{"id":87,"date":"2014-03-26T09:52:16","date_gmt":"2014-03-26T09:52:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/safariwest.wpengine.com\/?page_id=87"},"modified":"2025-10-14T14:14:53","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T19:14:53","slug":"our-story","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/safariwest.com\/research-education-conservation\/our-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Story and Mission"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\">From Vision to Vitality<\/h3>\n<p>Safari West began as a shared dream. In the late 1980s, Peter Lang and Dr. Nancy Lang began transforming 400 acres of Sonoma County wilderness into a place unlike any other\u2014an immersive preserve where people could encounter wildlife, connect with nature, and learn through experience.<\/p>\n<p>Drawing on their unique backgrounds\u2014Peter as a contractor with a passion for animals, and Dr. Nancy Lang as a field biologist and curator\u2014they laid the foundation for what would become Safari West. Together, they built the early infrastructure, hired the first guides, shaped the tours, and designed the signature tent camp. Every decision, from the roads to the storytelling to the canvas tents imported from Africa, was guided by collaboration, creativity, and a shared commitment to bringing Safari West to life.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>Our\u00a0Mission Statement<\/strong><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><cite>Safari West advances wildlife research, fosters environmental education, and champions ecologically sound conservation practices\u2014while sharing knowledge that empowers individuals to make informed choices about their impact on the natural world.<br \/>\nAt Safari West it\u2019s all about the animals. Always has been, always will be.<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>Conservation at the Core<\/h3>\n<p>From the beginning, Safari West has existed for the animals. Every tour, every tent, every moment on property serves a greater purpose: to protect wildlife and inspire people to care deeply about the natural world.<\/p>\n<p>Under Dr. Lang\u2019s leadership, we continue to champion breeding programs for endangered species, provide immersive educational experiences for guests of all ages, and support research that contributes to global conservation efforts.<\/p>\n<h3>A Place to Learn, Stay, and Wonder<\/h3>\n<p>What began as a quiet breeding preserve is now a vibrant destination\u2014welcoming guests from around the world to experience wildlife up close. Our safari tours, behind-the-scenes encounters, and hands-on youth programs connect people of all backgrounds to animals they may never encounter otherwise.<\/p>\n<p>And when the sun sets, guests settle into our luxury tent camp\u2014imported from Botswana, perched on raised decks, and nestled into the natural landscape. It\u2019s not just a place to stay; it\u2019s a place to be transformed.<\/p>\n<h3>Looking Ahead<\/h3>\n<p>Every year, we welcome more curious, compassionate visitors. We invest in greener practices, deepen our educational reach, and strengthen our commitment to conservation science.<\/p>\n<p>The future of Safari West is being built now\u2014in every classroom we serve, every habitat we improve, and every connection we spark between people and animals. We invite you to join us on this journey and help ensure a wilder, more hopeful tomorrow.<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\">Welcome to Safari West!<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From Vision to Vitality Safari West began as a shared dream. In the late 1980s, Peter Lang and Dr. Nancy Lang began transforming 400 acres of Sonoma County wilderness into&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":5360,"parent":4345,"menu_order":112,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"folder":[],"class_list":["post-87","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.3 (Yoast SEO v26.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Our Story and Mission - Safari West<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Our story begins in the heart of the wine country in the Sonoma Serengeti: Safari West Wildlife Preserve Mission Statement.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/safariwest.com\/research-education-conservation\/our-story\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Our Story and Mission\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Our story begins in the heart of the wine country in the Sonoma Serengeti: Safari West Wildlife Preserve Mission Statement.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/safariwest.com\/research-education-conservation\/our-story\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Safari West\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-14T19:14:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/safariwest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Peter-Nancy-Lang.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1125\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/safariwest.com\/research-education-conservation\/our-story\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/safariwest.com\/research-education-conservation\/our-story\/\",\"name\":\"Our Story and Mission - 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