The International Society for Anthrozoology

Just become aware of this organisation http://www.isaz.net/

Interface between the art gallery and the zoo

I was fascinated last night by the  ‘Interspecies’  contemporary art exhibition which opened at  the Cornerhouse, Manchester UK recently  See: http://www.artscatalyst.org/projects/global/interspecies.html. It will tour to London, Edinburgh and Northumberland, and, I understand  new work thereafter will allow it to extend to other venues

This has been put together by a remarkably innovative organisation called Arts Catalysts that puts together projects that bridge the art and science worlds

http://www.artscatalyst.org.

 

Art Galleries are places of exhibition and encounter, and so are (good) zoos.  Forward looking zoos also constantly look for new ways to engage and challenge the quite massive and inclusive audience that visit them ( far larger and more democratic, I am afraid, than most contemporary art venues).

 

Is there an opportunity to somehow merge the two approaches in some way?

 

 

A link to a site on jobs in zoos

http://zoowork.blogspot.com/

What would a zoo festival / expo look like..?

Most international professional communities have a programme of regular events whereby they come and physically display the latest most exciting developments in the appropriate field. ( as distinguished from a conference or symposium as interchanges solely of people and ideas)  The art world has its Biennale, science promotes international science festivals, the film community get together and show films, etc.

Yet, despite the fact that our ‘product’ in one sense is actually a physical display, I don’t know that in any sense ( it could involve filmic, photographic or 3d representations rather than anything with live animals) the zoo world has done this.  The botanic and horticultural sector, perhaps our nearest equivalent,  does it of course all the time.

Is this because of understandable sensitivities around the movement of animals ( although as above this might not be required) or simply because we are not a big enough global industry – otherwise our suppliers would have already organised it for us – to sell us stuff!!

Zoo interpretation is so boooooring….!!!

Have you ever been to the sea?  For a holiday, or a day out, maybe?

Have you ever just stood and looked at it?  Got in it?  Walked beside it? 

Have you ever simply sat and gazed and the waves, at the seabirds, at the patterns made in the sand, at the cliffs or marshlands, at the other people enjoying themselves, at the way the colours of the sea and the sky play together..?

Good, isn’t it?

And it doesn’t need bloody interpretative panels telling the kiddies how much salt there is in it. Or broken interactive games on tidal fluid dyamics.  Or f…. ing puppet shows about Captain Birdeye!!!

If children – or anyone – are at all receptive , on the basis of the natural wonder at the sea or elsewhere, to learning more, to learn more, they will seek themselves seek out the information ( and by all means let  make this as easy to find as possible).

The thing that draws people in their increasing millions to zoos is the sight, smell, sound and actuality of live animals.  The very fact of an elephant is wonderful enough, and doesn’t require smothering and debasing in prosaic and vulgar ‘educational’ packaging

Zoos and children’s literature

We are aware that much of the zoo and aquaria audience is driven by the interest of children (  – I remember some interesting research years ago that showed in fact that it is young girls in particular that disproportionately stimulate a decision to visit).

We are also know that inevitably many people cannot but help but view the animal characters they encounter through the lens of one or other form of fiction. In fact, it is hard to think of a classical children’s work of literature that doesn’t prominently feature animals.

Is there something the zoo community has missed here? Of course, it is important that we provide some form of objective information on animal life, rather than promote sentimental and anthromorphic cliches. It is also true that all the great fictional animal icons are jealously guarded intellectual property. One can hardly badge a bear enclosure as Paddington Bear, or name ones’s elephant after Bar-Bar.

However, given that that fictionalisation is inevitably one of the great avenues whereby the public approaches and engages with the entire animal world,  is there some alliance with this world, or  some greater, more imaginative borrowing of  its techniques that could both increase our audiences, and perhaps boost our educational output?

In the final analysis, after all a zoo exhibit and an ‘animal book’ do  exactly the same thing – tell stories to the public about animals – just in different media.

John

The Ivy Zoos ( or the “Ivy League Zoos”…?)

I remember someone at EAZA referencing this idea a few years ago: a grouping of zoos established back in the 19th or early 20th centuries, situated in the centre of large cities.  Such organisations would typically have certain common assets and problems:

• old buildings and structures probably past their useful life but with important heritage and community links
• possibly national preeminence as the zoo in their country’s capital city
• parking, access and similar problems being surrounded by busy cityscapes
• a special degree of national and community affection,  and  a sense of history , place and tradition that other newer zoos might not quite claim

 Unfortunately I have never been able to track down the originator of this beguiling idea ( which may well open access to funding in some form)

 Anybody out there ever heard of this before?  Any comments on the idea?

