history
Rotterdam Zoo initiated an annual evening 'out at the zoo' for children from the Sophia Children's Hospital in 1996. This first edition of the "dreamnight at the zoo" was especially for children with cancer. Onehundredseventyfive children were invited and they brought their mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. Also in the years that followed, 1997, 1998 and 1999 the Rotterdam Zoo continued to organize these evenings.... with more children each year and with more (childrens)hospitals and institutions....
The Amsterdam Zoo joint this effort in 2000 and in 2001 Ouwehands Dierenpark in Rhenen, Safaripark Beekse Bergen in Hilvarenbeek, de Apenheul in Apeldoorn en de Dierentuin van Amersfoort also organised an evening for chronically ill and disabled children.
The event has not only grown in the number of zoos organizing the event, but also within the individual zoos. Rotterdam started with one hospital in 1996, in 2001 they welcomed children from 13 hospitals and institutions.
In 2002 also the Noorden Dierenpark in Emmen, Dolfinarium Harderwijk, Burgers Zoo in Arnhem en Avifauna in Alphen aan den Rijn joined the initiative. The Antwerp Zoo (B) and the Aalborg Zoo (DK) were the first partners outside the Netherlands.
In 2003 the project expanded even more: two Frech Zoos decided to join us: Parc Zoologique de Lille and Zoo de Pont-Scorff and two Canadian Zoos: Magnetic Hill Zoo and the Vancouver Aquarium.....
In 2004 we welcomed a lot of new partners: Zodiac Zoos in Holland decided to join the project with two zoos: Zoo Parc Overloon and Dierenpark Wissel. In the United Kingdom we got three new partners: Colchester Zoo, Chester Zoo and Marwell Zoological Park. In Greece Attica Zoological Park decided to join the project, just as Decin Zoo in the Czech Republic. In the United States of America Roger Williams Park Zoo, Blank Park Zoo and Chattanooga Zoo decided to join us and in Canada the Jungle Cat World Wildlife Park. Fundacion Zoologica de Cali was our first partner zoo in Colombia, followed by the Parque Recreativo y Zoologico Piscilago - Colsubsidio. Wellinton Zoo is our first partner in New Zealand. In France we got eight new partner zoos: Parc Zoologique de Fréjus, Zoo de La Flèche, Zoo de Jurques, Zoo d' Amiens, Parc Animalier de Sainte Croix, Zoo de Doué la Fontaine, Terrarium de Kerdanet and Aliotis, l'Aquarium de Sologne. Budapest Zoo and Jásberény Zoo are our first partners in Hungary and Kolmården Zoo in Sweden. The Aachener Tierpark is our first partner in Germany.
Dreamnight Division (non-zoos): Attractionpark Neeltje Jans in Holland and Freme Marcel Dhenin in France
Also in 2005 the number of Dreamnight at the Zoo partners increases: Oklahoma City Zoo, Sacramento Zoo, Glen Oak Zoo, Houston Zoo, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Abilene Zoo, Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, Dickerson Park Zoo, Franklin Park Zoo, Sequoia Park Zoo, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and Santa Ana Zoo in the U.S.A. decide to join our project, just like Poznan Zoo, Plock Zoo, Warsaw Zoo, Zoo Opole, Krakow Zoo, Zoological Garden of Polish Fauna, Gdansk Oliwa Zoo and Zoobotanical Garden of Torun in Poland. In the Netherlands Aqua Zoo Friesland, Sealife Scheveningen and Dierenrijk Europa become our partners. Aguaviva Acuario y Museo del Mar is a new partner in Colombia, in England Newquay Zoo, Belfast Zoological Gardens and South Lakes Wild Animal Park decide to join us and now we also have partners in South-Africa: Johannesburg Zoo, in Australia: Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, in Ireland: Dublin Zoo, in the Czech Republic: Brno Zoo, in Japan: Yokohama Zoological Gardens, in Mexico: Africam Safari, in Taiwan: Taipei Zoo, in Scotland: Galloway Wildlife Conservation Park and Edinburgh Zoo, in Spain: Fuengirola Zoo, in Hungary: Kittenberger Zoo and in Germany: Vivarium Darmstadt.
New Partners in 2006: in the Netherlands: Gaia Park Kerkrade, in the United States of America: Akron Zoo (Ohio), Salisbury Zoo (Maryland), Topeka Zoological Park (Kansas), Arizona Sonora Desert Museum (Arizona) Memphis Zoo (Tennessee), Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure (Kansas) and Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium (Pennsylvania), in Australia: Pet Porpoise Pool, Cleland Wildlife Park and Maru Koala and Fauna Park, in Spain: Los Palmitos Park (Gran Canaria), Mundomar, Parque de la Naturaleza de Cabárceno y Museo Marítimo del Cantábrico, Zoo Aquarium de Madrid and Jerez Zoo, in Germany: All Wetterzoo Münster, in Switzerland: Zoo Zürich, in Portugal: Park & Zoo S.Inácio in Luxemburg: Parc Merveilleux, in the Czech Republic: Zoo Ústí nad Labem, Zoo Praha and Zoo Ostrava, in Denmark: Ebeltoft Zoo & Safari, in France: Parc Zoologique de Cleres and in Israel: Zoological Center Tel Aviv - Ramat Gan.
