[Press Conference: "Houston Zoo Galapagos Islands Exhibit"]
[00:00:24]
A DAY WE HAVE HERE.THIS IS, UH, A FANTASTIC, UH, MOMENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE HOUSTON ZOO, AND WE ARE SO HONORED, UH, THAT MANY OF YOU COULD JOIN US TODAY TO CELEBRATE THE OPENING OF OUR GALAPAGOS ISLANDS.
THIS IS A PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING, AND IT'S SO FUN TO HAVE ALL OF YOU, UH, HERE TO EX, UH, EXPERIENCE IT WITH US.
UM, I DO WANT TO THANK, UH, THE FOLKS WHO ARE UP HERE, UM, WITH ME ON I ON OUR ISLAND.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE BEEN IN THE EXHIBIT, SO THIS IS ACTUALLY PRETTY EXCITING FOR ALL OF US.
SO, BUT MAYOR TURNER, UH, JUDGE HILDALGO, UM, AND ALBA, EA DE BARBOZA, THE, UH, UM, GENERAL COUNSEL NO, OF ECUADOR OF HOUSTON.
SO, UH, REMARKABLE DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE HERE TO CELEBRATE WITH US TODAY.
SO THIS HAS BEEN A PRODUCT OF ABOUT SIX YEARS OF PLANNING DESIGN, THREE YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION, AND WE ARE SO EXCITED TO SHOW HOW WE DO EXHIBITS HERE AT THE ZOO THAT CONNECT VERY DIRECTLY TO THE CONSERVATION OF ANIMALS IN NATURE, AND ESPECIALLY IN THIS CASE, THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS.
UM, WE ARE, UH, VERY PLEASED TO BE JOINED BY, UH, FOLKS ACTUALLY FROM THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS.
RAHAN ZAI, UM, WE'RE IS FROM THE CHARLES DARWIN FOUNDATION.
THE CEO AND HIS TEAM ARE ALL HERE.
THEY CAME IN ESPECIALLY FOR THIS, UH, OPENING, AND THEY'RE DOING MARVELOUS CONSERVATION WORK IN THE GALAPAGOS THAT THE HOUSTON ZOO HAS SUPPORTED FOR, FOR MANY YEARS.
UH, THE HOUSTON ZOO HAS SUPPORTED CONSERVATION WORK, UH, REALLY, UH, AROUND THE WORLD, BUT PARTICULARLY IN THE GALAPAGOS WITH OUR HEAD VET, DR.
JOE FLANAGAN, WHO'S BEEN WORKING WITH TORTOISES AND IGUANAS, UH, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS THERE.
AND WE'VE EXPANDED THAT AS WE'VE BEEN PLANNING THIS EXHIBIT TO INCLUDE COMMUNITY OUTREACH, UH, IN THE GALAPAGOS.
WE HAVE A TEEN PROGRAM HERE IN HOUSTON WHO WILL ACTUALLY VISIT THE GALAPAGOS ISLAND.
SO IT'S VERY MUCH A, A COLLABORATION AND A PARTNERSHIP.
UM, THERE'S REALLY, AND THERE'S REALLY NO PLACE ON EARTH THAT BETTER EXEMPLIFIES THE WONDERS OF NATURE, UM, AND THE CONSERVATION CHALLENGES FACING OUR, OUR, UH, WORLD THAN THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, WHICH IS WHY WE CHOSE THIS AS A, A MAJOR FEATURE, UM, OF OUR EXHIBIT.
THIS IS LITERALLY THE FIRST THING YOU'RE GONNA SEE WHEN YOU COME INTO THE HOUSTON ZOO.
THERE'S OUR FRONT DOOR, AND YOU PEOPLE ARE COMING IN AND EXPERIENCING THE GALAPAGOS AS WE SPEAK.
UM, SO MANY STORIES TO TELL, BUT I THINK WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE COUNCIL FROM ECUADOR.
UM, MANY OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS ARE PART OF ECUADOR, AND, UH, WE HAD A CHANCE TO VISIT A FEW WEEKS AGO AND TOUR HER THROUGH, AND SHE SAID, THAT FEELS JUST LIKE HOME.
