Leadership Stockton Breaks Ground on 2020 Project Revitalizing Amphitheater at Micke Grove Zoo
September 25, 2020 Update
The Leadership Stockton Class of 2020 chose to revitalize and renovate a space located within Micke Grove Zoo that had previously been neglected and unusable. The amphitheater had been used as a Children’s learning center which included birthday parties and educational classes. The class plans to fully restore the area by creating functional and usable area through the addition of concrete paths, a shade structure, interactive learning tools and a stage for an animal specialist to display animals, up close and personal. The restoration of this area will allow the zoo to increase the capacity of classes and parties by a factor of two.
The reason this project was chosen among numerous fantastic projects was due to the class’ overall goals. First and foremost, they wanted the main beneficiary of the project to be children. Secondly, they wanted the project to have an impact on the community at large. Lastly, the class had a passion for animals and wanted to find a way to integrate that passion into their project. The MGZ revitalization project encompassed all aspects of what the class of 2020 had in mind when embarking on this journey.
Although the class was on track to raise a record amount of funds, the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench in all future fundraising efforts. By January the class had raised approximately $35,000 with a goal of $70,000. Although the project is not yet complete, the 2020 cohort is currently working with a construction company to get the project completed before the upcoming holiday season. They are looking for one final push of fundraising from donors to reach their new goal of $50,000. They have received a new partnership with an organization that may help them reach this goal, but efforts are still underway.
Hours of sweat equity have already been put into the project to complete the following: raking and weed removal, the first wave of landscaping, removal of debris and junk from the area, as well as a full wall mural to beautify the space making it a more fun and enjoyable space for children.
If you are interested in helping or learning more, please email justzooit2020@gmail.com.
