Como Friends is the nonprofit fundraising partner of Como Park Zoo and Conservatory. Leveraging community support to continue a century-long commitment to free access while improving the zoo and conservatory for a 21st century audience is core to Como Friends whose mission is to “inspire community generosity to advance Como Park Zoo & Conservatory as a destination where people from all walks of life can gather, learn and enjoy the natural world.” Como Friends has been the driving force behind progressive new animal care and training programs, restoration and expansion efforts for the historic Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, the rise of naturalistic new animal habitats at Como Zoo, and a six-fold expansion of Como’s conservation education programs, such as Blooming Butterflies, STEM-based school programs and teen-run interpretive programs. This successful public/private partnership has invested more than $34 million in improvement projects at Como, allowing Como to serve nearly a million school-age children each year, while preserving the free admission that nearly 70 percent of our visitors depend on.