Dreamnight Division (non-zoos): Circus Herman Renz in Holland, Remabi Park in Australia and Silent Dreams in India
New Partners in 2007: in the United States of America: BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo, the Greenville Zoo, Utah's Hogle Zoo, Fresno Chaffee Zoo and Stone Zoo (Zoo New England), in Germany: Naturzoo Rheine, Zoo Frankfurt, Garten der Schmetterlinge Schloss Sayn, Zoo Neuwied, Tierpark Chemnitz and Zoo Landau in der Pfalz, in Spain: Barcelona Zoo and Rio Safari Elche, in Switzerland: Abenteuerland Walter Zoo and in the Netherlands: Vlindertuin Berkenhof and Kasteepark Born, in Bangladesh: Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh, in Belgium: the Olmense Zoo, in France: Zoo de la Boissière du Doré, Safari de Peaugres and Parc Zoologique Fort Mardyck, in Japan: Kanazawa Zoological Gardens of Yokohama and Noichi Zoological Park, in Poland: Zoo Wroclaw, in the Czech Republic: Zoological Garden Hodonin and Zoopark Chomutov, in Colombia: Jaime Duque Zoo and in Hungary: Miskolc Zoo.
Dreamnight Division (non-zoos): in the United States of America: The Grace Museum.
New Partners in 2008: in Germany: Zoonimal Wild Encounters, Tierpark Gera, Thüringer Zoopark Erfurt and Zoo Heidelberg, in Spain: La Reserva del Castillo de Las Guardas and Aqualeon, in the United States of America: Zoological Park Bear Country U.S.A., Knoxville Zoo, Chehaw Wild Animal Park, Henson Robinson Zoo, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, Rosamond Gifford Zoo, The Living Desert, Denver Zoo and Milwaukee County Zoo, in Belgium: Aquatopia, in Austria: Tierwelt Herberstein, in France: Parc Zoologique de Thoiry, ZooParc de Beauval and Le PAL, in Denmark: Naestved Zoo, in Great Brittain: Howletts Wild Animal Park, Blackpool Zoo and The Hawk Conservancy Trust, in Canada: Edmonton Valley Zoo, in Japan: Akiyosidai Safariland Zoo and Nogeyama Zoological Gardens of Yokohama, in Scotland: Blair Drummond Safari & Adventure Park and Camperdown Wildlife Centre, in Croatia: Zoo Zagreb, in Poland: Zoo Zamość (im Stefana Milera), in the Philippins: Botolan Wildlife Farm, in Switzerland: Kamelhof Olmerswil, in Costa Rica: The Butterfly Farm, in Ecuador: Zoologico Amaru and in Mexico: Chapultepec Zoo
Dreamnight Division (non-zoos): in Germany: Schulbiologiezentrum Hannover and Kulturinsel Einsiedel.
New Partners in 2009: in Italy: Giardino Zoologico di Pistoia, in Germany: Aquazoo Düsseldorf, Wilhelma Zoo and Zoo Dresden, in Switzerland: Johns Kleine Farm, in France: Zoo de la Barben and Nausicaa, in Poland: Silesian Zoological Garden Chorzow, in Portugal: Zoo de Lourosa, in China: Shanghai Zoo, in Japan: Kumamoto Zoological Gardens and Ikeda Zoo, in Spain: l'Aquarium de Barcelona and in Australia: Symbio Wildlife Park, Taronga Zoo and Taronga Western Plains Zoo and in the United States of America: Jackson Zoological Park.
In our Dreamnight Division (non-zoos): in The Netherlands: Walibi World, Ecodrome, restaurant De Mafkethel and Themerestaurant De Heksenkethel and in Belgium: Familypark Harry Malter
Over 80.000 families visited the "dreamnight at the zoo" in 2009 (this means some 320.000 visitors) !!!
New Partners in 2010:
In our Dreamnight Division (non-zoos): in The Netherlands: Stichting AGO Zwembad and Theater De Meerpaal and in the United States of America: The Conservators' Center.
New Dreamnight at the Zoo partners: in Switzerland: Papiliorama and Zoo Basel, in Spain: L'Oceanografic and Parque Zoologico Natura Parc, in Germany: Tierpark Hebelei, in New-Zealand: EcoWorld Aquarium, in Japan: Chausuyama Zoo, Hiroshima City Asa Zoological Park and Chiba Zoological Park, in the United States of America: Turtle Back Zoo and in Hungary: Szeged Zoo
Do YOU want to become a partner zoo in this wonderful project ?
Please contact the Dreamnight at the Zoo Foundation
Anna Griesepad 15
3191 XD Rotterdam, the Netherlands
or sent us an email: info@dreamnightatthezoo.nl