In February 2003, Friends of Safari West, the nonprofit arm of Safari West, began to offer its Discover Africa field trip program. Discover Africa subsidizes the cost of one classroom Safari West field trip per month to schools that would otherwise be unable to afford this vital enrichment program. Our nonprofit is now known as Safari West Wildlife Foundation (SWWF) and is continuing the programs started by Friends of Safari West.

While more than 10,000 students already visit Safari West in a school year, it is estimated that as many as 5,000 more are not able to attend due to financial limitations. In response to this need, Safari West Wildlife Foundation has introduced Discover Africa... an opportunity for a free field trip. This program opens the students’ eyes to a whole new world. Many students are terribly fearful of animals, even domestic dogs. We are pleased and excited to provide a program that introduces children to the wonderful world of animals and exotic wildlife.

Safari West Wildlife Foundation is especially committed to giving at-risk students in our local counties and the greater Bay Area an opportunity to participate in this program. Some of these children come from troubled homes where they may have been exposed to abuse or neglect. Often their only interaction with animals has come in the form of aggressive guard dogs, and in many cases these children have not had the opportunity to experience the wonders and beauty of the natural world that surrounds us. By supporting the Wildlife Foundation you are enabling these children to embrace their connection to animals, respect our environment, and come to better understand their own significance within the world.

We have designed our program to provide a unique experience for these students. We find that interacting with the animals leaves a “wildlife imprint” on these developing minds. We have heard many touching stories from children whose lives have taken a whole new direction after visiting Safari West. It broadens their horizons in ways we couldn’t have imagined.

Since we started this program, we have been host to over 1,000 students, with 300 visiting us during the 2005/2006 school year. We look forward to increasing that number to more than 1,000 students during the 2006/2007 school year.

We work to identify schools that qualify for a free trip to Safari West. For the 2006-2007 school years, our non-profit organization will provide a field trip scholarship to as many deserving schools as we can. It is our hope that no school, regardless of its socioeconomic level, will be denied such an experience.

Thank you for honoring our commitment with your support. Our work would not be possible without you.