The Zoological Society
The Buttonwood Park Zoological Society (BPZS) is a private, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3), nonprofit corporation organized under the laws of Massachusetts. The mission of the BPZS is to support educational programming, family events, and improvements at the Buttonwood Park Zoo.
The Buttonwood Park Zoo is owned by the City of New Bedford. In the United States, most zoos are owned by municipalities or other government entities. When this is the case, it is common for a private support organization to be formed to draw on resources in the community to provide educational programs and improvements that are beyond the financial reach of the municipality that owns and operates the zoo. Support organizations for municipal zoos developed because of the realization that the commitment of private individuals from the community is necessary for a municipal zoo to reach its full potential.
Founded in 1969, the BPZS has provided support to the Zoo in various ways. Most recently, in the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, the City of New Bedford lacked funds to make needed improvements to the Zoo and it appeared to many that the Zoo would have to be closed. The BPZS never stopped in its advocacy for the Zoo and helped rally the community to save it. As a result of these efforts, the City undertook a $10.5 million renovation of the Zoo that was completed in 2000.
Because of funding secured by the BPZS, thousands of schoolchildren each year visit the Zoo and participate in educational programming that focuses on the environment and improving educational attainment in the natural sciences. The BPZS also supports dozens of family and public events at the zoo each year, as well as conservation projects aimed at protecting local wildlife.
If you would like to learn more about the BPZS, please call (508) 991-4556 x10 or visit our Volunteer Program page.
