The Sacramento Zoo is celebrating its 85th birthday this year. It's one of those milestone birthdays that evoke memories among all generations of people who came as a child and now bring their children and grandchildren.

In fact, there are probably plenty of people around Sacramento who take the zoo for granted. It's been here all of our lives. We treat our kids to occasional summer outings among animals that they can see nowhere else in the region. Some of us who grew up exploring the paths among the tigers and chimps now delight at seeing our grandchildren feed the giraffes.

At 14 acres, the zoo is small by contemporary urban standards, yet it looms large in Sacramento's culture. Every year, 500,000 visitors come to this William Land Park treasure. That makes it one of the most attended year-round paid attractions in the area.

Most of those visitors can't imagine Sacramento without its zoo. Many of us assume that such a profound Sacramento institution ought to be here for another 85 years. Unfortunately, that vision is blurred by reality – the hard facts of economics, neighborhood constraints and animal welfare.

The zoo sits on city of Sacramento property, but in 1997 the city turned operational control over to the nonprofit Sacramento Zoological Society, which has had the sole responsibility of keeping the organization fiscally sound and accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

It's important for our children and our entire community that the Zoological Society be given a chance to solidly establish a long-term vision for this cherished Sacramento asset. How many other venues in Sacramento offer what the zoo provides: a safe environment where conversations occur naturally; a place to see and appreciate nature with exotic animals, tropical plants and native wildlife; and an outdoor setting to enjoy an evening concert with a picnic under the oaks while the kids are free to explore the nearby playground?

Studies have proven that children learn to trust and care for others by connecting with animals. Autistic children who have problems relating to other people, for example, often connect and communicate better with animals.

Compassion is a game changer; it can make the world a better place.

The Sacramento Zoo is located in a beautiful city park surrounded by a solid, well-established neighborhood. However, that location has constraints – limited parking and neighbors who historically have opposed zoo expansion needed to better accommodate wild animals and attract more visitors.

For nine years, the zoo looked for a new site to "land bank" for the future. Recently, with an improved neighborhood climate and the economic downturn, the zoo's board of directors decided to refocus future plans on maintaining and enhancing the current site.

But we have much work to do. We'll need capital investments of more than $5 million just to maintain our accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums through 2018, with another $10 million for the association's five-year review cycle after that. Several million more dollars will be needed to meet the standards of a modern visitor experience, including improvements to the zoo's entrance, food services and children's recreational facilities.

These are not big numbers compared with some other projects on the local drawing board, but it's not an amount we can count on as our nation struggles to restore a more vibrant economy.

As the Sacramento Zoo celebrates its 85th birthday, the board will be making a concerted effort to gauge community support and determine where those capital funds can be found. Visit us at saczoo.org or email info@saczoo.org to give us feedback on ways you think the zoo can remain a treasured community asset.

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Mary Healy is the director and CEO of the Sacramento Zoo. Starr Walton Hurley is president of the Sacramento Zoological Society.