Who We Are
Welcome to the Midwest Zoological Society — where passion meets purpose. We are a dedicated team of wildlife advocates, educators, scientists, and visionaries committed to protecting and celebrating the incredible biodiversity of our planet. Headquartered in the heart of the Midwest, we’ve made it our mission to lead with compassion, curiosity, and action.
At our core, we believe in three essential principles:
Educate. Rehabilitate. Conserve.
What We Aim to Achieve
We have bold dreams, and we’re bringing them to life. Our vision is to create a connected network of Reptariums, aquariums, and zoological parks across the Midwest — places that do more than display animals. These will be living, breathing learning environments where guests of all ages can engage with nature up close, discover rare and endangered species, and become active participants in conservation.
Each of our sites will:
Serve as a safe haven for rescued and rehabilitated wildlife
Act as an education center with hands-on programs for schools and families
Provide research and conservation support for global efforts
Inspire curiosity, responsibility, and respect for the natural world
Our goal is to make wildlife accessible, personal, and meaningful — to turn every visit into a spark of understanding and every visitor into a lifelong steward of the Earth.
Why We Need You
Our work is driven by passion, but it’s powered by people like you. As a nonprofit organization, the success of our mission depends on the strength of our community. Your support helps us:
Build new facilities and expand our impact
Provide life-saving medical care and rehabilitation for animals in need
Fund outreach programs that bring conservation education into classrooms
Preserve natural habitats for future generations
Whether you’re donating, volunteering, sharing our story, or simply walking through our gates, you’re part of something bigger. You’re helping us create real, lasting change — one life, one lesson, one moment at a time.
Join the Movement
This is more than just a zoo. This is a movement to restore, to educate, to protect — and to inspire. The Midwest Zoological Society is growing, and with your help, we can shape a better world for wildlife and people alike.
Be part of our story. Help us build the future
Born in Sturgis, Michigan, and being raised in both Sturgis and Elkhart, Indiana, our Executive Director Brian Westfall graduated from Concord High School in 2019. Brian has around ten years of experience caring for exotic species ranging from saltwater reef and freshwater planted aquariums, to birds such as Zebra Finches, Cockatiels, and a Blue and Gold Macaw, to reptiles such as Asian Vine Snakes, Chameleons, Chinese Water Dragons, Anoles, and turtles. Brian and his fiancée Shenais have two sons together. Elijah, who has been diagnosed with autism, will be four years old in February, and Brian Jr. will be turning six months old in February. Together, Brian's family loves to explore zoological parks all across the United States and loves traveling to new and exciting places, especially to Puerto Rico! Brian has many hobbies ranging from ceramics to the saltwater aquarium hobby to exploring historical sites and model trains. Currently, Brian works for the United States Postal Service as a PTF Career Clerk. Brian's goal in life is to make the greatest impact he can on educating the public on the immense importance of conservation efforts for all of our precious wildlife!
Born and raised in Sturgis, Michigan, our Executive Treasurer Skylar Price went to Plainwell High School. Skylar has around five years of experience with exotic animals ranging from freshwater aquariums to reptiles such as turtles and snakes. Skylar and his fiancé Arial have a beautiful daughter together. Together, Skylar and Arial are very family oriented, and they love to travel. Skylar's hobbies include online gaming, fixing vehicles, construction and carpentry work, and researching the most naturalistic habitats for exotic animals such as lizards, big cats, and primates. Skylar's goal is to educate the public on the immense importance of conservation efforts for all wildlife and the importance of creating naturalistic enclosures for exotic species to thrive in!
Born and raised in Sturgis, Michigan our Executive Secretary Haley Kelley graduated from Sturgis High School in 2019, and graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Environmental Science with a minor in German in 2024. Haley has around ten years of experience with exotic animals ranging from birds such as cockatiels, cockatoos, and a Blue and Gold Macaw, to reptiles such as turtles and Crested Geckos, to freshwater aquariums, and hedgehogs. Haley and her husband Quinn love to travel and explore new places and attend at their churches regularly. Haley's goal is to dedicate her life to turtles and create a sea turtle conservancy institution, with the goal to create a partnership with the Midwest Zoological Society to create this institution!
Contact us
Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!