Although I suspect many of us have zoos or oceanariums nearby, and are 'regulars' at one or more such places as a result, I'm equally sure that many of us travel all over the country to see other facilities.

While fun and educational, it can also get expensive. It's not just airfare, hotel and rental car, but admission. Those prices seem to move only in one direction -- up. Spend enough time on the road, visit enough places, and admission costs can eat a significant chunk of your travel budget.

You could buy an annual membership in each place you like, a practice which usually gains you free admission, but that may not be worth it in the long run if you only spend a day or two at any given park. Worse, the admission benefits are usually limited to a specific park.

This is where membership in a professional zoological association can be very helpful, and the good news is you do NOT have to be a professional zookeeper or animal trainer, or even work for a zoo, to participate. Most such organizations have an "Associate" category, open to anyone who has an interest in what the organization does and is willing to pay annual dues.

Membership in one or more of these organizations has significant benefits. Your membership dollars go to supporting conservation and education efforts at ALL member zoos, not just a few. You also get a very detailed periodic newsletter, detailing what's going on inside the organization, and in the zoo and oceanarium field at the pro level. This often provides a fascinating and highly educational look into the "behind the scenes" operations at facilities all over the planet. You also get a discounted rate if you choose to attend an organization's annual conference.

But the one benefit that will probably be of greatest interest to you, my fellow ZANDAnistas, is that of free or discounted admission to multiple parks, just by showing your membership card. I'm going to detail four such organizations for you in this post, and give you some idea of how membership in one or more can easily pay for itself in just a couple of visits to a member facility.

AMERICAN ZOO AND AQUARIUM ASSOCIATION (AZA)

Web: http://www.aza.org

AZA is perhaps the oldest and most well-known zoological organization. Formerly known as the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AAZPA), they provide a collective voice for zoos and zoological professionals all over the United States, and they also operate a "Species Survival Program" (SSP) for preservation of endangered species among their member facilities.

Another major function of AZA is their accreditation program. A zoo or oceanarium displaying the AZA logo has agreed to follow a set of very rigorous and comprehensive guidelines on everything from animal care to guest services, and it is very rare that you will ever find a "bad apple" amoing accredited facilities.

They put out a monthly magazine-style newsletter, called "Connect," which has a variety of articles and news clips from across the country. Such news includes (but is not limited to) major personnel changes, animal births, transfers and acquisitions, and news of new and upcoming exhibits. They also hold an annual conference, as well as numerous regional conferences.

Membership in AZA, at the 'Associate' level, requires only two things: Payment of $70/year in dues, and agreeing to abide by the organization's charter (essentially, don't be a jerk). Just three of the places that AZA membership will get you in free to are: Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle (and you also get 20% off in the gift shop); Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, CA; and the Denver Zoological Gardens, Denver, CO.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ZOOKEEPERS (AAZK)

Web: http://www.aazk.org

Less well known than AZA, this organization is oriented more towards actual zookeepers, both paid and volunteer. Their monthly newsletter, the 'Animal Keepers Forum,' provides a much more 'personal' (keeper-level) view of what's going on at various zoos than AZA does, and you will also get articles on animal training and care.

Affiliate membership is what you'd be after here, and it runs $35/year. Unlike AZA, the organization does not appear to publish a list of facilities that give free or discounted admission, so it's best to call whatever zoo or aquarium you're planning to visit before you go and ask if AAZK members have any discounts.

CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS (CAZA)

Web: http://www.caza.ca/en/

This is the Canadian answer to AZA. They provide similar accreditation functions to Canadian zoos and aquariums, and their newsletter is published every other month.

This is another organization that does not publish a list of which places give free or discounted admission to members, so it's another 'call and ask' situation.

Associate membership is available, at CAD $55/year, but your application for such will require endorsement by an existing member in the "Fellow" category.

INTERNATIONAL MARINE ANIMAL TRAINERS ASSOCIATION (IMATA)

Web: http://www.imata.org

IMATA is more of a specialty organization than the other three. Their purpose is to promote the exchange of information and training techniques related specifically to marine mammals, including dolphins, whales, polar bears, seals and sea lions.

If you have a strong interest in such critters, you visit oceanariums more than zoos, or if you have an interest in the training and care that goes into putting a dolphin or whale show together, you would do well to join IMATA. This despite the fact that such membership will probably not get you in free or at a discount to most oceanariums.

What IMATA membership does get you is an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to put together a dolphin or whale show, or specialties such as swim-with-the-dolphins programs. It also gets you access to the quarterly newsletter, "Soundings," which is chock full of interesting tidbits about the marine mammal field and the people who work in it.

There are two levels of membership of interest. The cheapest is Web Affiliate, at $40/year. This gets you access to IMATA's web site, the ability to download a nice .PDF of 'Soundings' and other goodies from the IMATA library, and discounted rates for the annual conference.

The next level up is Associate, at $75/year. This gets you all the bennies of Web Affiliate PLUS you get access to the IMATA membership directory online (regularly updated), a hardcopy of Soundings, a complimentary copy of the Proceedings from each annual conference, and discounted registration at the annual conference.

IT'S UP TO YOU...

Only you can decide which, if any, of the organizations are right for you. I've been a member of IMATA since 1985, AZA since before they were AZA, and AAZK for just under two years. I've gotten considerable value out of each one, not just in the 'official' benefits but also in the unofficial recognition one can acquire after being a member for a few years, and becoming known in the field.

Sometimes -- not very often, but it does happen -- such recognition can have benefits far beyond what's written down in an organization's charter. Get to know a particular animal keeper or trainer well enough, or become well known enough at whatever park is close to you, and you could find yourself the recipient of an impromptu behind-the-scenes tour, photo opportunities normally unavailable to the general public, or some unexpected animal contact.

Whatever you decide, happy travels!

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P.S. Just some background, for those who may be curious. My day job, as an electronics engineering tech, can get pretty sterile, so I balance it with visiting (and photographing) zoos and oceanariums. I also do amateur ('ham') radio, so you might hear me on the air as KC7GR.

As for travel, you never know where I might show up, but pay particular attention to the two major zoos in the Puget Sound area (Pt. Defiance and Woodland Park). I'll be the one with the Canon EOS SLR around my neck and a stocky lady with a white cane at my right side.