SO, UH, PLEASE, YOUR, YOUR, UH, REMARKS ARE WELCOMED.
MORNING JUDGE ALGO, UH, MAYOR SILVESTER TURNER, MR. LEE MKE, UH, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE, THE ZU SPECIAL GUESTS, REPRESENTATIVES OF ECUADORIAN COMMUNITY IN HOUSTON, MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT IS AN HONOR FOR ME AS AN ECUADORIAN AND AS CONSUL GENERAL OF ECUADORIAN HOUSTON TO BE HERE TODAY WITH MAYOR TURNER, WITH JUDGE ALGO, AND, UH, WITH MR. MR. MKE, A VERY, A VERY SPECIAL DAY FOR MY COUNTRY, ECUADOR, BECAUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE WORLD, THE GALA LEPA WAS ISLANDS HAVE AN EXHIBITION SPACE.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS IN THE ZOO OF THE GRAY Z OF HOUSTON.
THANKS TO THE EFFORT OF EACH PRESIDENT, EACH TEAM VOLUNTEERS AND PARTNERS THAT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONSTRUCT THIS BEAUTIFUL REPLICA OF OUR ISLANDS, WHICH INAUGURATE TO DATE, TO THE LIVES OF ALL LOVERS OF NATURE, AND EACH PRESERVATION.
THIS EXHIBITION CONSTITUTE TRIBUTES TO THE SCIENCE, RESEARCH, PROTECTION, AND CONSERVATION OF THE FAUNA OF THE GALAPAGOS ISLAND
[00:05:01]
DECLARED A NATURAL WORLD, A ATTACHED SITE IN 1976.THANK YOU, MR. MKE, FOR MAKING THIS GREAT PROJECT A REALITY WHICH WILL ALLOW HOUSTONIANS AND ALL VISITORS OF THE ZOO VIEW A SAMPLE OF WHAT THE GALAPAGOS ARE AND EACH WILDLIFE.
THANK YOU FOR THE WORK DONE SINCE 2013 IN SUPPORT OF THE MARINE CONSERVATION PROGRAMS AND THE GALAPAGOS TO PROTECT THE SPECIES OF ITS WILDLIFE COUNTERPARTS ON THIS, IN THIS EXHIBITION, AND FOR A TRAINING AND SUPPORT CORTE GALAS CONSERVATION ACTION.
AS WE KNOW, THE SEA LIONS, THE SEA TURTLES AND PENGUINS IN THE GALAS ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO INGEST PLASTIC CONTAMINATION BECOME ENTANGLES IN OCEAN DEBRIS, INCLUDING ACTIVE AND ABANDONED FISHING TACKLE AND PLASTIC WASTE.
THIS ALLOWED ME TO MENTION THAT ECUADOR COINCIDING, WHEN THE MISSION AND VISION OF THE ZOO IS A COUNTRY COMMITTED TO THE CONSERVATION AND PRESERVATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND BIODIVERSITY, AND WORKED VERY HARD ON IT.
AS OF DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR, AND UNTIL ITS FINALIZATION, THE BY MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF ECUADOR AMBASSADOR LUIS BIAS WILL PRESIDE THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL NEGOTIATION COMMITTEE ON CONTAMINATION FROM PLASTICS, WHICH SEEKS TO COMPLIED WITH THE RESOLUTION FROM THE UNITED NATION ASSEMBLY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT IN MARCH, 2022 TO ENDS PLASTIC CONTAMINATION.
THE ECUADORIAN GOVERNMENT HAS ANNOUNCED THE INTENTION OF ECUADOR TO ADHERE TO THE DIPLOMATIC CONFERENCE AND SIGNED THIS AGREEMENT ON PLA ON PLASTIC CONTAMINATION SCHEDULE FOR THE BEGINNING OF 2025, AND HAS COMMUNICATE THAT THE SENIOR TOUR OF THIS AGREEMENT IS TO TAKE PLACE IN THE GALAPAGOS ISLAND, THE ECUADORIAN ARCHIPELAGO, WHICH IS ONE OF THE WORLD EMBLEMS OF CONSERVATION AND ONE OF THE LARGEST PRO PROTECTED MARINE RESERVES IN THE PLANET.
