About

Meet the Founder

Nova Wild began as a planned non-profit venture of a former Reston resident who jumped at the chance to revitalize this beloved local gem.

Tara Campbell Lussier is an entrepreneur and Realtor® who was raised in Reston, VA. She attended nearby Armstrong Elementary and spent her weekends playing soccer at the zoo’s neighbor, Baron Cameron Park. As a professional she has built several successful women-owned businesses based on inclusivity, innovation, and forward-thinking principles. Her prior ventures have been featured in the Washington Business Journal as a “Startup to Watch”, Huffington Post, WTOP 103.5, and named a Loudoun 40 Under 40 Honoree. Tara is first and foremost a mother to four children who are all eager to explore and enjoy the zoo just as she did as a child.

When she learned that the property once known as the Reston Zoo was available she assembled a team of zoo industry thought-leaders with ethics, education, and animal welfare at their core.

Tara and her team have made a number of physical upgrades to the zoo, creating a better experience for everyone (including the wildlife). And they have a long list of improvements planned for the coming year. They intend for the zoo to serve as a family-friendly community wildlife and adventure park for all. They are just getting started.

The entire NOVA Wild team is committed to building a healthy environment for the animals under their care, along with an impactful, fun, educational experience for families and children of all ages that visit NOVA Wild. Our approach is to provide animal welfare educational training for our staff to create an environment that has animal welfare at its core. We ensure optimal welfare outcomes for our animals by empowering our staff to identify welfare challenges and to implement continuous improvement. We will create innovative approaches to offering positive welfare opportunities through an understanding of each animal’s unique characteristics, behaviors, and adaptations.