 200 individuals noted in the wilds of North American and Mexico, Mexican gray wolves are critically endangered. The Lehigh Valley Zoo participates with other AZA institutions in the Species Survival Plan (SSP) for Mexican gray wolves. We are proud to support these organizations in their efforts for education, research, breeding, reintroduction and protection of this important keystone species.

Lemurs

The Lemur Conservation Foundation (LCF) is dedicated to the preservation and conservation of the primates of Madagascar through managed breeding, scientific research, education, and art. Through their education and breeding facility in Florida and their field conservation programs in Madagascar, LCF is leading conservation efforts to protect lemurs and their habitat. The Lehigh Valley’s Zoo’s Habitat Madagascar will provide a modern habitat for our Mongoose lemurs, as well as our African tortoises and future species native to Madagascar. Lehigh Valley Zoo is proud to support LCF through education programs and donations.

Penguins

The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) works to reverse the decline of the seabird populations through the rescue, rehabilitation and release of ill, injured, abandoned and oiled seabirds.  Through chick rearing, oiled wildlife preparedness & response, monitoring and research, SANCCOB works to save seabirds. African penguins, one of the Zoo’s keystone exhibit and ambassador species, are also greatly supported by SANCCOB. African penguins are classified as endangered and they have been identified as one of three (of the global 18 species of penguin) that require urgent conservation intervention.  SANCCOB is working to Save the African Penguin and the Lehigh Valley Zoo is proud to support those efforts through awareness and donations.