THE ZOO CAN ALREADY COUNT WITH THE VISA MINISTER FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF ECUADOR TO HOLD A SCIENTIFIC EVENT OR SHARE EXPERIENCES ABOUT THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE.
TO CONCLUDE, IT IS OUR HOPE THAT THIS EXHIBITION SURPASSES THE TWO MILLIONS OF VISITORS AND CONVERT THE ZOOM IN THE MOST BUSY IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT OF ECUADOR, THE CONSULATE AND THE ECUADORIAN COMMUNITY SIDING IN HOUSTON, I SALUTE THE ZOO ON ITS 101 YEAR OF EACH OPENING.
AND I PRESENT THIS TESTIMONY OF OUR GRATITUDES, ALONG WITH TWO BEAUTIFUL FLORAL ARRANGEMENT OF ECUADORIAN FLOWERS.
UH, TWO, THE JUDGE ALGO AND, UM, MAYOR TURNER.
AND FINALLY, TO INVITE ALL OF YOU TO VISIT MY COUNTRY, ECUADOR, AND OF COURSE, OUR GALA ISLAND.
THE CONSULATE OF ECUADOR IN HOUSTON, RECOGNITION HOUSTON ZOO GPA WAS ISLAND EXHIBITION.
THE HOUSTON ZOO IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE FRIENDSHIP THAT UNITES ECUADOR AND HOUSTON ON THIS OCCASION REFLECTED IN THIS GREAT PROJECT THAT OPENS TODAY THE EXHIBITION ON THE GALA ISLAND TREASURE OF ECUADOR, WHERE THE BRITISH SCIENTIST, CHARLES DARWIN, DEVELOPED HIS THEORY OF EVOLUTION.
AND DUE TO THEIR NATURAL WEALTH, THEY WERE DECLARED A NATURAL WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN 1976, A UNCO BIOPIC RESERVE IN 1984, AND A RANSOM SITE IN 2001.
THIS GREAT EXHIBITION THAT TAKE PLACE PRECISELY IN THE MONTH
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IN WHICH THE ZOO CELEBRATES 101 YEARS OF ITS OPENING BACK IN APRIL OF 1922 FOR THE RESTRAINTS, THE RELATION WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND ADDING ON THE INITIATIVES AND COOPERATION GIVEN IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE CSAR CITY ASSOCIATION AGREEMENTS BETWEENSIGNING APPROXIMATELY 40 YEARS AGO, THE CONSULATE OF ECUADOR IN HOUSTON, ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT OF ECUADOR, WISHES TO BEQUE ITS APPRECIATION TO THE HOUSTON ZOO.
ITS TEAM, VOLUNTEERS AND PARTNERS ON THE GREAT EFFORT TO MAKE, TO BENEFIT TO RESEARCH PRESERVATION AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE HONA OF THE GALAGOS ISLAND, WHICH INVITES EVERYONE TO JOIN IN ITS CARE AS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE CONSERVATION OF THE PLANETS AND SALUTES IN ITS 101 YEAR OF EXISTENCE.
WISHING IT THE GREAT SUCCESS IN ITS SCIENTIFIC, VIRTUAL AND NATURAL MISSION DATED APRIL 6TH, 2023, ALBA COOSA CONSUL GENERAL OF ECUADOR.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UM, MS. ELA, THAT IS, UH, A STUNNING AND WONDERFUL TRIBUTE, THE THE INTERNATIONAL SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT AND THE FACT THAT, UH, WE'RE HERE TODAY TO CELEBRATE IT TOGETHER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THOSE REMARKS, AND OBVIOUSLY THE FLOWERS ARE LOVELY AS WELL.
AND, UM, I'D LOVE TO HEAR A FEW REMARKS ABOUT WHAT YOU, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD ABOUT THE CONSERVATION PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
THE REMARKS ABOUT PLASTIC, WE'RE RIGHT ON POINT WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THE EXHIBIT.
THE ISSUE OF PLASTIC WASTE IN THE OCEAN HAS BECOME, UM, A GLOBAL PROBLEM.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE MANY THINGS THAT WE'RE HOPING TO INSTILL IN OUR GUESTS WHEN THEY COME TO THE ZOO, IS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROBLEM AND WHAT THEY CAN DO TO PROTECT IT.
