Green Actions for People, Animals and the Planet with Richard A. Kotarsky, M.A.

Ric Kotarsky is the Curator of Conservation and Scientific Advancement at the Tulsa Zoo. He has had a lifelong passion for wildlife and the outdoors, shaped by his upbringing in Western Pennsylvania. Ric pursued this passion academically, earning a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife and Fisheries Ecology Management from Oklahoma State University and a master’s degree in museum studies and organizational leadership from the University of Oklahoma.
Ric began his zoo career 27 years ago and has spent more than 25 years leading and managing wildlife conservation programs around the world as part of the Tulsa Zoo’s mission to protect endangered and threatened species. In addition to conservation initiatives, he oversees the zoo’s research, solid waste, and sustainability programs, which launched in 2012.
He is the Chair and Co-founder of the Monarch Initiative of Tulsa and a Co-founder and state steering committee member of the Oklahoma
Monarch and Pollinator Collaborative (Okies for Monarchs). Ric also serves on Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols’ Sustainability Task Force and is a liaison for the North American Monarch Butterfly Conservation SAFE
(Saving Animals From Extinction) Program. Additionally, he serves on
the boards of the Oxley Nature Center and The Sustainability Alliance.
Ric regularly shares his expertise in wildlife conservation, animal
welfare, and sustainability through community events and science programs. He is committed to promoting wildlife ecology and
conservation at every opportunity, with the goal of inspiring a deeper
appreciation for all animals.