Information from Woodland Park Zoo
Imagine an immersive experience where humans walk amongst the treetops and come eye-to-eye with fantastic forest dwellers like tree kangaroos, red pandas, bats and birds. Woodland Park Zoo is excited to bring this experience to guests in 2026 with the opening of the Forests For All exhibit.
To help bring this vision to reality, Woodland Park Zoo is proud to announce that it has selected Sellen Construction as the general contractor for the Forests for All exhibit project. Sellen was selected from a highly-skilled and talented pool of candidates based on their shared commitment to sustainability, knowledge about construction and zoo operations, and alignment with the zoo’s conservation mission and values. Design development will begin immediately and construction is expected to begin in 2024. The exhibit is planned to open in 2026.
All over the world, community movements have taken root to protect forests and nature as a critical climate solution. Woodland Park Zoo’s new Forests for All experience will highlight community-led conservation around the globe, motivate guests to act to conserve forest habitats, and feature vulnerable and endangered animals representing forests of the world, including tree kangaroos. Much-adored red pandas, colorful birds, and fascinating reptiles and invertebrates will also make their home in the new forest. To learn more about the space, visit www.zoo.org/forestsforall/exhibit.
How can you help plant the seeds for this bright future forest?
Consider making a seed donation to the Forests for All exhibit! Visit www.zoo.org/forestsforall to make a gift and help create a space that supports healthy forests, thriving animals, and a place to foster community engagement, equity and action.
The Forests for All exhibit is estimated at a total project cost of $35 million. The zoo is grateful to have $21 million in project funds in hand, with an additional $14 million to be raised by December 31, 2024. More than $5.5 million in philanthropic contributions have been generously committed from individuals, families and foundations, and $15.5 million has been allocated to the project from the fire insurance settlement from the former Day and Night Exhibits, which permanently closed in 2016 after a fire caused extensive structural damage to the aging building.
The Forests for All exhibit is the final, capital anchor of Woodland Park Zoo’s 7-year, $110 million comprehensive fundraising campaign. More than $70 million has already been given since 2018 by nearly 100,000 donors. To date, campaign gifts have resulted in significant successful programmatic and capital initiatives, including introduction of new species and improved spaces in the Living Northwest Trail, increased sustainability with the enhanced and enlarged compost yard, welfare and sustainability renovations to the Komodo dragon habitat including enriching exhibit design and top-of-the-line temperature control, and access and inclusion programs for the community, guests, interns and volunteers. New endowed funds for animal care and welfare, Living Northwest conservation and zoo accessibility have also been established through the Forests for All campaign.