SO, I KNOW YOU WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR CONSERVATION MISSION AND CONNECTION TO THE CITY, SO IT'S AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU HERE AND WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR REMARKS AS WELL.
IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO BE WITH YOU AND EVERYBODY HERE, AND I KNOW WE HAVE SOME FOLKS THERE.
IT'S SO WONDERFUL TO SEE ALL OF YOU HERE AND, AND EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTS THE ZOO.
THAT IS HOW ALL OF THIS IS POSSIBLE, AND THE CONSERVATION EFFORTS THAT, THAT THE ZOO UNDERTAKES.
THEY'RE POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF BENEFACTORS, AND THEY'RE POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF EACH AND EVERY PERSON THAT VISITS THE ZOO THAT SUPPORTS THIS INCREDIBLE MISSION.
I THINK WE'RE A COMMUNITY OF ANIMAL LOVERS, AND THAT IS WHAT THIS PLACE IS ABOUT.
AND, AND WHY I'M SO PROUD TO STAND WITH YOU TODAY.
I WISH I'D VISITED, UH, THE GALAPAGOS.
I KNOW WE HAVE SOME FOLKS FROM THERE.
BUT WHAT WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT IS, IS THIS TRULY IS A REPRESENTATION OF THE GALAPAGOS, IS THE ONLY EXHIBIT OUTSIDE NUMBER TWO GALAPAGOS IN THE WORLD.
THE ONLY THING CLOSER TO IT IS THE REAL THING.
AND THAT'S WHY IT'S A HUGE DEAL THAT WE'RE HERE THIS MORNING.
IT TRULY FEELS, UH, LIKE A SPECIAL PLACE, AND WE CAN'T WAIT TILL WE SEE THE ANIMALS COME OUT.
SO THEY'RE REALLY THE SEA LIONS, THESE INCREDIBLE CREATURES IN SOME WAYS.
THEY'RE AMBASSADORS FOR THE BEAUTIFUL PLACE, THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS.
THEY'RE AMBASSADORS FOR THE ANIMALS AROUND THE WORLD THAT DO REQUIRE OUR PROTECTION AND REQUIRE OUR RESPECT.
AND AS WE COME AND ADMIRE THEM, AND WE ADMIRE THE BEAUTY OF THIS EXHIBIT AND THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS.
I KNOW MR. PRESIDENT, YOU YOURSELF, HAVE VISITED SEVERAL TIMES.
WE'VE GOT FOLKS, UM, HERE PERSONALLY DOING RESEARCH AND SUPPORTING RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION EFFORTS IN THE GALAPAGOS.
LET US REMEMBER ALSO THAT WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THESE CREATURES.
UH, WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT HOW THE CURRENTS, UH, THAT END UP LANDING IN THE GALAPAGOS, THEY TRANSPORT PLASTICS.
THEY TRANSPORT TRASH EVERY TIME ANY OF US DISPOSES OF MATERIALS OUTSIDE OF WHERE THEY SHOULD BE.
ALL OF THIS ULTIMATELY CAN END UP BEING TRANSPORTED BY THE CURRENTS TO THE HABITATS OF THESE INCREDIBLE ANIMALS THAT WE'RE HERE TO ADMIRE.
AND SO, LET'S LET THIS BE AN INVITATION TO OUR ZOO TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING THIS EXHIBIT, TO SEE THESE ANIMALS TO SUPPORT, UH, CONSERVATION, BUT ALSO A CALL TO ACTION, TO TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR PLANET, TO TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY, TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE CREATURES CONTINUE TO EXIST OUTSIDE OF THE ZOO IN THEIR NATURAL HABITATS.
[00:15:01]
I WANT TO THANK, UM, YOU ALL FOR THE EFFORT.I WANT TO THANK AGAIN EVERYONE WHO, WHO WILL VISIT, WHO SUPPORTS THE ZOO.
AND, UM, AND I I WANT TO SAY WHAT AN HONOR AND WHAT A JOY IT IS TO PARTICIPATE IN SUCH A POSITIVE, POSITIVE DAY.
