The Wilds has always held a special place in my heart. My parents, Jack and Suzi Hanna, met just down the road at Muskingum College and were married in Zanesville in 1968. For decades, The Wilds has been one of my dad’s favorite places, and I’m grateful that love has carried on through our family. Watching animals roam the open landscapes from the Bing Overlook at sunset has become my happy place, too.
I’ll never forget my first visit to The Wilds with Dad over 30 years ago. His excitement was contagious as he shared his vision for creating vast landscapes here in Ohio that mirrored the wild habitats he had experienced in Africa and beyond. That vision has become reality on more than 2,000 acres of repurposed land—with another 8,000 acres available for future projects. The Wilds continues to evolve, and that capacity for growth is what makes it so special. It allows visitors to experience the scale of wild places right here in Ohio while also advancing conservation on a global stage.
Fall Safari is the signature fundraising event for The Wilds, and I am honored to serve as this year’s Honorary Chair. This celebration promises an evening filled with adventure, from choosing your own safari to enjoying a night of fantastic food and live entertainment—all with a fun camping theme. Together, we will raise vital funds for an exciting new bison project.
My dad would have loved seeing hundreds of bison roaming across the wide-open plains at The Wilds, especially knowing they are now part of a successful reintroduction program with the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. The donations raised at this year’s Fall Safari will provide the infrastructure for guests to experience firsthand what it’s like to stand among a herd of these giants. The new bison tours will be like stepping back in time to when over 50 million of these animals shaped North America’s prairies—before their numbers tragically dropped to just 541 by the end of the 19th century. Thankfully, conservation efforts have helped their populations recover, and today, The Wilds is part of that success story by helping to restore ecosystems and honor cultural heritage.
We are fortunate to have the largest wildlife conservation center in North America right here in Ohio. The Wilds is still a hidden gem to some, but I believe we need to share its story more boldly. It is impossible to capture the expansive views in photos—the Bing Overlook and the safari tours truly have to be experienced in person. What better way to enjoy it than with a cold drink in your hand, a live band playing, and a community of people who share the same desire to save wildlife?
I hope you’ll join me in supporting Fall Safari this year and experiencing all that The Wilds has to offer. I look forward to meeting you there.
With gratitude,
Kathaleen
