40. Community Need Our community deserves the opportunity for a world-class cultural and education center. Wild Hearts African Farm just proudly became the first and only Humane Certified™ zoo in Ohio. This achievement signals to visitors, partners and our community that they can be rest assured that Wild Hearts is providing topnotch care to our animals and that we are among the finest zoos in the world in achieving this honor. Wild Hearts would like to continue our track record of excellence by developing our property into a center where not only the community can assemble for education and recreation experiences, but as a seedbed for economic growth. We also recognize that many children do not have the opportunity to spend time outdoors or develop STEM role models in environmental professions. We know that by providing children access to other cultures and career paths we can inspire a world of more belonging. We can lessen the obstacles for children by providing them with opportunities that resonate with their curiosity and future career goals. We want to INSPIRE the next generation to value different cultures, conserve our environment and develop healthy lifestyles by being outdoors.
This project’s location addresses our community’s need for accessible and inclusive educational and recreational experiences for people and organizations that either cannot afford to travel into a larger city to visit zoos or cultural centers, and/or has limited time constraints for outings. Our region is home to many low-income families, home-school, day-hab centers, disabled and elderly citizens, nursing homes, head-start and day care programs that require activities to take place in a short time frame. Our location offers a solution to this problem. Currently operating on only about 4-acres of our 31-acre property, the Education Center will allow us to grow and address these needs including employment and economic development that would enhance the quality of life in Preble County and the entire region.