Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is the Pacific Northwest’s only combined zoo and aquarium. Established in 1905, the 29-acre zoological park in Tacoma, Washington sits within 700-acre Point Defiance Park, offering spectacular views of Mount Rainier, the Olympic Mountains, and Puget Sound. Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is nationally accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), which ensures rigorously high standards of animal well-being, veterinary care, conservation, and education. The Zoo is committed to awakening a connection to wildlife and nature with everyone in the Pacific Northwest.
Associates
Wendy Spaulding (she/her/hers)
Wendy Spaulding joined the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium team in June 2017 as the Conservation Engagement Curator. She is a Washington native (born and raised in Walla Walla) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Northwest Nazarene University. Wendy has served in many capacities as an educator, interpreter and leader at a variety of conservation-focused free-choice learning organizations over the past 28 years. Her early career included work at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium as an Education Specialist from 1997-2006 focusing on volunteer coordination, fee-based programming, exhibit development, the Visitor Experience and Animal Ambassador programming. During her eleven years away from Point Defiance, Wendy worked as the Director of Education & Guest Experience at the Living Coast Discovery Center in Chula Vista, California, as well as the Education Manager at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, Oregon. She also worked on a large variety of exhibit and program development projects for zoos and aquariums nationally and internationally as a private consultant. Wendy currently leads the Conservation Engagement team at the Zoo, managing the wide variety of programs, experiences and exhibits for guests, schools and community members, including collaboration with the Zoo-based high school, Science and Math Institute (SAMI) which serves 600+ high school students annually.