WAZA, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, just wrapped up its 78th annual conference in San Diego, October 8-12, 2023. Canopy was represented at the gathering by Vice President Lori Perkins, and Senior Consultant Jackie Ogden, PhD, who were joined by Kyle Lundby, PhD, of Global Aspect Human Capital Advisors in delivering an invited keynote address at the assembly.
WAZA is a relatively intimate gathering, with about 300 people in attendance, and those participants are primarily zoo and aquarium CEOs and other institutional leaders. The smaller conference setting made for greater opportunity for networking and social connections, and we were fortunate to be able to connect with partners, colleagues, clients, and friends throughout the week.
WAZA facilitates partnerships among multiple conservations entities, and its ability to connect zoos and aquariums with organizations working to preserve and protect species and habitats provides an avenue for bringing environmental issues to the public, encouraging advocacy and awareness. The intimate nature of the WAZA conference reflects this role in the way that the gathering promotes personal conversation and relationship-building. In regard to cultural changes, the conference sessions and personal conversations made it clear that the major cultural shifts experienced among US zoos and aquariums are echoed throughout much of the international community. All regions are experiencing changes related to diversity and inclusion, and we are all dealing with the need for an evolution in leadership skill and style as older generations retire and new leaders emerge.
The conference format was a mix of presentations, panel sessions, and partner updates, and included:
• A moving update from Volodymyr Topchyy, Director of the Mykolaiv Zoo and President of the Association of Zoos of Ukraine, sharing the compelling story of how those institutions have coped with the significant impacts of the ongoing war. With assistance from EAZA, the zoos have coped with direct and indirect casualties, lack of water, loss of electric power, and other unimaginable hardships, but have managed to maintain the animal collections and are beginning to re-open for education programs and outings.
• Chester Zoo presented an intriguing new model for identifying and assessing the role and value of zoos. Historically, the zoo community has conceptualized its roles as conservation, education, research, and recreation. The proposed new model is called the Zoo Sphere of Influence and includes other areas of value, like public health, education and training, policy, conservation finance, and economics. The model includes a self-evaluation matrix that zoos can use to assess their impact and identify their strengths and weaknesses in each area. The model (https://www.chesterzoo.org/what-we-do/our-projects/zoo-sphere-of-influence/) is still in development, and there are some gaps – our friends at Chester Zoo welcome feedback and comment.
• Sessions focused on aquariums were well-received and included discussions about sustainable and ethical acquisitions, and the challenges involved in verifying and certifying the origins of aquatic collections in accordance with WAZA’s global conservation and sustainability strategy.
• The Amphibian Ark (AArk), which is working to address the greatest extinction of a class of animals since the demise of the dinosaurs, offered a partner report and an appeal. Nearly half of all amphibian species (~45%) are in decline worldwide, and zoos and aquariums are uniquely positioned to address the decline by leveraging their space and resources to develop the assurance colonies and support the research needed to buy time for this critical class of animals.
• Another partner report was delivered by the International Zoo Educators Association (IZE), who challenged the attendees to take a hard look at the role and impact of conservation education in their institutions, provided compelling food for thought and further discussion.
• Professor Henry Greely, Director of Stanford University’s Program in Neuroscience and Society, gave a fascinating virtual presentation on ethics and biotechnology, focusing on the risks and consequences of “de-extinction” – the very real efforts to bring back extinct species through cloning and other advanced genetic manipulation technologies.
• Another highlight was the keynote presentation from National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore, who shared stories both humorous and heart-wrenching about his efforts to build the “Photo Ark” of endangered species through partnering with zoos and aquariums across the world.
• Our own presentation, “Trends in People and Culture: What the Research Tells Us” was very well-received – issues around diversity and inclusion among zoo and aquarium staff, cultural challenges facing our institutions, and the skills and talents that are imperatives for the success of leaders now and into the future were strongly resonant with conference attendees, many of whom offered their gratitude for our bringing these topics to the surface for discussion. To view our full Presentation Deck – Click HERE
