|
ZOO's Educator Network ZEN
Zoo Outreach Organization is
running its own educator's network named ZOO's
Educator Network ZEN and the member
represents from all South Asian countries.
The total members are 255 at present.
Zoo Outreach Organization is
a member of WAZA and is guided by WAZA
principles. WAZCS enjoins all zoos and
aquariums to support the protection of wildlife in
the wild in any meaningful way possible for them
regardless of their size or budget. For some zoos,
the most immediate and meaningful way to support
protection of wildlife and its habitat is through
education. WZACS also makes a strong argument for
zoos partnering with other organizations to
enhance our effectiveness in protecting wildlife
and habitat. We use CPSG workshops
such as Conservation Assessment and Management
Plan (CAMP) and Population and Habitat Viability
Assessment (PHVA) to gather and assess
information, which we use for education.
Z.O.O. and W.I.L.D. host
several important IUCN groups,
taxonomically-themed international NGO's, focused
on the more neglected, highly specise taxon
groups, such as Invertebrates, Amphibians,
Reptiles, Bats, Rodents and Insectivores, and
Primates.
ZOO's Educator Network
ZEN develops much educational material for
all target groups; making use of scientific facts
about species and their habitats from workshops we
conduct involving indigenous scientists. Due to
postage and customs costs, we supply the bulk of
these materials to Indian educators, but take
every opportunity to load visitors from the zoos
in South Asia with materials to take back.
We also send samples of everything to all in the
region and give permission for them to use it as
they require, in translation, modified more to
their country, culture etc.
To know more about How
ZEN works
To see ZOO's Educator Network
ZEN
Members Directory
Supply of Education
materials
Zoo Outreach Organization develops and
distributes education materials to its education
network members and others during Earth Day, World
Environment Day, Wildlife Week and other special
occasions free.
To view the World Environment Day 2015
invitation
To see our current
Education
Reports published in
ZOO's PRINT
To see some previous Educators
Training Programme Reports
Pollinator!
not just bees!
Bat Education 2012
Year
of the Bat 2011
Frogs
are part of Biodiversity!
Bears,
Forests and Biodiveristy
Report
on
Linking Wildlife Conservation and
Wildlife Welfare
Report on
Getting along with Elephants Educator Workshops
held in
Tamil Nadu
and
Thailand
Educator Skills
Training Programmes on Bears held in
Van Vihar National
Park
and
Bannerghatta
Biological Park
The following report is a
bit about each country in our region:
Afghanistan
Kabul Zoo has
an Education Officer, who conducts tours,
classes, school programmes and outreach
visits. Mohammed Fazil, the former
education officer, had attended several training
courses and meetings conducted by Zoo Outreach
Organization. The new education officer
Najibullah Nazary came to India in 2010 for
training and he was trained by ZOO staff and
visited few South Indian Zoos to know much more
about the education activities run by the Indian
zoos.
Bangladesh
There are about
nine zoos in Bangladesh of which two have some
systematic education programme or
facilities. The Dulahazara Safari Park has
a museum, interpretation center and nicely
painted bus to take visitors around, as well as
some handout literature. The Dhaka Zoo serves as
a training center for all the zoos, very kindly
inviting all of them to any useful training
programme conducted at the zoo. For the
past 3-4 years, ZOO has been conducting informal
programmes there for several zoos.
Bhutan
There is one
mini-zoo in Bhutan with only one zoo
officer. He gives information to visitors
when asked and sees to signage. ZEN
provides him with some educational material to
use when he speaks to school groups and other
public functions.
Sri Lanka
All Zoological
institutions in Sri Lanka come under the
Department of National Zoological Gardens - Sri
Lanka (DNZG). The Government of Sri Lanka
created a Ministry of Zoological and Botanical
Gardens. Under this Ministry there are
better opportunities for progressive ideas and
actions. In the same year the zoo was
awarded posts for 30 scientists graduates and
post Graduates from the University, of which 12
are being utilized as educators. This is a
singular event in the world of which the entire
South Asia is proud! ZOO has been invited
to conduct a zoo educator training for them
specifically to train in planning programmes,
events and give presentations.
Nepal
Central Zoo is
the only real zoo in Nepal and, as such an
excellent platform for conservation
education. The zoo has an audience of over
a million visitors a year, mostly from rural
areas. They run 2 kinds of conservation
education programes, those for members of the
highly successful (17,000 members) Friends of
the Zoo FOZ and walk-in visitor programmes. The
zoo has networked over 150 school of Kathmandu
valleys, establishing Eco clubs in 40 of
these schools. FOZ programmes include
elaborate functions and even trips to wild
areas. Visitor programmes include guides
for school groups booking in advance, handouts,
interpretation center, etc. The zoo also
conducts teacher-training programmes
frequently. In 2000 ZOO conducted an 8 day
regional zoo educator training course at Nepal
for zoos of South Asia, and in 2003 assisted in
a two-day training for teachers. In 2008
ZOO conducted Amphibian Conservation Educator
Skills Training at the zoo for zoo staff and
teachers. With the support of Central Zoo,
ZOO conducted three teachers training workshops
of Human Elephant Coexistence HECx
workshops in which education staff from the zoo
and other educators from all over Nepal
participated.
Pakistan
Pakistan has
about 26 wild animal facilities of which two
have education programmes, Karachi Zoo and
Lahore Zoo. Karachi Zoo conducts special
visitor programmes with the schools on special
days appropriate to celebrating wildlife.
They have a well-furnished museum and facilities
for group functions in their Mogul Garden.
Lahore Zoo runs a number of programmes and
conducts evaluation for knowing the impact of
their education and training programmes with
comparative assessments, surveys and
questionnaires, observation of visitor's
behavior, donation records and response to
pledges and petitions as well as record of media
coverage and teacher feedback on formal
programme. Bushra Khan, Lecturer, Punjab
University and Volunteer Educator is the
Education Representative for the ZOO's Educator
Network ZEN.
India
India has 159
zoos all of which come under the auspices of the
Central Zoo Authority. Over half a dozen
zoos now have education cells and close to a
dozen posts for education officer. In
India the Central Zoo Authority has formed a
Steering Committee to prepare a protocol for zoo
education, with Master Plan guidelines, Visitor
survey protocol and other helpful
material. The CZA also runs zoo educator
training workshops every two years. The
renowned Centre for Environmental Education, the
nodal government specialist on environmental
education is the focal point and coordinator for
this important activity. Zoo Outreach
Organization / ZEN assisted over 200
zoos and other organisations and individuals to
conduct education in zoos and other public
venues with our packets, posters, report
summaries, drama kits, t-shirts, etc. In
2011, ZOO distributed 15000 items of education
materials on Climate Change (Live More Simply),
amphibians, bat, bear, Lion-tailed macaque
posters, special kits on World Environment Day
2011 themed Green Economy: Does it include you?
and Drama kits on bears.
|
