Meet the new President & CEO of Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs

This is Gulf Coast Life I’m Mike Kiniry. Thanks for joining us. The Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs has roots that date back to 1936. It was created as the Reptile Gardens by brothers Bill and Lester Piper. It set on the newly built Tamiami Trail, which was extended through Bonita Springs in 1928. By the way, the trail was the first road to run from Tampa to Miami, hence Tamiami for any newcomers. As it grew and as the collection expanded beyond cold blooded animals, the Pipers changed the name to the Everglades Wonder Gardens. Through the late 30s and 40s, they added Florida panthers, black bears, otters, deer, sandhill cranes, and flamingos, along with an expanding collection of tropical flora and rare trees. The Pipers closed the Everglades Wonder Gardens in 2013, and local photographer and conservationist John Brady took over the property as a tenant and reopened the park and formed the nonprofit Bonita Wonder Gardens. Then in 2015, the city of Bonita Springs provided a loan, enabling the nonprofit to purchase the three acre property, saving it from potential commercial development, and it was then later purchased by the City of Bonita Springs, so now operates as a public private partnership with the nonprofit Managing Operations. My guest today took over the role of president and CEO of The Wonder Gardens on July 1st. Sally Mulvena comes to the role after serving a decade as the president and CEO of a zoo in Fargo, North Dakota. Sally, welcome to the show and to Southwest Florida. Yay! Thanks for having me. So give us a brief overview of your background and kind of the shape of your life that led you to Southwest Florida. Yeah. For sure. You know, I grew up as one of those kids that was always climbing trees and playing in the mud, you know, not to age myself, but I loved Wonder Woman, and I would have, like, my little Wonder Woman on the roof and my Wonder Woman belt and, like, climb the trees and try to save the animals from whatever that was my imagination. So from a very young age, I was a nature girl that was just obsessed with helping animals and that never went away. So my entire life I knew I wanted to do something to help animals. And so I kind of guided my way into I started with anthropology and primatology. What were you. Yeah. You got your masters in anthropology from University of Minnesota Moorhead? Yes. What were you heading toward in your head at that point? You know, what does one with a master's in anthropology think they're going to do later in life? Well I was at that point really captivated and I still am, I guess was Leakey's Angels and, you know, Jane Goodall, the work that they had been doing. So I thought myself as maybe going into primatology, studying primate behavior. And then I got an internship as part of my senior year at a local zoo, and I studied the primates there, so I would spend the night, even at night. And I was doing time allocations of how those primates spent their time in, quote unquote, captivity versus the equal studies in the wild, trying to see if there's ways that we can improve their welfare by interjecting more enrichment to create natural behavior. Long and nerdy. But I was so happy. Bring the long and nerdy. Here, you know? But then, you know, as part of that, you know, I had to help out in all the other aspects. And I started to just fall in love with the impact that this little zoo had on its community. You know, beyond the animals and just seeing kids faces light up. And I was like, okay, this is what I want to do, particularly small zoos. I love the impact of that. So then I kind of changed my career directory and went into zoo keeping, sort of learning everything. And basically I've worked in every aspect of, of our field. So. So you were at Red River Zoo in Fargo, North Dakota up until just fairly recently. Did you are you from North Dakota or did you go to North Dakota to run that zoo? No, I'm from North Dakota, so I started out my career at another little zoo in North Dakota and then took a little break when my kids were teeny tiny. And then the opportunity. So at the previous zoo, which was called in this tiny little town, I was the lead zookeeper. I was kind of like number three in command of of things going on and assisting with the vet and all that good stuff. And when Red River had a position open, I started in the business end and I started to really learn the runnings in or behind the scenes how finances work, how events work. And so when the opportunity for the CEO opened up, they did a national search and I was lucky enough to be the one there. And so did that for ten years. Became an accreditation inspector for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. And I also a the founding board president of another national nonprofit which works to partner zoos and aquariums with estuaries and national parks on metapopulation management and educational initiatives. So I live animals, I live nature, and it's a beautiful way to live. Metapopulation analysis. Did you say, what's the short version of that? So short version of that is one of the behind the scenes things that accredited zoos and aquariums are doing is called SSP Species Survival Work Survival Plan. So you have geneticists who knows from around the world looking at the genes of the animals in the captive pool with the greater goal of if said animal were to go extinct in the wild, we would have enough genetic variation among us to hopefully do something about it. And so, you know, the work with parks is is there ways that we can complement each other on not only our education initiatives, but is there opportunities for certain species to partner with parks who return some of these animals to park systems? Does it make sense? It totally makes sense, and I'm glad I asked. I like to learn new things and that's a new angle on it for me. How different is Wonder Gardens as compared to