NWB PHASE 1
Nature’s Wild Backyard
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Valley Zoo Development Society
The Valley Zoo Development Society (VZDS) is a registered charity and friend of the Edmonton Valley Zoo (EVZ). The VZDS is proud to take a lead role in the EVZ’s stunning transformation into a special place that inspires love and learning of the natural world.
Impact of Your Support
Children are fascinated by the natural world, especially by animals. By providing them with a fun setting where they can learn about animals & nature, we can create life-long ambassadors for the long-term health of our planet.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATION!
NATURE’S WILD BACKYARD: PHASE 1
Status: COMPLETE!
Budget: $30-million
Opened: 2019
Nature’s Wild Backyard: Phase 1 marked the beginning of the Edmonton Valley Zoo’s bold transformation into a space where curiosity, conservation, and connection could thrive side by side. Completed in 2019, this first phase reimagined the Zoo as a living bridge between an increasingly urban society and the natural world—an interactive environment where guests of all ages could rediscover their bond with wildlife. Through projects such as the Red Panda Exhibit and VIP Courtyard, the Urban Farm, and upgrades to guest services, Phase 1 created new opportunities for meaningful encounters with animals and inspired visitors to care deeply about the planet we share.
Rooted in the belief that caring is second nature, Nature’s Wild Backyard was more than an expansion—it was a redefinition of what a modern zoo could be. By blending environmental stewardship with engaging, hands-on experiences, the project invited children and families to see the world through the eyes of its inhabitants, sparking lifelong respect for biodiversity and the delicate balance that sustains it.
RED PANDA YARD & VIP COURTYARD
The exhibit gives visitors a chance to get closer than ever to one of the Zoo’s most popular animals and important species. The holding building offers privileged views into an on-exhibit winter den while also providing generous and more private quarters for the red pandas. The building also includes intimate interior and exterior spaces for VIP receptions and educational program talks.
OUTCOMES
Guests learn about the Zoo’s participation in the Species Survival Plan, and how Edmonton is a global leader in the Red Panda breeding program.
HIGHLIGHTS
- VIP Courtyard
- Red panda platform climber
THE URBAN FARM
The Urban Farm transports guests into the world of a working farm. For the majority of urban children, a visit to our Zoo is the only time they’ll ever have an experience on a farm.
The Farm includes indoor and outdoor spaces for cows, sheep, turkeys, chickens, ponies, pigs, goats, guinea pigs, rabbits, and a barn cat. The interior of the barn features a seasonal incubator, and parallel play opportunities. Outdoors, a contact yard provides the opportunity for guests to interact with a variety of species. It also features a large garden where food is grown for our animals. The green roof of the barn is home to the Zoo’s goats.
OUTCOMES
There is a vital connection between people and food sources that is particularly important today in our increasingly urban culture. The Urban Farm works to revitalize this relationship and educate through interpretation and playful ‘touch and feel’ environments.
Visitors take away a deeper and more intimate understanding of the relationship between agriculture and humans.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Straw bale stacking
- Egg incubator
- Enrichment garden
- Model milking cow
- Food choice challenge
THANK YOU TO OUR NATURE’S WILD BACKYARD PHASE 1 DONORS
Gregg Community Enhancement Foundation/ Gregg Distributors Sunshine Fund
Alberta beef Producers
ATB Financial
CO-OP Community Spaces
The Avery Linton Legacy Foundation
City of Edmonton
Alberta Milk
Alberta Chicken Producers
Civic Service Union 52 Benevolent Society
Kinsmen Club Of Edmonton
The Malliner Charitable Foundation