AND, AND, AND FOR THOSE THAT SAY, MR. MAYOR, THAT THEY, THEY DON'T LIKE OUR CITY THAT CHALLENGED THEM TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS, UM, BECAUSE IT IS TRULY SOMETHING TO ADMIRE.
WHAT A TREASURE THAT WE HAVE HERE.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS CENTENNIAL AND THIS INCREDIBLE EXHIBIT AND EVERYTHING THAT IT REPRESENTS.
LET ME REPEAT MY REMARKS BRIEFLY IN SPANISH.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, JUDGE.
UH, WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL REMARKS.
SO I WAS JUST, WE ALL GET GOOGLE NEWS OR GOOGLE PHOTO ALERTS, RIGHT? FIVE YEARS AGO TODAY, WHERE WERE YOU YESTERDAY? I GOT THE FIVE YEARS AGO WE WERE WITH MAYOR TURNER IN THE REFLECTION POOL HERE AT THE ZOO ANNOUNCING OUR CAPITAL CAMPAIGN, OUR $150 MILLION EFFORT TO REBUILD THE ZOO AND CREATE A WORLD-CLASS ZOO FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND, UH, THE MAYOR WAS THERE, UM, GAVE AMAZING, UH, REMARKS AS HE ALWAYS DOES.
AND, UM, LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH IN FIVE YEARS.
WE'VE OPENED MAJOR NEW EXHIBITS, UH, THE TEXAS WETLANDS, UH, THE TONAL SOUTH AMERICA'S AL, AND NOW KIND OF THE CROWN JEWEL, THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS.
SO IT'S WONDERFUL THAT FIVE YEARS AND ONE DAY AFTER THAT, UH, MARVELOUS, UH, MOMENT.
WE HAVE MAYOR TURNER HERE WITH US AGAIN TO, UM, CELEBRATE WITH US.
SO MAYOR, PLEASE, THANK YOU, LEE.
AND JUDGE, I PROMISE YOU BE, BEFORE I LEAVE OFFICE, I'M GONNA BE TALKING SPANISH JUST LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW,
UM, BUT LOOK, LEMME JUST SAY NUMBER ONE, IT'S HONOR TO BE WITH, UH, THE COUNTY JUDGE LE D**O.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, TO THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF ECUADOR.
IT'S JUST AN HONOR TO BE STANDING WITH YOU.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE THIRD LARGEST CONS OF CORPS IN THE UNITED STATES, ECUADOR AS ONE OF THEM.
AND I WANNA THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR THE FLORAL ARRANGEMENT.
UH, LEE, UH, YOU HAVE SIMPLY BEEN INCREDIBLE.
UM, YOU'VE OFFERED INCREDIBLE LEADERSHIP.
UM, THIS ZOO HAS BEEN LITERALLY TRANSFORMED UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP.
LOOK, UH, THIS MORNING, I, I DIDN'T COME ALONG.
UH, THE MAYOR PRO TIM IS HERE.
DAVE MARTIN IS PRE, IS PRESENT.
THE COUNCIL MEMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBER, GEE, COUNCILMAN NAN HUFFMAN IS ALSO PRESENT.
AND THEN, UH, OF COURSE, LEMME THANK ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE AS WELL.
UH, BELIEVE, I MEAN, YOU ARE RIGHT, FIVE, FIVE YEARS AGO, UH, AT THE ANNOUNCEMENT.
AND THEN FIVE YEARS LATER, LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE.
AND, UH, I DON'T WANT THAT TO PASS SO QUICKLY BECAUSE WITHIN THAT FIVE YEARS, WE HAVE FACED A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES IN OUR REGION.
[00:20:01]
AND WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT COVID THAT REALLY OCCUPIED ABOUT TWO YEARS OF THOSE FIVE YEARS, UH, THE FACT, UH, THAT THIS EXHIBIT WAS ABLE TO GET DONE UNDER THOSE CHALLENGES SPEAKS TO THE LEADERSHIP AND ALL OF THOSE WHO PARTNERED WITH IT TO THE CONTRACTORS AND OTHERS.AND SO, I, I CAN'T WAIT TO, UH, TO SEE IT, EXPERIENCE IT, EXPERIENCE IT ALL, UH, FOR THOSE OF US WHO GREW UP IN THIS CITY AND, UM, CAME TO, TO THE ZOO YEARS, YOU KNOW, AGO, MUCH, MUCH YOUNGER.
