Zoological knowledge typically comes from one of two primary sources: the living and the dead — observations of animals going about their business in their habitats; and the study of preserved specimens. We rarely get the whole picture of an animal’s natural history without both, and each feed into how species are portrayed to those that have never seen them.

Getting echidnas wrong

Taxidermy short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) from the University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge. Note the backwards-pointing hind feet. Specimen A1. 2/7. Photo Credit: University of Cambridge

Consider the echidna, for example. Examining echidna specimens in museums helps us to understand their evolutionary relationships and enables us to come up with some reasonable suggestions for how they live their lives. The impenetrable coat of thick spines is clearly for defense against predators and guessing at an ant-eating lifestyle doesn’t require too much imagination when you think about what its narrow toothless snout and stout, digging claws might be for. However, we wouldn’t be able to confirm exactly how these things are put to use without seeing them alive.

As someone with one foot in the world of Australian mammal ecology (the living) and another in natural history museums (the dead), one thing that really interests me is the cross-over: how do the dead represent the living? Museums are sites of communication — they provide windows onto the natural world for people to engage with animals they may never see alive. This has made the topic of how animals are depicted — in writings, illustrations and museums — a real focus for me.

A live (undoctored) echidna, in Tasmania. Photo Credit: Jack Ashby.

While museum specimens are in one sense a primary source, they are also modified by people in order to make them presentable to the public. Taxidermy is intended to make visitors forget the animal is dead, and to achieve that a flat animal skin has to be rebuilt into the shape of a living animal. The trouble is that throughout history, the person doing the taxidermy — particularly for specimens that had travelled to Europe from Australia — had often never seen the living animal. This means that their poses are often incorrect.

In the case of the echidna, it is extremely common for the back feet to point in the wrong direction — in life they should point backwards (enabling echidnas to scratch in between their spines and dig vertically downwards to bury themselves in defense), but taxidermists often didn’t know that, so twisted their feet around. I’ve come across tens of wrong-footed echidnas, and I know the reason why, but I was flummoxed a few years ago when I encountered an echidna with blue eyes at the Manchester Museum. Where did that error come from?

Why does this taxidermy echidna at Manchester Museum have blue eyes? Photo Credit: Jack Ashby.

That mystery echidna popped back into my mind recently when re-reading the original species description on the Biodiversity Heritage Library, and I think I know the answer.

In 1792 George Shaw (who would also publish the first scientific description of the platypus seven year later) included “The Porcupine Ant-Eater” in The Naturalist’s Miscellany. Amongst an otherwise perfectly reasonable description of the species (which he considered to provide a link between actual porcupines in the genus Hystrix and actual ant-eaters in the genus Myrmecophaga), Shaw includes this line:

“The snout is long and tubular, and perfectly resembles in structure that of the Myrmecophaga jubata, or great ant-eater; having only a very small opening or rictus at the tip, from whence is protruded a long lumbriciform [worm-like] tongue, as in the ant-eaters. The nostrils are small, and seated near the extremity of the snout. The eyes are very small, and black, with a pale-blue iris.”

Plate 109. Shaw, George. The naturalist’s miscellany. Volume iii. 1792. Contributed in BHL by Museums Victoria.

Curiously, the illustration that accompanies the text (above) — which is assumed to be based on a painting by Sydney-based collector John White — has correctly coloured black eyes. The question then becomes why Shaw thought echidnas had blue eyes — could it be that the eyes of Shaw’s specimen (sent by Joseph Banks) had been discoloured by the preservative? In any case, it seems likely that the echidna in Manchester was modified to fit Shaw’s original description.

Elsewhere on BHL, we can find examples of illustrations of echidnas that were clearly based on doctored dead specimens, rather than observations of living ones, as their feet incorrectly point forwards and the animals appear flattened. Artists were basing their depictions on “primary sources” in museum collections, but unfortunately those specimens weren’t accurate.

Plate XXXVIII, an echidna with forward-facing feet. Lydekker, Richard, A hand-book to the marsupialia and monotremata. 1896. Contributed in BHL from Smithsonian Libraries.

Tasting platypus milk

I am currently writing a new book on the echidnas’ relative, the platypus. I’ve been utterly reliant on the incredible collection of works on BHL to tell the story of the importance of platypus representations on the history of taxonomy. The introduction of the species to scientific circles in Europe sparked a decades-long debate over where it fitted on the tree of life and what characteristics mammals could possess. One of the many arguments in contention was whether or not they are mammals, another was whether or not they lays eggs. We now know they are, and they do.

A defining feature of mammals is that they feed their young with milk, so those who argued that platypuses are mammals were searching for evidence of milk-producing mammary glands even though platypuses lack nipples. Richard Owen was among those who was attempting to prove their milkiness.

The battle is played out in the documents available on BHL, and to my absolute delight, it led me to this line in one of Owen’s papers on platypus anatomy. Owen had squeezed what he thought was the mammary gland of a preserved platypus and watched the holes where the glands opened onto the skin:

“[T]here escaped from these orifices minute drops of a yellowish oil, which afforded neither perceptible taste nor smell, except such as was derived from the preserving liquor”.

