Be Ivan
Be Inspirational, Be a Visionary, Be an Advocate, Be a Nurturer
Ivan inspired people to bring about a change in his life.
Through their Vision, he became an Advocate for all endangered species and his legacy continues to Nurture new ideas of what could be.
BE IVAN IN EVERYTHING YOU DO
An idea can start a movement, but its virtue will
CHANGE THE WORLD.
“The population of mountain gorillas has continued to increase in recent years, leading to its downlisting from Critically Endangered to Endangered in November 2018.” ― WWF
More is required to increase the population size. It starts with learning their plight and connecting on a more personal level. The deeper our bond with these amazing beings, the more empathetic we are, the more we are drawn to help.
Through Ivan's Story,
grants, scholarships, and a variety of programs, we are dedicated to the conservation of endangered species in their natural habitat.
A lesson learned from Ivan’s Legacy is that we should aspire to be more like his kin rather than trying to shape them to be more like us.
Ivan touched the lives of many in the Tacoma, WA area. We continue to learn how and in what ways years after his passing.
Part of Ivan’s legacy is:
INSPIRING REAL CHANGE IN THE MINDS OF FUTURE GENERATIONS.
The Ivan statue at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium was only the beginning.
The I.V.A.N. Foundation is the next step.
It is our mission to share his story to:
Inspire people who have a Vision to Advocate for all endangered species and to Nurture the ideas to bring about lasting change for the conservation of their natural habitats.
Statue of Ivan at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
What makes these creatures who they are is their behaviors and personalities. Environmental changes lead to an altering of who we are at our core and how we act. We adapt and evolve into our new surroundings.
We need to do more than preserve the Western Lowland Gorilla and other endangered species.
WE NEED TO PRESERVE IT IN ITS NATURAL STATE…
AND ENSURE THEY CAN THRIVE WITHIN IT.
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I was hired as a manager at B & I Circus Store in 1964
I was there to welcome Ivan and Burma when they arrived. They lived with the Johnson family who brought them to the store daily. They were amazing little guys. Burma got ill and didn’t survive after several months of degrading illness. The Johnson’s and I took the little guys on promotional trips to Seattle. One…
What a Remarkable Beautiful Creature He Was
I’m 41 years old today, but when I was a little girl (age 8), I grew up in Tacoma and my mom worked at the B&I and sometimes she would bring me to work and I would see Ivan daily. He was so beautiful and so human-like. I had a really horrible childhood and I…
For A Friend
August 20, 2020 Today, August 20, 2020, is the eighth anniversary of the passing of our friend Ivan the Gorilla®. Tomorrow Disney will release their motion picture adaptation of the novel “The One and Only Ivan”. Through the years much has been said about my family & our connection to Ivan, my grandfather should not have bought Ivan as…
A Christmas Tree for Ivan
Throughout his time in Western Washington, Ivan the Gorilla® was adored by the area’s youth, especially during the Christmas season. The children of Madison Elementary in Olympia, WA decided to show their appreciation to Ivan’s friendship in the winter of 1985. While spending time in the bedroom of his 1600 square foot compound, the children…
How Ivan Helped Build Interstate 5
The year was 1964. The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on June 29, 1956, gave birth to the construction of the new Interstate 5. The Superhighway would stretch 277 miles across the state of Washington closely following ancient trails once used by the indigenous Native Americans &…
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