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Creative Placemaking

Author: Michelle McElroy

Conservation in Zoos

When educating people about the importance of conservation of animals and their habitats in zoos, it is important to create a connection between them and nature. This connection can be achieved by creating a sense of place that allows people to be inspired by nature and understand the importance of preserving it for the future. To create a sense of place artwork could be integrated into viewing areas to allow visitors to interact with it to form a closer connection to the animals they encounter. It is important to encourage and create moments of connection to the animals and their habitats. These connections have the potential to change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans existing in harmony with each other.

β€œIn the end, we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.” – Baba Dioum

 

Conservation Education in Zoos

Sea Lion Sound exhibit the St. Louis Zoo, image by Michelle McElroy

Zoos offer an opportunity to educate visitors about wildlife and habitat conservation. Due to their ability to create experiences and engage visitors directly zoos have the potential to increase learning and conservation related action while also building quality of place. In the past several decades there has been a shift towards educating people about conservation within the zoos. There has been an increasing effort to focus on the welfare of animals first and foremost, with the visitor experience being designed to engage each viewer in regards to the specific animal and their habitat.