Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka has earned reaccreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, renewing its standing with an organization that evaluates animal care, veterinary services, conservation and education.
The review requires a multiday inspection every five years. For California’s oldest zoo, which opened in 1907, the renewal continues three decades of accreditation.
Zoo Director Jim Campbell-Spickler said maintaining those standards requires daily attention.
“Accreditation at this level is really the gold standard in animal care conservation and just our education mission,” Campbell-Spickler said.
The zoo’s size and remote North Coast location do not change those expectations, he said.
“We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them,” Campbell-Spickler said of larger California zoos. “We do things at a small scale, but we do it really well.”
The zoo also connects visitors with the surrounding redwood forest through its Redwood Sky Walk. The self-guided route rises as high as 100 feet above the forest floor. In 2023, it won the best aerial adventure park category in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice awards.
The zoo’s conservation work extends beyond its exhibits. Fifty cents from every admission fee supports field conservation, helping fund local and international projects.
“Our mission is to inspire conservation of the natural world by instilling wonder, respect, and passion for wildlife and wild places,” Campbell-Spickler said.
Guest
- Jim Campbell-Spickler, director, Sequoia Park Zoo
