Why a conservation education strategy?

1. Why a conservation education strategy? Connecting people and wildlife Dr Lesley Dickie Executive Director European Association of Zoos and Aquaria EZE 2009 Cologne

2. Who or what is EAZA? • European Association of Zoos and Aquaria • 315 members in 35 countries • ~ 20,000 people employed • Total visitation numbering ~140 million/year • Executive Committee of eight people • Full Council of 45 people

3. Executive Committee Chairman Bert de Boer Vice Chairman Simon Tonge Secretary Lars Lunding Andersen Treasurer Ryzsard Topola EEP Committee Chair Bengt Holst Membership and Ethics Alex Ruebel Aquarium Committee Phillippe Jouk Legislation Committee Ulrich Schurer Council Representatives from all countries Standing Committee Chairs Observers; Education Committee Henk Hiddingh Research Committee Alastair Macdonald Veterinary Committee Jacques Kaandorp Communications Committee Vacant TAGs, EEP, ESB, RCPs

4. EAZA Campaigns - history Bushmeat 2000/01 Atlantic Rainforest 2001/02 Tiger 2002/03/04 Shellshock 2004/05 Rhino 2005/06 Madagascar 2006/07 Amphibians 2007/08 European Carnivores 2008/09 Total funds raised to date in excess of 3 million Euro

5. EAZA in a time of change Internal • New Director • EZAF to EAZA • Re-accreditation • Council Elections/new chairman • New EEO structure • New 2009-2012 overarching strategy

6. Executive Director Admin IT CCC Manager Asst. Asst. Cons. Cons. Communication and Membership Manager New EEO Structure Asst. Asst. Freelance Magazine Editor Freelance Graphics layout Oversee production of all communication tools Campaigns Education Committee liaison Communications Strategy Oversee C & M Team (all current tasks)

7. Objectives then and now • To promote conservation, particularly through breeding programmes • To promote education; • To represent the interests of its members by attending and contributing to relevant congresses • To promote scientific study; “To promote co-operation for the furtherance of wildlife conservation, particularly through internationally coordinated breeding programmes of wild animals and in situ conservation." "To promote education, in particular environmental education.“ "To represent the interest of its members.”

8. World Zoo and Aquarium Conservation Strategy • Launched in 2005 to follow-up the previous World Zoo Conservation Strategy in 1993 (which had been prompted by the CBD acceptance in 1992) • Nine chapters; • Integrating Conservation; • Conservation of Wild Populations; • Science and Research; • Population Management; • Education and Training; • Communication: Marketing and Public Relations; • Partnerships and Politics; • Sustainability; • Ethics and Animal Welfare.

9. Policies and standards • Code of Ethics (draft 2009) • All members of EAZA are obligated to: • Assist in achieving the conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable use of the planets resources. Any actions taken in relation to an individual • animal must be undertaken with this higher ideal of biodiversity • conservation in mind. All EAZA members will implement the World Zoo and Aquarium Conservation Strategy (2005) to the best of their abilities,

10. Policies and standards • EAZA Strategy 2009-2012 Strategic Aim 2f; Strongly promote (and support) zoo and aquarium education on conservation and sustainability

11. EAZA in a time of change External factors • Conservation problems are now global e.g. climate change – conservation of an entire planetary system not a single component • Old conservation paradigms failing in the face of new conservation challenges • Economic crisis – knock-on effects on sponsorship of conservation/education

12. IUCN 2009-2012 Programme • The IUCN met in Barcelona for the World Conservation Congress in in October 2008 • ‘Safeguarding the diversity of life’ stream (2009-2012) • New chair of the Species Survival Commission elected, Dr Simon Stuart

13. IUCN 2009-2012 Programme • WAZA has signed an MoU with IUCN • WAZA, EAZA and BIAZA met with SSC chair on 16th January 09 to discuss areas of mutual interest Three focal (species) areas for the IUCN • Amphibians • Corals • Large animals of South East Asia

14. U.S.P (unique selling point) of zoos and aquaria • Live animals in largely urban settings • Not just facts, but potential for emotional connections, • Outdoors, • Not technology driven

15. Mini-campaigns (defending reason) • Darwin200 (2009) • 2010 UN International Year of Biodiversity

16. Children and the loss of access to nature 2005 ‘Last Child in the Woods’ by Richard Louv • Children are spending less and less time • outdoors playing • Becoming more and more disconnected • from the natural world • Resulting in behavioural problems • Nature-deficit disorder

17. Children and the loss of access to nature • Stanger-danger • Parental fears over traffic

18. Children and the loss of access to nature • Easy access to electronic • equipment and proliferation of • indoor activities • A more pressured social • organisation and school demands

19. Children and the loss of access to nature • Radius of activity study – area around their house where children • are allowed to roam freely declined by 90% since the 1970’s • Walking to school study – in 1971 80% of seven-eight year olds • walked to school, in 2008 this was less than 10% • Consequences • A generation that knows about deforestation of the Amazon because • they saw it on TV…… …….but because they have lost their ‘biophilia’ don’t feel moved to do anything about it.

20. Consequences cont. • Conservationists who talk about how they were led to their chosen • career paths talk about their experience of nature from childhood. • Where will the conservationists of the future come from? • Global warming? If the next generation is disconnected from the • balance of nature it will make it even harder to ensure that action is • taken to re-balance our impact on the planet

21. ‘Leave no child at home’ or ‘re-wilding’ childhood • A movement to re-connect children to nature • Real-world learning initiative and outdoor classrooms; • 2005 study in California found that students in outdoor science • programmes improved their science testing scores by 27% • Not necessarily to do with • structured lessons

22. EAZA zoos and re-connecting children to nature • Developing natural areas within zoos and aquariums in addition to • exhibits; meadows and woodlands as play areas instead of manicured • lawns and plastic climbing frames • Developing ‘Conservation Clubs’ that sometimes are more like • opportunities for play in nature than structured lessons • Get out of the classroom!

23. An EAZA Conservation Education Strategy • Of relevance to EAZA members and beyond (IUCN CEC) • Clear strategic aims in a log-frame format • Time bound actions • Targeted responsible groups/people • Key Performance Indicators Strategic Aim 2: Increase involvement of the members in in situ conservation and sustainable development efforts

24. YES WE CAN

25. Conclusion and Thanks • Not just EAZA Executive Office • Not just one zoo • Not just one consortium • Team EAZA working with partners