From the Director

In January 1999, the outdoor temperature was cold but the zoo was heating up with excitement. The white-tailed deer moved into their new exhibit in the park and the bears were getting settled into their new home, as were the Amur leopards. Preparations were made for Robbie, the orangutan, who would also arrive at Rolling Hills in early 1999.

These events might seem rather insignificant until you realize – ten years ago, the zoo was still preparing to open its massive front gates to the public! The push was on to move animals, finish exhibits, and put the final touches on a zoo that would begin welcoming guests on October 26, 1999.

Over the past ten years we have grown from a humble refuge housing 45 species to a respected zoo, home to 105 species of animals. We have added five new animal exhibits and of course, a wildlife museum in those ten years. The landscaping that was brand new in 1999 now has a decade of growth, with trees providing shade across pathways and mature shrubs and flowers that add a beautiful element to the park.

As we celebrate our tenth anniversary, listed below are just a few things that we are looking forward to in 2009:

• Effective January 1, 2009, the zoo and museum foundations merged officially into one public, non-profit organization called Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure.
• We anticipate greeting our one-millionth guest into the park during the spring or early summer of 2009. This will be a very exciting milestone for us.   
• Several exhibit renovations will take place this year, including the rhinos, chimpanzees, and mandrills.
• We will host 11 special events plus our annual fundraiser “ZooLaLa” on June 5th, as well as the premiere exhibition of “Art and the Animal”, a wildlife art show that will open Labor Day weekend.

It is a great time to reflect on the growth of the past ten years but also look ahead to the future. What will the park look like in 2019?  How will it change and grow in the next decade?  It is certain that our commitment to wildlife conservation and providing quality animal care will remain strong, as will our desire to offer guests a fun and interactive educational experience when they visit. These goals have been a part of RHWA since before opening in 1999 and will continue to define the park into the future.

Kathy Tolbert
RHWA Park Director

The History of Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure

Since opening to the public in October 1999, we have become an accredited AZA zoo, providing refuge to over ninety species of animals, many of them rare and endangered.

In 2000, we constructed a 64,000 sq. ft. building of which one component, our Conference Center, opened in 2002. It has become a very lively side of our business, providing a unique space for groups of all kinds to enjoy our facilities and fine food.

2005 brought the opening of a Conference Center, and totally unique Wildlife Museum. I say unique because, unlike wildlife museums of past decades where animals and nature were exhibited behind glass, we have initiated a total immersion design element to our experience. Visitors will no longer be separated from nature, viewing it through a glass window. Rather, our guests will feel themselves to be a true part of nature.

This immersive process integrates over 350 species of animals with nature and human cultures as one journeys around the world. Fully robotic animatronic characters describe each ecosystem and describes the relationship between humans, plant, and animal in that particular culture.

Lastly, our guests are sent into the far reaches of space in our new ADM three-dimensional theater. Here one will realize how our earth is unique in the endless vastness of space. Future generations may indeed move to distant worlds, but for now, earth is our home and we are empowered to protect all of its splendor.

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Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure
625 N. Hedville Road
Salina, KS 67401

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785-827-9488

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Our Mission

Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure is dedicated to the preservation of wildlife through participation in conservation programs and by providing fun and interactive educational experiences.

Board
of Directors

Charlie Walker, Chairman
Sandy Walker, President
Ed Pogue, Vice President
Morrie Soderberg, Sec./Treas.
Michael Berkley
Helen L. Graves
Julie Sager Miller
Richard A. Renfro
Sidney A. Reitz
Al Schwan
Donna L. Vanier
Carolyn L. Walker
Trace Walker
Kermit Wedel

Administrative
Staff

Kathy Tolbert, Director
Sandy Walker, General Curator
Jeff Parker, Director of Operations
Anita Butler, Director of Education
Vickee Spicer, Director of Development & Marketing
Danelle Okeson, DVM
Debra Preston, Exec. Assistant
Debbie Tasker, Group Sales Mgr. & Special Events
Gail Vance, Conference Center Mgr.