UM, LEMME JUST SAY, UM, UH, THAT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE THEN.
UH, BUT WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE, UH, AT, AT THIS ZOO NOW IS SO MUCH MORE, UH, THIS ZOO HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED.
IT WAS ALREADY A VERY NICE PLACE, UM, AND WAS A ENJOYABLE PLACE FOR FAMILIES AND CHILDREN.
UH, BUT, BUT WE'VE, YOU'VE ADDED SO MUCH MORE, UM, FOR THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS NOW TO BE, UH, OPENING THIS EXHIBIT.
UH, AND I WANT TO REPEAT WHAT JUDGE O D**O SAID, UH, THE ONLY ONE OUTSIDE OF ECUADOR, UH, ANY PLACE IN THE WORLD, UH, YOU WON'T FIND THE GALA, UH, GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, UH, IN CONNECTICUT.
UM,
BUT, AND YOU WON'T FIND THEM IN ANY OTHER CITY OUTSIDE OF ECUADOR.
YOU WILL FIND THE GALA GALAPAGOS ISLANDS RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, I CAN'T WAIT TO, UH, EXPERIENCE BEING SUBMERGED UNDERWATER TO EXPERIENCE, UH, THAT IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE.
UH, WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SEA LIONS AND TURTLES AND OTHERS, UM, I CAN'T WAIT FOR FAMILIES AND CHILDREN TO EXPERIENCE THAT.
I WANT TO, I WANT TO THANK, UH, UH, LEE AND THE ZOO FOR THEIR PARTNERSHIP WITH ECUADOR, BUT I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP WITH 16 COUNTRIES.
UM, AND IT IS AN EXCELLENT WAY TO CONNECT, UH, THIS CITY, UH, TO COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD.
WE OFTEN SAY WE ARE THE MOST DIVERSE CITY, AND WE OFTEN SAY THAT YOU CAN COME TO HOUSTON AND LITERALLY ON ANY GIVEN DAY, YOU CAN TRAVEL THE WORLD.
THIS IS AN EXHIBIT THAT YOU MAY NOT GET TO ECUADOR SOON.
YOU MAY NOT HAVE, UH, YOU MAY NEVER HAVE GONE, UH, BUT WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THIS EXHIBIT, UH, YOU LITERALLY CAN SAY THAT YOU'VE EXPERIENCED SOME OF THE BEAUTY THAT EXISTS WITHIN ECUADOR RIGHT HERE WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO, THEAS ISLANDS DEMONSTRATE AGAIN, THAT WE ARE A GLOBAL INTERNATIONAL CITY, AND EVERY SINGLE DAY WE ARE WORKING TO BUILD PARTNERSHIPS, UH, WITH OTHERS, UH, IN OUR CITY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, OUTSIDE OF OUR COUNTRY AS WELL.
I WANT, AGAIN, THANK, UM, THE COUNCIL GENERAL AND ECUADOR FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, UH, THE CONSERVATION EFFORTS THAT YOU ALL HAVE MADE, UH, LEAD PARTNERING WITH ECUADOR AND STRENGTHENING THOSE CONSERVATION EFFORTS.
RIGHT HERE AT THIS ZOO, WE HAVE 6,000 OF OUR FAMILY FRIENDS.
UH, THEY'RE ANIMALS THAT REPRESENT PROBABLY EVERY PLACE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, BUT THEY'RE RIGHT HERE AT THE HOUSTON ZOO.
UM, AND SO, UH, LEMME JUST TELL YOU, UH, THE ZOO EPITOMIZES HOUSTON.
ITS RESILIENCE AND ITS TRANSFORMATION A HUNDRED PLUS YEARS.
WE DON'T REST ON WHAT USED TO BE.
WE'RE ALWAYS SEEKING TO EXPAND, TO TRANSFORM, TO GET EVEN BETTER.
I'M EXCITED FOR ALL OF THESE KIDS AND FAMILIES AND THE 2 MILLION PEOPLE THAT COME THROUGH THE, THE HOUSTON, UH, ZOO.
