Since hosting its press conference in early 2021, the North Alabama Zoological Society’s (NALZS) announcement of bringing a zoo and an aquarium to the Rocket City has been met with excitement and enthusiasm.

It’s no secret that building a world-class zoo doesn’t happen overnight. Despite the consensus of the community wanting a zoo, there is also the perception that everything is already being taken care of, the zoo will magically appear, and the community just needs to wait for that zoo to be built.

Research Site Unfortunately, things don’t work that way. One of the major hurdles is financial. NALZS needs to come up with the funds to purchase the land slated for the zoo and its ancillary operations. NALZS has been devoted to securing funding for both properties by working with business leaders, securing grants, and through its grassroots efforts. Although NALZS has received official endorsements, the cities, counties, and state are currently not assisting with the land purchases.

What’s more, the press conference put NALZS and its selected properties on the radar. This soon became a “good thing, bad thing” scenario. The announcement of NALZ’s intent to purchase two properties north of Martin Line Road and adjacent to I-65, south of Tanner piqued the interest of developers.

The properties on Limestone Creek are filled old growth trees, natural springs, and nature trails. They are also near Madison and the new industry that is popping up, a location that is ideal for a residential community.

Although the owner has been very supportive of its mission, NALZS is faced with a sense of urgency to purchase the land as the pressure mounts for the owner to sell the property to developers.

Despite the inevitable setbacks, NALZS is not losing sight of its goal of bringing a modern zoo to North Alabama. Over time, a zoo would generate much needed revenue for North Alabama. An economic impact report from UAH shows that once the park is built, it is estimated to generate more than $100 million for the local economy with a quarter of a million visitors a year.

As for the location of the primary zoo site, the developer that NALZS is purchasing the site from is very committed to having the zoo and aquarium at that location. However, the property still needs to be purchased. The two properties selected cost roughly $11 million combined.

On the immediate side of things, NALZS needs to raise $4 million dollars. To this end, NALZS recently rolled out its “Claim Your Spot” fundraising campaign. “Claim Your Spot” invites people to claim squares on the original zoo map. Once the zoo opens, the selected squares will feature the names of people and companies who helped make this project a reality. These squares will be permanently displayed at the zoo’s front entrance.

Funds generated from the Claim Your Spot Campaign will directly support purchasing the zoo and aquarium properties. The map will remain on the NALZS website until opening day.

Once on the NALZS website, simply click the property you are interested in. From there, determine the coordinates and fill out the form linked on the website. Although there are several giving levels available, the giving level for acquiring a tribute square is $1,500.

Claim YOUR Spot by going to: https://www.nalzs.org/claimyourspot