Audubon Nature Institute Inc

“Chris Bardell and Caryn Rodgers-Batiste have a business relationship.”

“The members of the Audubon Nature Institute consists of the following classes: individual, student, senior citizen, family, individual plus one, family plus one, bronze patron, and honorary member.”

“The members of the Audubon Nature Institute consist of the following classes: individual, student, senior citizen, family, individual plus one, family plus one, bronze patron, and honorary member. The members elect the governing body. Each membership, except honorary members, is entitled to one vote on any matter submitted to a vote of the membership.”

“The 990 is reviewed by the VP of Finance and the Executive VP/Chief Administrative Officer. The return is also reviewed by the tax department of a public accounting firm. Once the return has been reviewed by the accounting firm, it is provided to the board of directors for review, with the exception of the donors' names and addresses on Schedule B, and then the return is filed with the IRS.”

“Audubon Nature Institute has a conflict of interest policy that has procedures in place to handle disclosing conflicts, determining whether a conflict exists, addressing the conflict, and violations of the policy. Annual statements are signed regarding the policy and periodic reviews are conducted to ensure the policy is being followed.”

“The compensation of contracted Executive Staff shall be approved by the Executive and Compensation Committees. The Compensation Committee, consisting of the ANI Board Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Immediate Past Chairman and Treasurer, shall meet every three (3) years or prior to contract expiration, whichever is shorter. The Compensation Committee shall be provided with the following for their review: 1.Compensation analysis from comparable zoos, aquariums, museums, and other national attractions. 2.Independent salary and benefit studies of other similar entities including for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, IRS Form 990s of similar organizations or documented phone calls with similar organizations. 3.Six (6) year history of the Personal Service Agreement, outlining raises, length of term and any notable changes. 4.Most recent Compensation Survey conducted by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) that compares the salaries of the Officers with that of similarly qualified individuals, in comparable positions at similar organizations, with a comparable number of facilities, annual visitation, staffing and operating budgets. This information shall be compiled by Staff and overseen by the Chairman, who shall act independently without undue influence from the contracted Officers. The Compensation Committee shall make and approve a resolution to set the base salary and benefits. The resolution of the Compensation Committee shall then be presented to the ANI Executive Committee for final approval. The Executive Committee is authorized by the ANI Board to enter into the Personal Services Contract with the Officers. The ANI Board, as executed by the Chairman, shall enter into a written Personal Services Agreement (or amended Agreement) with the Officers.”

“Audubon Nature Institute's Form 990 is available on the organization's website.”

“Audubon Nature Institute makes it governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements available to the public upon request.”

“Audubon Nature Institute operates a family of museums and parks dedicated to nature on behalf of the City of New Orleans. Facilities include Audubon Zoo, Audubon Aquarium, Audubon Insectarium, Audubon Louisiana Nature Center, Audubon Park, Woldenberg Riverfront Park, Audubon Wilderness Park and Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center. There are eight basic tenets of Audubon Nature Institute's mission statement that guide decisions at all facilities. The tenets are as follows: Provide a guest experience of outstanding quality, exhibit diversity of wildlife, preserve native Louisiana habitats, educate our diverse audience about the natural world, enhance the care and survival of wildlife through research and conservation, provide opportunities for recreation in natural settings, operate a financially self-sufficient collection of museums and parks, and weave quality entertainment through the guest experience.”

“Audubon Aquarium welcomes two endangered African penguin chicks. Chicks Calypso and Gouda joined the rest of the Aquarium's colony and added to the population of these critically endangered birds. Native to the southern coast of Africa, they are the most endangered penguin species, threatened by oil spills, overfishing, and habitat loss. Audubon was busy in 2024 preparing for initial construction on Riverfront for All, a visioinary project that will forever change the Mississippi Riverfront in downtown New Orleans, creating uninterrupted pedestrian and bicycle access across 2.25 miles of contiguous riverfront. Audubon Zoo received a Certificate of Accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The Zoo was examined by the nation's leading experts and determined to meet the world's most exacting standards for animal welfare, husbandry, veterinary care, safety, staffing, conservation, education, and more. The Zoo has been accredited by the AZA for 48 consecutive years. Audubon Louisiana Nature Center was the kickoff location for the annual Party for the Planet presented by Entergy series of events desgined to connect people with nature. Guests took advantage of the spring weather to stroll boardwalks and experience the newly reopened Planetarium with its variety of programming. The newly formed Conservation Committee is coordinating conservation grants and encouraging participation across Audubon. In 2024, Audubon funded 16 new staff conservation projects across four continents, including work with native prairie seeds, Jamaican iguana, and coral surveying. Audubon also participates in a variety of AZA SAFE (Savings Animals from Extinction) programs for species in our collection, including African penguin, Asian elephant, ocelot, orangutan, North American songbird, Perdido Key beach mouse, sea turtle, and whooping crane. USA Today readers voted for their favorite North American AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums-facilities that excel in the fields of animal care and enrichment, while also facilitating meaningful interactions between animals and human visitors. The Aquarium ranked #2 and the Zoo ranked #7 among 20 nominees. Woldenberg Riverfront Park was nominated in the USA Today Reader's Choice voting for the first time and came in #2 most popular riverwalk in the country. Audubon Aquarium Rescue (formerly Audubon Coastal Wildlife Network) serves as Louisiana's primary marine mammal and sea turtle stranding responder and the only permitted marine mammal and sea turtle rehabilitation facility in the state. AAR responded to 54 strandings and took in 16 cold-stunned sea turtles flown to New Orleans for extended rehabilitation after they were found off the coast of Massachusetts. AAR also released 1 Kemp's ridley sea turtle. AAR also conducted stranding surveys in the stranding hotspots of Grand Isle and southwest Louisiana. Coupled with public reporting, these surveys are important in gathering data to determine the most accurate picture of strandings in Louisiana. Audubon's Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries continued to support the Gulf of Mexico fishing industry in demonstrating and improving their sustainability. GULF assisted the U.S. Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery for all five Gulf states and federal waters in achieving Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) Certification. This is the first shrimp fishery certified to the RFM Standard which includes criteria including fisheries management, stock assessment activities, and serious impacts of the fishery on the ecosystem. Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center continued successful recovery efforts, including working with partners to add five whooping cranes to White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area as part of an ongoing effort to protect this endangered species from extinction. Six Mississippi Sandhill Crane chicks hatched at the westbank facility were successfully relocated to the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge in Gauthier, Mississippi. Au”

“The organization did not change its audit oversight process or selection process.”