Woodland Park Zoo Receives AZA Education Award

By Rebecca Whitham

Seattle, WA - Woodland Park Zoo was awarded the 2008 Significant Achievement Award for Education by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) for its innovative Cultural Interpreter Program. The award was presented at the 84th Annual AZA Conference held this September in Milwaukee.

“Woodland Park Zoo is a strong community asset for conservation education,” said AZA President and CEO Jim Maddy. “The fact that their peers at accredited zoos and aquariums have recognized their achievement is a testament to the leadership and professionalism of the staff at Woodland Park Zoo.”

AZA recognizes outstanding achievement in educational program design, judging programs on their ability to promote conservation knowledge, attitudes and behavior, show innovation, and measure success.

Woodland Park Zoo’s Cultural Interpreter Program provides a deep and memorable education experience by giving zoo visitors the chance to meet and learn from interpreters who share their authentic life experiences and firsthand knowledge of the world’s wildlife and wild places. In 2007, the first full implementation of this program took place when four members of the Maasai community of Merrueshi in southern Kenya were hired to work as cultural interpreters at the zoo, teaching zoo visitors about the wildlife and conservation issues of the east African savanna. Through weekly programs including guided tours of the zoo’s award-winning African Savanna exhibit, storytelling, and conservation chats about critical issues such as waterhole preservation, the interpreters brought to life the real and urgent issues impacting Africa’s wildlife, wild places and people.

“In order to save wildlife, we must understand that wildlife conservation issues also impact the people sharing these critical habitats,” said Woodland Park Zoo President and CEO Dr. Deborah Jensen. “We are extremely proud of our cultural interpreters’ work. They bring our visitors firsthand knowledge of their homes, the animals that live there and the conservation issues that affect them, the habitat and the wildlife. Their stories are inspirational and, we hope, motivate our guests to learn more, care and act.”

The success of this initiative has led to the establishment of the Cultural Interpreter Program as an ongoing feature of the zoo’s education programming for visitors. The program was successfully continued into the summer 2008 season, and the zoo is currently examining opportunities to extend the Cultural Interpreter Program to additional zoo bioclimatic zones.

About the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Founded in 1924, the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation. Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting an institution dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. With its more than 200 accredited members, the AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, and your link to helping animals in their native habitats. For more information, please visit www.aza.org.

About Woodland Park Zoo
Accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, award-winning Woodland Park Zoo serves as a vital resource for tens of thousands of students and teachers across Washington state each year. The Education Department offers an array of activities to teach valuable lessons about local and global conservation issues, including zoo-based school programs, public programs and classes for all ages, day camps, teacher workshops and a zoowide volunteer program.
 
These programs are developed with today’s education requirements in mind and are closely connected to Washington’s Essential Academic Learning Requirements and the Environmental Education Goals and Guidelines for Washington Schools. For more information, visit www.zoo.org or call 206.548.2500.

601 North 59th Street * Seattle, Washington 98103, USA * 206-548-2500 * 206-548-1536 * TTY 206-548-2599 * www.zoo.org