Financial problems persist at Stone Zoo
Published on October 20th, 1999
STONEHAM, MA - "We haven't changed our goal: to make the Stone Zoo the world's first 'earth park,'" said Jean Bochnowski, Executive Vice President of Zoo New England. But the pace of fund raising has been slower than zoo officials anticipated.
Improvements have moved slowly, and patrons have been reluctant to give to a small town zoo in visible disrepair.
Zoo New England is the organization running the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston and the Stone Zoo on Pond Street in Stoneham.
"We need about $10-15 million," Bochnowski said.
Construction of an elevated walkway connecting exhibits, a polar bear habitat and an educational and entertaining "dinosaur canyon" exhibit, among other things, are on hold due to lack of funds.
"I think we are on track now, though," Bochnowski said.
A full-time fund raiser, Kristen Prieur, was hired in July. She is making new contacts and talking with old donors, according to Bochnowski.
"I would hope in five years we could raise the money that we need," Bochnowski said. "We can spend it as we go because we already know what we want to build and where."
A new snow leopard exhibit and Mexican wolf habitat were constructed this year. And a northern boreal forest exhibit with bald eagles and arctic fox is near completion.
Zoo officials also hope interim exhibits, including a smaller scale polar bear exhibit, will engender confidence in patrons and effect additional contributions.
"We faced this same situation at Franklin Park a few years back, but as we made improvements we got contributors," Bochnowski said. "I think it will be the same with the Stone Zoo."
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