New site of potential interest to general zoo enthusiasts

 This is a new site largely of interest to USA zoo visitors, but with some international dimensions.  The following is their own email message

 ”Zoo and Aquarium Visitor Magazine will premiere in late summer, 2008. The magazine is aimed at the 145 million affluent, educated American travelers who visit zoos and aquariums each year. We would like to involve you and your institution in our publication.

The magazine will print monthly with an initial subscription base of 300,000 readers. Every member, season ticket holder, or donor to an American zoo or aquarium will be eligible to receive a free subscription. Subscriptions will also be sold, and newsstand copies will be available in bookstores. Our readership and circulation will quickly accelerate during 2009.

In addition to this key market of affluent zoo and aquarium visitors, senior executives, trustees, and board members for zoos and aquariums around the world will subscribe. Because of our demographic reach, we can generate publicity and increase visibility for your operation.

Help us tell our audience about your organization. If you are interested in writing a blog about your projects, new exhibits, renovations, etc. send me an email: rudy@zandavisitor.com. Describe what you will write about, frequency, and length of each entry. We will select several zoo and aquarium support company bloggers from around the world, and give them featured home page blog links.

The magazine will be accompanied by eNews, a weekly newsletter sent via email. Subscription to eNews is free, and we encourage you to submit items that would be of interest to our readers including new or discounted trips, humorous events, and interesting wildlife encounters. To subscribe to eNews please visit our web site at http://www.zandavisitor.com/enewssubscription.To submit items for eNews, please email us at eNewsEditor@zandavisitor.com.

Each news item published will include a link to the sender’s web site.

Please make sure that you and your staff sign up to receive a copy of our eNewsletter (premiers in December). There is no cost and as a subscriber you could win one of the following prizes to be awarded December 10, 2007:

Grand Prize – Dolphin Diamond and Sapphire Brooch from WildlifeGifts.Com, retail value $2,385.00.

First Prize – Diamond Mako Shark Pendant with Ruby Eye from WildlifeGifts.Com, retail value $1,125.00.

Second Prize – 14K Gold Eagle Landing Pendant from WildlifeGifts.Com, retail value $343.00.

To obtain a better sense of who we are and what we are doing, please visit our web site at: http://www.zandavisitor.com“

Invitation to join partnership seeking to access EU funding

The EU’s Interreg programme can, in the right circumstances, release fairly substantial funds for projects on zoo or botanic garden sites,  similar sites or institutions allied to zoos, such as universities.  

 

In each case,  a number of partners needs to come together to bid collectively for the funding. There are a number of different Interreg programmes that apply to different kinds of partnerships in different parts of Europe (  – and some non EU states as well,  such as Switzerland).

This particular post however is a specific invitation to European zoos, nature sites, botanic gardens,  public sector organisations that take an interest in such sites, or other organisations who might want to be involved, to join an existing ‘in principle’ partnership within North West Europe to bid for funding.   The current ‘in principle’ partners are: Bristol Zoo Gardens,  the Eden Project, Fota Wildlife Park, Ireland, Emmen Zoo, Netherlands, and Nordens Ark, Sweden.  Only organisations in certain parts of Europe are eligible in this specific instance.  This map shows the eligible areas: northwesteurope.pdf.  This Q & A  document explains what is involved in the project:  q-a-for-partners.docq-a-for-partners.docq-a-for-partners.doc

There is probably only room for a further 3 organisations, so please contact us very quickly if you are interested. The overall project budget might be in the region of €10 million

If you are not within the eligible area, but are still curious as to how the overall Interreg programme might benefit you, please also contact us, and we will inform you on the potential available to you.

Read “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel

The winner of the Man Booker prize 2002 hardly needs any more publicity.

However Yann Martel’ s story begins in the fictional Pondicherry zoo, and the narrator offers a very subtle defence of the zoo concept, suggesting a zoo is more like a suburb than a prison.

I understand that Mr Martel often explained his support for good zoos in the aftermath to publicity surrounding Life of Pi, and that he officiated at an opening event at Edinburgh Zoo.

 So, in addition to providing an inspirational story, Life of Pi provides thought provoking material for the what could zoos be debate