AND SO, LASTLY, LEMME JUST SAY THIS, UH, IN TERMS OF ATTENDANCE, WE ARE THE SECOND IN THE COUNTRY BEHIND THE SAN SAN DIEGO.
UH, WE ARE NUMBER TWO, UH, BUT WITH THIS GALAPAGOS ISLANDS.
AND NOW I BELIEVE THAT THE ATTENDANCE AT THE HOUSTON ZOO WILL ONLY GROW AND GROW AND GROW.
UH, SO, UM, AND THEN LASTLY, IF I CAN JUST SAY THIS, IT STARTED FIVE YEARS AGO.
OH, I GOT TO THANK KATHY MCGOVERN.
SHE'S NOT HERE, BUT ALL OF THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE $150 MILLION CAPITAL CAMPAIGN, LET ME THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
JOE, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR EVERYONE THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE $150 MILLION CAMPAIGN.
AND NOW, YOU KNOW, CAN'T WAIT TO SEE IT.
BUT MY QUESTION IS, WHAT'S NEXT? UH, YOU KNOW, CAN'T SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S NEXT, BUT FIVE YEARS AGO IT STARTED.
[00:25:01]
THREE YEARS UNDER CONSTRUCTION IS NOW AS OF TOMORROW, WE'LL BE OPENING, WE'LL BE OPENING UP.AND IF I COULD, JUST ON A PERSONAL NOTE, IF I COULD JUST SAY, THIS IS, THIS IS MY LAST YEAR, YOU KNOW, IT IS HAPPENING, STARTED AND OPENING UNDER MY, UNDER MY TERM
AND NOW IF YOU, IF YOU WILL, THIS WATER, SO INVITING, I THINK I'M GONNA CULMINATE MY REMARKS BY JUMPING INTO THIS WATER.
YOU KNOW, I VOTE THIS BLUE SUIT TO JUMP IT TO THIS WATER.
THE DETAIL IS SHAKING THEIR HEAD.
IT SAY,
AND THEN I'M GONNA SEND THE, I'M GONNA SEND THE PICTURE TO THE GOVERNOR, CONNECTICUT, YOU KNOW,
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
IF IT WAS A LITTLE WARMER, I BET YOU'D BE IN.
SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO, UH, NOW I, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE ZOO AND OUR 6,000 RESIDENTS, OUR ANIMALS HERE, AND YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO SEE ANY YET, BUT WE'RE ABOUT TO DO THAT RIGHT NOW.
I THINK WE'RE ALL GONNA DEPART THE STAGE BECAUSE, UM, THIS IS REALLY THEIR HOME.
SOME OF OUR SEA LIONS ARE GONNA BE JOINING US, UH, HERE SHORTLY.
AND CRYSTAL WEBER, OUR SEA LION, UH, EX SUPERVISOR EXTRAORDINAIRE, WHO'S BEEN WORKING WITH OUR, UH, OUR, OUR OG SEA LIONS, THE ONES WHO ARE HERE AT THE ZOO FOR, UH, IN THE OLD SEA LION EXHIBIT, AND FOUR NEW CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS.
SO WE'RE SEEING THAT TEXAS, CALIFORNIA THING HAPPENING RIGHT HERE, UH, IN THE SEA LION POOL AS WELL.
UH, THEY WILL BE COMING OUT TO, UH, GREET US HERE, BUT WE NEED TO GO STAGE LEFT AND, UM, GET INTO, GET OUTTA HARM'S WAY.
SO KRISTA CAN COME AND GET THE SEAL LINES OUT HERE TO SAY HELLO.
AND THEN LAST, LET ME, SUE, LET ME THANK SUE DAVIS.
SUE DAVIS LOVES HER SOME 6,000 RESIDENTS AT THE HOUSTON ZOO.
SUE, YOU CAN STOP SENDING ME TEXTS AND PICTURES OF THE ANIMALS.
AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO, WE'LL AFTER THIS, AFTER THE SEA LIONS COME OUT, WE'RE GONNA EXPLORE THE EXHIBIT TOGETHER.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE.
AND, UH, LET'S CELEBRATE WITH SOME SEA LIONS.