San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA) is expanding its mission to help all life thrive by cultivating some of its most important allies—the next generation. Opening in February 2022, the 3.2-acre Denny Sanford Wildlife Explorers Basecamp at the San Diego Zoo will be a place where guests and their families can enjoy an exciting experience that inspires empathy for all wildlife.

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is grateful for the 3,092 donors who contributed more than $87 million to Wildlife Explorers Basecamp, with foundational gifts given by Denny Sanford, Ernest and Evelyn Rady, the McKinney family, The Conrad Prebys Foundation, the Una Davis family, the Bob and Marion Wilson family, Art and Danielle Engel, the Hervey Family Fund at The San Diego Foundation, and the Zuest family.

Built on the site of the former Children’s Zoo, Wildlife Explorers Basecamp is designed to appeal to a broader audience, while maintaining its place in the hearts of young explorers. The area blends innovation and immersive technology with opportunities to check out extraordinary species—ranging from leafcutter ants and orb weaver spiders to prairie dogs and sloths—all designed to introduce the next generation to the natural world with an eye toward the future.

Wildlife Explorers Basecamp is divided into four types of habitats and features the wildlife that live in these areas— Rainforest, Wild Woods, Marsh Meadows and Desert Dunes. Included throughout the space will be breathtaking and remarkable wildlife experiences to bring audiences up close to nature as never before, interactive play opportunities, oversized species-themed sculptures and a one-of-a-kind floating, seven-foot-high stone globe representing the Earth and how we are all connected.

The common element underscoring the play and learning opportunities at Basecamp is nurturing the future caretakers of the planet. The experience uses special sensory elements to create a multifaceted engagement approach, with microscopes and touch screens, plus animation and dynamic lighting installations.