Your Toronto Zoo and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Renew Partnership to Strengthen Conservation and Environmental Stewardship
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TORONTO, ON, Tuesday, December 2, 2025: Your Toronto Zoo and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) have renewed their long-standing partnership with the signing of a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that reinforces both organizations’ shared commitment to protecting biodiversity, advancing conservation science, and engaging communities across the Greater Toronto Area.
Building on decades of collaboration, this renewed agreement formalizes a cooperative framework for joint initiatives that support conservation, ecological restoration, public education, and climate resilience. The MOU will guide the two organizations in aligning programs and exchanging expertise to advance shared priorities and deliver meaningful environmental outcomes.
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“Through our renewed partnership with the TRCA, we are strengthening our collective impact on biodiversity conservation, climate action, and community engagement,” said Dolf DeJong, CEO, Toronto Zoo. “Together, we can continue to inspire and empower people to live sustainably and protect the natural world we all depend on.”
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Key areas of collaboration outlined in the MOU include:
- Biodiversity, Greenspace & Animal Welfare: Terrestrial and aquatic habitat restoration, invasive species management, wildlife monitoring, and species recovery programs for at-risk species such as turtles and native fish.
- Public Education, Engagement & Stewardship: Joint curriculum-based programs, Indigenous knowledge integration, volunteer opportunities, and community outreach activities that promote environmental awareness and action.
- Tourism & Recreation: Enhancing visitor experiences through coordinated trail networks, signage improvements, and special events across shared properties, including Rouge National Urban Park.
- Water Resource Management: Collaboration on watershed studies, erosion control, and stormwater management projects impacting Toronto Zoo lands.
- Corporate Services & Sustainability: Joint research on climate resilience, carbon accounting, and community health initiatives, as well as TRCA support in planning, permitting, and development reviews under provincial regulations.
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Pictured from left to right: John MacKenzie - CEO of TRCA, Councillor Paul Ainslie - Chair of the Toronto Zoo Board of Management, Rick Vos - Toronto Zoo Lead Keeper Amphibians and Reptiles, and Dolf DeJong - CEO of Toronto Zoo
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The renewed MOU is non-binding and non-exclusive, allowing both organizations to continue forming additional partnerships that advance their conservation and sustainability goals. The agreement will be in effect for five years, with the option for renewal.
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The Toronto Zoo’s mission is to connect people, animals, conservation science and traditional knowledge to fight extinction and our vision is a world where people, wildlife and wild spaces thrive.
An iconic tourist attraction and Conservation organization, the Toronto Zoo boasts a number of leading programs for helping wildlife and their natural habitats – from species reintroduction to reproductive research. A world-class educational centre for people of all ages, the Toronto Zoo is open every day including December 25 and attracts approximately 1.3 million guests each year.
Toronto Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The Zoo has also achieved the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) Certificate of Good Animal Practice® and is inspected by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA).
Toronto Zoo, 361A Old Finch Ave, Toronto ON, M1B 5K7
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We acknowledge the land we are on is the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit and the Williams Treaty signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands.
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