Founded in 1936, the Staten Island Zoological Society, Inc. was the first in America to be founded with an educational mission, a guiding concept that continues to motivate our efforts today. The Staten Island Zoo is an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited institution, through which we participate actively in international species survival programs. Home to over 1,500 animals and 300 species, our organization is dedicated to the conservation of endangered and threatened species. 

The Zoo produces a robust calendar of events annually, including Staten Island’s premier Halloween event, Spooktacular, and our very popular and successful Zoofari spring and summer program. We also host several spring events including Earth Day, Endangered Species Day, and World Ocean Day and a series of summer events between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

The Zoo’s educational programs annually enrich more than 80,000 school aged youngsters through a variety of formal initiatives that we pursue, including class visits throughout the school year, a vital traveling zoo project, participation in the city-wide Urban Advantage program, a partnership program designed to improve students’ understanding of scientific inquiry through collaborations between urban public school systems and science cultural institutions such as zoos, botanical gardens, museums, and science centers. 

In addition, the Zoo’s campus is a hub of conservation-oriented educational alternatives with an established series of programs that attract public inquiry and participation throughout the year. The Zoo is quite proud of its unique docent program, which creates a corps of intergenerational docents trained to interpret much of our animal collection to the visiting public. This program is a natural training ground for high-school aged young people becoming conversant with scientific initiatives that can enhance their career-oriented experiences. Indeed, the Zoo is unique on Staten Island, pursuing its mission of conservation and sustainability to affect future generations.