Proposal: Creation of Conservation Education ProgramsIsabella Garramone

Simulation Scenario•Isabella Garramone

▫Small mammal keeper▫Zoo educator

•Proposal to Capital District Zoo’s board of directors for inclusion of educational programs featuring conservation themes in the annual budget

Why Conserve?Biodiversity crisis• Extinction rates

are around 100 to 1,000 times greater than background levels

• 1 extinction now occurs every 20 minutes

(Levin 2012)

Biodiversity•In crisis largely because of the human

footprint on the earth▫Natural resources overexploited▫Pollution contaminating the air, soil, water,

etc.•Many biodiversity hotspots located where

rates of ecosystem loss and city development are high

•How to slow the rate of extinction?

Educational Opportunity• Zoos and aquariums

▫600 million people▫10% world’s population

• Botanical gardens▫200 million people

• US attendance(Gibbs 310)

• “For the young people of the world’s cities, zoos and aquariums are often the first contact with nature and so you are the incubator of the conservationists of tomorrow”

– Achim Steiner, Director, IUCN

Why are programs necessary?•OSU - Having signage or displays is not

enough to effectively teach visitors about conservation▫Connecting ideas between displays

Why are programs necessary?

•Get people personally involved & actively participating▫Outline the steps they can take to follow up

on their new knowledge Basic conservation actions Volunteering

▫Behavioral changes may be minute, but multiplied over the millions of people who visit zoos, they can make an enormous difference.

Examples of Current Conservation Education Programs

Dallas Zoo•Wide variety of educational programs•“On the Catwalk”

▫Texas’ native cats•“Frog club”

▫Citizen Science▫Trains children and their parents in

identifying frog calls and amphibian monitoring

▫Active participation in conservation research Personal investment

Harris Center for Conservation Education•Variety of programs for all ages, but their

adult programs are very unique▫Classes to enroll in▫Discussion based learning▫Complicated topics approached from

different viewpoints

•Adults▫Source of volunteers, donations

Relevance of Conservation Education

•World Zoo Conservation Strategy: “Education is an essential

conservation task of zoos”

•Join the ranks of zoos with successful conservation education programs

Methods•Highlight conservation work currently

being done at the zoo▫Adds relevance ▫Capitalize on efforts already invested in

these projects▫Get visitors to help with projects

How will this be accomplished?•Employment of an additional part-time

staff•Internships•Volunteers•Funding

▫Asking for $3,000 for startup costs of materials

How will this benefit the zoo?•Draw in more visitors•School groups more attracted to zoo –

conservation is interdisciplinary•Community awareness of conservation

work done at the zoo

Zoo’s Mission

“To provide a recreational experience that fosters excellence in wildlife education and wildlife conservation so that present and future generations are inspired to understand, appreciate, and protect the fragile interdependence of all living things.”

Evaluation•Surveys to determine the change in

behavior and knowledge of participants•Report back in two years on how well the

programs are working▫Will know the outcome of your investment

Recap•Biodiversity crisis –

extinction rates high largely because of human impacts

•Each year, 10% of the world’s population visits a zoo or aquarium

•Many zoos already use educational programs to teach about conservation

Recap

•Programs will draw in more visitors•Will raising community awareness of the

conservation work done at the zoo•Behavioral changes that we inspire may

be minute, but multiplied by the amount of people in the program, can really make a difference

Thank you