History of the Friends of the Moonridge Zoo (FOMZ)

How did the Friends come to be?
On Sunday, June 25, 1988, three bald eagles were stolen from the Moonridge Animal Park (aka Moonridge Zoo in the 1980's). They were found massacred on the North Shore of Big Bear Lake. This disturbing act precipitated the formation of the Friends of the Moonridge Zoo. Four individuals headed by Carol Dingley inquired about security at the zoo, which was run by the San Bernardino County Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District. The park district's lean budget could not provide funds for adding security. Carol, Melinda Hope, Phyllis Siegel, and Louise Dand started a 501(c)(3), non-profit corporation "Friends of the Moonridge Zoo" in order to solicit monies for a security system (March 21, 1989). The small group attracted about 10 more members in the next few months.

Donation cans for the zoo were placed throughout the Valley, and the first Zooccasion was held August 1989 at Bear Mountain ski resort as a fundraising event.

The small group became interested in learning more about the zoo. Joe Duret, the zoo keeper at that time, informed the volunteers about the current wildlife at the zoo, enabling them to help out with docent guided tours.

What has the Friends accomplished?
In 1990, Paul Hope became president of the Friends. During his three years, an adoption program was started, and a membership program was started in 1992. Also around this time the Park began charging a visitor's admission fee.

In June 1992, we opened our first Information Center. It was a table with a canopy top. We even offered t-shirts and postcards for sale. In 1995, Paul Hope built a shed to house our expanding merchandise, but our Information Center remained an outdoor table affair. Still, our volunteer Information Center docents were delighted with the upgrade!

In 1993, Paddy Speyers became president. We continuely upgraded our information about the zoo's wildlife in our Docent Manual (by the way, Melinda Hope put together our first docent manual).

Our funds to help the zoo increased yearly, enabling us to build the ringtail enclosure, help with the red fox, black bear, bison and coyote enclosures; plus continue to pay for and upgrade the security system with an All Protection Alarm.

A big challenge faced us early in 1996 when our curator, Don Richardson, spoke of a Grizzly Family in need - could we help?

We definitely wanted to. With the community's support and help with great public relations from Ann Bailey, we managed to raise over $150,000 to build the Grizzly Family a home.   This effort helped put Big Bear and the Moonridge Animal Park on the map. It also gave us connections to other zoos and friends from all over the United States and the world.

In November 1996, we accepted another challenge - building a Wildlife Educational Center. The center was finished in the spring of 1997. The education center now serves multiple purposes: visitors enter and exit the Park through the center. We have our gift shop there. Also the zoo curator has his administrative office located in the center. Plus some exhibits are in the center too.

Where are the Friends going?
Our challenge now is to raise several million dollars that is needed to relocate the animal park to a proposed site on the north shore of Big Bear Lake, adjacent to the Discovery Center. The new site location will be known as the Living Forest WildLife Center. The Moonridge Animal Park's lease expires February, 2009 and will not be renewed. Infact, the property has been sold to a developer with no plans of allowing the park to stay on their land when the lease expires.

Would you like to become a Friend and receive volunteer training?
Each new volunteer receives eight hours of classroom study and 20 hours hands-on apprentice training. Your apprentice training can be completed from among a variety of interesting activites. For example, during your apprentice training period you could work in the gift shop, assist in conducting tours, do construction, gardening, art work, out-reach programs, and/or work with our animal rehabilitation helpers.

In the spring the zoo staff is over-burdened with orphaned and/or injured wildlife. Helping little critters take a lot of time, and we can always use some newly trained volunteers to help. The main requirement, to be an animal helper, is to volunteer a minimum of two days per week, four hours each day. As your dedication and care of animals is demonstrated further training is provided.

Working in the gift shot is fun. All our gift shop workers are volunteers. All profits from the gift shop support the many needs of the zoo, including developing our reference library and upgrading medical equipment in the medical trailer and the "baby" shed.

We have come a very long way since four concerned women set out to make the Moonridge Animal Park a safe haven for its wildlife in 1988. There are still many exciting, new things we hope to be able to accomplish in the future with the help and input of all of our volunteers.

The following is a list of our presidents: