In advance of World Wildlife Day on March 3, the Denver Zoo on Friday will announce at the state capitol a new mission that emphasizes community education and data gathering from “citizen scientists.”

Bert Vescolani, the resident and CEO of Denver Zoo, said that the mission tite – “Inspiring Communities to Save Wildlife for Future Generations” – will help the zoo “refocus our resources and all aspects of the zoo’s operation towards the goal of making lives better for wild animals, both those in our care and in the wild.”

A report from the United Nations found that there are a total of eight million plant and animal species on Earth, one million of which are threatened with extinction. The factors that most strongly compromise the ability of species to thrive are human-caused changes to land and sea habitats, exploitation, climate change, pollution and invasive species.

The Denver Zoo is home to 3,000 animals and over 450 species. It spends $2 million annually on programs that protect animals in their habitats, which represents approximately 5% of the zoo’s $41.2 million in operating expenses. In Colorado, zoo programs involve “citizen scientists” in data collection to monitor ecosystem health.

In Botswana, where the zoo assists with research on declining wild dog populations, the organization also provided financial support for three students to complete master’s or doctorate degrees. To address their research needs, the zoo gave the students technical training on compiling proposals for funding and curriculum design.

Zoo representatives will be at the Capitol at 8 a.m. on Friday to speak with legislators and the community.