Red River? It's interesting because it's similar ways and very different in other ways. You know, The Wonder Gardens has this rich, long history, and you can just feel it when you're talking to people in the community of Bonita Springs is definitely a treasured attraction. You know, it started as, as you mentioned, like an old roadside attraction in Florida, and it's one of the oldest that still is operating, you know, and it's on this tiny, beautiful piece of land, you know, that with these gardens that are have been growing for the last 90 years, so that the history is different. Red River was is new. It's 27 years old. So it was a lot of undeveloped land, you know. And of course, the key species are emphasis that you're going to have within that are radically different. The Wonder Gardens right now has become home to rescued animals, non releasable animals. And this beautiful garden where Red River was focused on cold adapted species preservation. And so a little bit different but but similar in the way because they all we all operate very similarly behind the scenes you know. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. So when did you first go to Wonder Gardens? I mean like I think it was within the past few years, you know, when was it. And can you describe what it was like for you in terms of like what were you seeing? You have a background. Obviously, you've worn a lot of khaki over your life. Yes. You know, what was it like when you first went there? Yeah. So I've been going back and forth between Fargo and Southwest Florida a lot for the last few years. My husband and I were going on three years being married, and he lives in Naples, so we've been going back and forth. So it was maybe about three years ago, was the first time I went to the Wonder Gardens, and I was just captivated with the property. It is so charming, and you can feel that that history. And as somebody like me, there's like, of course there's a lot of business end of what you do, but there's this artistry too that's involved. And so my head just lights up with ideas whenever I visit a new place like the Wonder Gardens. That's what I figured. It's like, oh, if you did this and he did that and you did this, and you just start to see the grounds and work the grounds in your mind, just the potential of it was quite incredible, you know. Did it all occur to you that it might be something you could do someday? I mean, your husband is president and CEO of Naples Zoo. Yes. So you probably were kind of in the back of your mind, thinking of ways that you could find something down here. Did you see that as a possibility early on, or was that not even a thing. Early on? It, it piqued my interest. You know, I've been watching the Wonder Gardens for a few years and, you know, you watch and see what's going on and, and pick up the momentum that they have. And that was a really positive piece that I saw is this incredible momentum that the Wonder Gardens in the community of Bonita Springs has going on right now. And what an exciting time it would be to come in and implement some of the expertise that I have to help them reach their goals, of their master plan and their goals for the future. It was it was pretty neat, you know? Yeah. So I kept my eye on them. As you, you know, as you run now wonder gardens since July 1st and as your husband runs Naples, do you guys, like, talk about zoo stuff at dinner? I live, I. Live animals, I. Live people. All day long, every day. So it's really cool. And actually, you know, much like an artist, I keep using that reference. But if if I'm not thinking about it, it's like I'm an artist without my paintbrush. It's how I live. So in addition to what I do for a living is how I live my life. So we talk animals, we talk strategy, we talk finances all the time, probably at nauseum, but it's what we find really fun. So now describe for listeners what is Wonder Gardens like. You know, give the elevator pitch. it's a beautiful, small property with amazing plants, and quite a few of them are quite unique plants. It's where you feel like you can get lost in these hidden little pathways along, but it's a tiny little gem with a with a rich history. And then you incorporate in the animals and the education piece on, on on nature. And it was important. It's just it's kind of this all encompassing little magical, charming space that has such a strong flavor of old Florida. You know, you know, we've mentioned this idea that it was originally a roadside attraction, and I don't know if it's there still. Like, do you still hold on to the spirit of that? Because I think in today's world, I think roadside attraction kind of has a bit of a pejorative term to it, you know? Exactly. Yeah. And, you know, that's that's where you told this delicate line because you want to keep up the pieces of that history that are nostalgic and beautiful, you know, and so with our, with our branding and with the, with the colors of the buildings, you want to still play into that because that's what people expect when they want to see old Florida. But people don't want to see old roadside attraction, right? You know, back when I was a kid, there would be gas stations with a bear in a tiny cage just to try to get you to get your gas there. Right. And that's not we have a strong emphasis on, on our animal welfare and well-being and training programs, and we're working to continually upgrade the existing property. So what I would what I see in our future is this interesting combination that has that old Florida flavor, but yet has modern exhibits and experiences. The public private partnership. I don't know if there's much to talk about that, but I know how does that work? I mean, you the nonprofit runs it, and then the city just provides the the facility ownership for something like that. Yeah, the the the city owns the property, the land and the and the buildings on the land. And so it's really unique partnership in that the organization itself, you know, operates