Photos by Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark.
Join the Phoenix Zoo for a special evening with award-winning photographer, speaker, author and conservationist, Joel Sartore!
The Phoenix Zoo is proud to welcome renowned National Geographic Explorer, photographer and conservationist Joel Sartore for a special fundraising event benefiting the future Doornbos Animal Rescue and Care Center (Doornbos ARCC), a dedicated facility for housing wildlife from the illegal animal trafficking trade. It will provide vital quarantine space, medical treatment and care for confiscated animals and animals coming into or out of the Phoenix Zoo.
Tickets for this extraordinary event, priced at just $125 per person, include an inspiring presentation by the artist himself, up-close animal encounters, hors d’oeuvres, beverages and a visit to the Zoo’s Savanna Gallery in the Savanna Grill, to view a curated exhibition: “Joel Sartore: An ARCC Toward a Better Future”.
For those seeking an enhanced experience, a Premium Experience ticket is available for $175 and includes all general admission benefits, plus a special pre-event meet-and-greet with Joel Sartore, complimentary drinks and appetizers and the opportunity to have a book signed by Joel. Guests may bring their own book or purchase Sartore’s 20th Anniversary Edition National Geographic Photo Ark book for $50.
Event Details
Date:
Friday, October 16, 2026
Location:
Phoenix Zoo
Time:
5 – 8 p.m.
Price:
$125 Standard Ticket
$175 Premium Ticket (includes pre-event meet and greet with Joel Sartore)
EVENT ITINERARY
COMING SOON!
NEED TO CHANGE
4:45 p.m. | Gates open at the Nina Mason Pulliam Children’s Trail Entrance
5:30 p.m. | Thomas D. Mangelsen presentation at Doornbos Discovery Amphitheater
6:30 – 8:30 p.m. | Reception in the Wild Side Gallery featuring hors d’oeuvres and beverages
Guests may purchase prints throughout the night as well as books, including a book signing, posters and notecards in the gift shop.
Joel Sartore is an award-winning photographer, speaker, author, conservationist and the 2018 National Geographic Explorer of the Year. He is a regular contributor to National Geographic Magazine and an Eagle Scout. His hallmarks are a sense of humor and a Midwestern work ethic.
Joel specializes in documenting endangered species and landscapes around the world. He is the founder of the Photo Ark, a 25-year documentary project to save species and habitats.
“It is folly to think that we can destroy one species and ecosystem after another and not affect humanity,” he says. “When we save species, we’re actually saving ourselves.”
Joel and the Photo Ark are the subjects of the television series RARE, in which he documents some of the most endangered creatures left on Earth.
In addition to National Geographic, Joel contributes to Audubon, Geo, the New York Times and Smithsonian. He has several books, including Photo Ark: A World Worth Saving, The Photo Ark Vanishing: The World’s Most Vulnerable Animals, Birds of the Photo Ark and RARE: Portraits of America’s Endangered Species.
He and his work have been the subject of many national broadcasts, including National Geographic’s Explorer, NBC Nightly News, the CBS Sunday Morning Show, ABC’s Nightline, NPR’s Weekend Edition, PBS Newshour, Fresh Air with Terry Gross, 60 Minutes and the Today Show.
Joel is always happy to return from his travels around the world to his home in Lincoln, Nebraska.
ABOUT Joel Sartore: An ARCC Towards a Better Future
Sartore’s inspiring collection includes images of endangered species and landscapes that show a world worth saving. He is the founder of the National Geographic Photo Ark, a multi-year documentary project to capture every species living in zoos, aquariums, and wildlife sanctuaries, and inspire action through education and help protect wildlife and their habitats by supporting on-the-ground conservation efforts.
The exhibition is presented as part of the Zoo’s Art on the Wild Side program, which features rotating art exhibits throughout the year in both the Wild Side and Savanna Galleries. Dedicated to inspiration, celebration and conservation through art, exhibitions and artists are selected who share their unique vision of wildlife and conservation via photography, paint and mixed media, allowing new ways for guests to engage in the Zoo’s mission to care for the natural world while being inspired by nature and animals. These exhibitions highlight artists whose work inspires a deeper appreciation of wildlife, conservation and the natural world.
Photo by Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark.
Photo by Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark.
Photo by Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark.
Photo by Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark.
Photo by Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
Plan your visit today!
The Phoenix Zoo is one of the largest non-profit zoos in the U.S., caring for over 3,000 animals, with nearly 400 species represented, including many threatened/endangered species.
Plan your visit today!
The Phoenix Zoo is one of the largest non-profit zoos in the U.S., caring for over 3,000 animals, with nearly 400 species represented, including many threatened/endangered species.
