This month, patrons of the Little Rock Zoo will be huddling at a new attraction. The Laura P. Nichols Penguin Pointe exhibit is opening and will feature nine South African penguins. Unlike their more commonly known Arctic cousins, South African penguins breed and live in warmer, sandier locations. Each South African penguin is characterized by a different dot pattern of feathers on its chest, much like fingerprints in human beings; no two are alike.
The exhibit is named in memory of Little Rock Zoo supporter, animal lover and Scott native Laura P. Nichols. According to Susan Altrui, zoo director of marketing and development, Laura first became involved with the zoo in 2001, when it was facing scrutiny by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) over its elephant program. “Laura called our zoo director, Mike Blakely, and asked about the condition of our elephants,” Altrui said in an email. “Not knowing who she was, he [Blakely] invited Laura to visit the elephant exhibit and see firsthand the quality care the zoo gives its elephants, Mary and Ellen. Laura was so impressed with the zoo and its care of the elephants, she wrote a check for $15,000 and handed it to Mike right then and there.”
After Laura passed away in 2004, her nephew Mark Nichols spearheaded a family foundation in her name. Nichols, a principal at Wesley K. Clark and Associates, is director of The Nichols Foundation. He’s currently dividing his time between Little Rock and Washington, D.C., and travels constantly for work. In fact, when we first spoke to him, he was in Mons, Belgium, with a client.
As foundation director, Nichols’ first move was to donate $25,000 to the Arkansas Zoological Foundation to name a penguin at the exhibit “Laura.” Soon after the donation, he visited Africa, where he had a real-life encounter with penguins in the wild, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and went on a safari. “The whole trip was inspirational on a number of levels, and I wanted to share that experience,” he said. “This was one way to do it, by supporting the zoo and building more exhibits.”
Soon after his trip to South Africa, Nichols made a donation from the family’s foundation to build the Laura P. Nichols Penguin Pointe exhibit, as well as the Laura P. Nichols Cheetah Habitat (which breaks ground this fall). “We decided to support the penguin exhibit because this was a major priority for the zoo,” Nichols said. “We also thought Laura would want to do it because it’s such a unique addition to the community.”
Additionally, the family donated $150,000 for education outreach programs at the zoo. Part of the money will be used to fund the Wild Wonders Animal Show, which will begin showing in April at the Civitan Amphitheater Stage. According to Altrui, the show features free-flying birds, reptiles and mammals and focuses on teaching conservation.
The donation also purchased a new van to transport two penguins to and from classrooms, businesses and other public places for EdZOOcation outreach programs and even birthday parties. “As part of our regular birthday parties, we will now be offering the opportunity to have a live penguin appear at the party for an additional fee,” Altrui said. “Their names are Skipper and Laura.”
Totaling more than $1 million, the gift from the Laura P. Nichols Foundation is the largest gift from a private donor that the Little Rock Zoo and the Arkansas Zoological Foundation has ever received in its 80-year history.