and fundraisers to do the improvements on the animal side and the in the interior of the property. While the city is really helping complement some of the stuff that needs to be upgraded as far as the guest amenities, you know, things like that. And we do pay rent every, you know, every year as well. For it to be be an equal part of that part is that partnership. So it's a really beautiful way to get this facility up to where we all want it to be. Yeah. It was founded in 1936, so it's coming up on its 100th anniversary. You guys have plans for that, right? I mean, it seems like on the website there's some sort of grand plan for the centennial. Yeah. So they established a facilities master plan, you know, so they brought in different zoo, retired zoo directors, zoo directors, people in our field to really look at the property and develop a plan for the future. And so as part of that master plan, we've identified key things that are going to need to be upgraded as well. As we left a little bit of fluidity in there for little bits of magic that can happen as well. So for example, our flamingos, which are a conic to the organization and of course iconic to this whole area. They needed an upgraded holding building or knight house, you know, so that you have with flamingos. Nowadays, you want to have a flock of 10 to 14 or more flamingos, and you want to have a space for them to go inside at night or be protected from hurricane. So it's it's little polishes up like that or else. We'll got a grant and have completed some fundraising to add an event center. We have a lot of people that want to have community or personal events at this space, and with a lack of a, you know, a place that's protected from lightning and things. So we're going to be putting in an event center towards the back, right by our Flamingo Lagoon, which is going to be really beautiful. But in addition to that, that allows us to have a place for our classes and camps. So we have a great education program, and it gives us another space for those kids to go rather than just being outside in the, you know, the hot, hot, hot days or those stormy days to protect them from it. So having these key pieces will allow the property, you know, to continue to grow, the organization to continue to grow. And the next one on our on our little tick off the box is going to be an animal health center. So again, a place where our vet can examine the animals, where we can place the animals that they need to be in quarantine for one reason or another. And then again, protection from hurricanes is key important as well. So it's currently like a sanctuary, meaning animals that have been rehabilitated can live there. But you don't currently have a rehab clinic there. No, we don't do yeah, we don't do rehabilitation, but we will get in. The animals that, you know, have been deemed that they can't be released. And they and they're looking for replacement for them. And then as part of this, what I'm bringing to the table here as to evaluate and implement an institutional collection plan. So metrics for which animals you're going to be bringing in and, you know, have a more in-depth look at that. Yeah. So yeah. What animals are there now we've mentioned flamingos I know there's an otter grotto. Yeah. They just cleverly named. They just brought an otters I believe it was last year. And of course we have alligators. We have four alligators as well. And then throughout the area of the entire park is rescued parrots and birds and tortoises and turtles and things like that. So not like it used to be back in the day when there was, you know, you know, cougars or bears, but doing what they can for the animals, they can at this given point, while also looking at taking a sophisticated look at what that collection will look like and how we are going to be of service to our community and to the greater conservation efforts of Susan Aquariums in the future. Any notable plant species you can point to? This is terrible. I am. A monkey. This is not. You're not your. Cup of tea. No. But you know, we. Have this. Man that works there, Doctor Jan Abernethy. He's 97 years old and he has his Hort team, so. He would be the one to wonder where he is. And he is there almost. Every day. It's really it's really fun to talk to him because that's one thing you need to learn a little bit more about is, is the plants and trees, you know, that we have there. We have orchids, we have giant banyan trees, those types of things. But the specifics I'm like, I need to dig in. Fair enough. How big is the banyan tree? I was going to ask that. You know, that's a good question. We have. Two really big ones, and here's how really big it is. Really big. Have you been to the home? No I haven't. You have to go there and see. They've got a tree that's like a half an acre. Oh my gosh. Oh wow. Yeah. So this stuff is like the stuff that's new to me and that I just find really captivating. Like, even in our parking lot, there's a tree that you can literally walk inside, you know? And so I want to, in addition to us looking at the facilities and the animals, we're working on fine tuning our education pieces and highlights of the botanicals that are there. Are you familiar with Big Joe? Is that an alligator? Big Joe was. That's one of the reasons I looked it up. Big Joe was a 15ft long, 1,200 pound alligator that was there for years and was kind of one of the emblematic species. Yes, yes, I think he's still there somewhere behind the scenes. Oh, no, I think he passed away. I think oh, I gotcha. There was also I learned this and reading up on it, there was a bear there named Tom, which was the bear featured in the film of The Yearling back in 1946. I know how fun. Right. Talk about roots. Yes. Yeah. And the more you know, I got a book on. There's a book in our gift shop all on The Piper, the Piper Brothers and the Wonder Gardens history. And it's just so fun. Enriched. That's that's why we really want to keep that pieces in there where we can. Because it's a really interesting, just iconic of what you think of for Florida back in 1940 for people that were visiting. Yeah, yeah. When there was hardly anybody here. I know we trail did you know Tamiami Trail was called that because of Tampa in Miami. It took me a very long time, but. I did. If you as a newcomer, that's why I threw it in there. You mentioned that the expansion will allow you to expand education, but there is stuff happening there now, right? Yes, yes. School trips. Just talk about that. Yeah. We get a lot of school trips in. We have education staff that do outreach as well. So we bring artifacts and some of our program animals out and about in the community, as well as we have camps that go on all year long, like kids camps. The kids camps are a little paused right now because of that event center going in, but we'll be bringing them back again as soon as we get that up and running, you know? But the education pieces aren't always only just for children as well. So we're blessed that we have so many volunteers that have expertise in master gardening. And so they, they, they integrate all sorts of classes as well for, for adults. And you guys do guided tours, right? So if somebody wants to go they can just walk around. But if they want to go and get context, there's like zoo docents or whatever they're called. Yeah, yeah. Give guided tours. They do some very certain animal encounters and things like that. You know, we we try to be as flexible as possible to give people the experience that they want. So on the website they do a really good job of detailing, you know, those possibilities. As we continue to reevaluate what future possibilities we have. You know, when you start a new job somewhere, at first it's like everything you don't know where anything is. And then at some point, you know, you were at the Red River zoo for a decade. You know, at some point you just you don't even think about it anymore. You just know where everything is and how everything works. You're a long way away from that. Still at Wonder Gardens are you've been there a month? In like five weeks? Are you still just getting the lay of the land? I feel like it's really fun because I'm a go, go, go person. I do not stop. And so starting in a new position, even though you have the background for running everything, you're like, I've got a pause and listen. You know, I've got to listen and hear, not just go off my gut, but what is it that the community and the stakeholders are valuing? Where do people want to see this go? And then logistically, how are things working behind the scenes? But I feel like I've got my feet under me on that end. It's the weird little things like how do I use my voice mail? Yeah, so please email me right now. I'm still figuring that out. As president CEO. Like what does your I know you're still getting your feet on the ground, but what is your day to day? Do you get to work with animals? Do you get to I mean, are you all admin now or at a small zoo like that? Do you still get to do some of the more zookeeper kind of stuff? The fun thing. And that's part of one of the reasons I love working with small zoos and working at small zoos is you're never in an ivory tower where you're just looking at the numbers purely. It's you're part of the team. You know, I don't do any animal care myself anymore. I could if we had some kind of emergency of which, you know, I'm fully capable of doing that. But like, if there's if there's a facilities issue that you're looking at or an animal welfare issue that you're looking at, I would love to get involved and help bring those creative ideas to the table of how we're going to solve a given problem. I think it's so fun to just walk the grounds every day. I walk the grounds a little bit when there's people in there and just visit and check in on what they're experiencing and introduce myself, and those parts are really fun. You know, if I was if I was just in an office crunching numbers constantly, I would get bored. You know, we live in a world that's just me. Everything's mediated through a screen and we all are getting pinged all day with everything. You know, give us a pitch for just some time at a small zoo and space. You went into one of my favorite topics. You know, I do think that especially as time is going on, I feel like places like The Wonder Gardens are going to be even more important than more than an entertainment, more than the animal work that you're doing. But a place for community, a place where people are putting down those cell phones and connecting like you're bringing your teenager and they're putting down their cell phone and just being just observing the world around them, appreciating time together and having some really fun and unique memories. Last question have you spent much time peaking at the weather in Fargo since you moved down here? This time of year? You might be like, oh, it's 77 instead of 100, but you know, but, you know, you're it's a different world, right? It's a different world, I love it. You know, I think like last week in Fargo or the week before it was 104. So there you go. From 104 in the summer down to 40 below zero in the winter, the 40 below zero and the 20 below zero is a majority of the year. And let me tell you, I've done enough shoveling in my life. I love the heat, and I love being able to at least be outside for part of the day, every day down here. Sally Mulvena is the new president and CEO at Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs. Thanks for coming in to talk with me. Yay! Thanks for having me. You can find a link to their website on our website wgcu.org/gcl. If you missed any of the show, you can find all of our past episodes there. Our show today was produced by Emma Rodriguez, with audio production by Matt Krause and video production by David Oquendo. For now, thanks for listening, I’m Mike Kiniry. This is WGCU-FM Fort Myers 90.1 WMKO Marco Island 91.7 FM. We are NPR. For Southwest Florida.