Owen was so dedicated to his argument that he tasted the milk from a platypus that had been dead for many months, or even years.

Without a resource like BHL, putting together the pieces of the platypus puzzle across 220 years, and the changing way that specimens and field-observations have been used to inform representations of the animal over time, would be extremely difficult.

George Shaw, who provided the first scientific description and published illustration of the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) in 1799 within The Naturalist’s Miscellany, wrote: “… it naturally excites the idea of some deceptive preparation by artificial means …”. Shaw, George. The naturalist’s miscellany. v. 10 (1799). Contributed in BHL from Museums Victoria. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5962/p.304567.

Image of a cover of Animal Keepers’ Forum, featuring a simple line drawing of a person pulling a wheelbarrow and carrying a shovel over one shoulder, in front of an enclosure with a horse. Text reads: “Animal Keepers’ Forum”, “Dedicated to Professional Animal Care.” Animal Keepers’ Forum. 1978. Digitized in BHL by Smithsonian Libraries.

Animal Keepers’ Forum, first published by the American Association of Zookeepers in 1974, set out to solve a problem: animal care and conservation requires specialized knowledge, but institutions were limited in their ability to share experience with each other. Animal Keepers’ Forum has connected animal care professionals for the past 44 years, and serves as both a current resource for husbandry best practices and a historical record of conservation efforts.

Now it’s openly accessible on the Biodiversity Heritage Library as part of the Expanding Access to Biodiversity Literature project, funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Thanks to permission from the American Association of Zookeepers, Smithsonian Libraries has digitized the complete run of volumes from 1974 through the present, with a 2-year embargo period.

The 2015 special issue on prosimians gives a great sample of the publication’s scope: Duke University’s Lemur Center details their husbandry practices for mouse lemurs, with specifics from housing and diet to breeding and animal biometrics; St. Louis Zoo explains how they sustainably grow and harvest browse for their Coquerel’s Sifakas; and the Lemur Conservation Foundation shares how the AKO Project uses storytelling through picture books helps engage kids in wildlife conservation.

An image of two children’s picture-book covers featuring paintings of lemurs, and a photograph of children posing with picture books and smiling. Animal Keepers’ Forum. 2015. Digitized in BHL by Smithsonian Libraries.

Photo of four chicks perched in a line. The chicks are black and white with yellow beaks. Article title: ‘Hand-reading White-crested Laughing Thrushes (Garrulax leucolophus) as a Method of Increasing Captive Population Sustainability’. Animal Keepers’ Forum. 2015. Digitized in BHL by Smithsonian Libraries.

The mission of the American Association of Zookeepers (AAZK) is “to advance excellence in the animal keeping profession, foster effective communication beneficial to animal care, support deserving conservation projects, and promote the preservation of our natural resources and animal life,” according to its website. The AAZK was founded in 1967 in San Diego, CA. Its first publication was an unofficial newsletter called The Ruptured Rhino (1968-1969), which is also coming to BHL along with the AAZK Bulletin. Eventually, The Rupture Rhino led to Animal Keepers’ Forum, which became the association’s official publication in 1975.

Image of the first page of Animal Keepers’ Forum, v. 1 no.1. Transcription from ‘Editorial Comment’ by Dave Ruhter: “Among zoo keepers, as with very few other professions, there exists a void in intraprofessional communications. If you are fortunate enough to have access to zoo magazines or occasionally obtain an AAZPA newsletter, you can find out what’s going on in the zoo world. But what’s happening among keepers at Denver or Brookfield? When was the last time you heard of new programs at Tulsa or Los Angeles? As problems come up, have you ever wondered what your fellow professionals are doing in similar situations? This is what Animal Keepers’ Forum is all about. We are offering to you a vehicle of communication with topics that concern and interest keepers… the more knowledgeable you are, the more valuable you are to your animals and to your zoo.” Animal Keepers’ Forum. 1974. Digitized in BHL by Smithsonian Libraries.

Photograph of an ocelot, a small, spotted wild cat, in profile. Article title: Overnight Behavioral Study on 1.1 Brazilian Ocelots (Leopardus pardalis). Animal Keepers’ Forum. 2015. Digitized in BHL by Smithsonian Libraries.

Until its digitization, accessibility to Animal Keepers’ Forum was fairly limited without a subscription. Jacqueline Chapman (Digital Collections Librarian) and Kristen Bullard (former Branch Librarian, National Zoological Park & Conservation Biology Institute and current Science Researcher Services Librarian, Natural & Physical Sciences Department) of Smithsonian Libraries authored a paper and presented at the 2017 AAZK National Conference to address the significance of making this resource available digitally and for free (‘Connecting Keepers to Collective Knowledge: The Digitization of Animal Keepers’ Forum and the Promise of Open Access to Zoological Scholarly Communication’).

They share that a search of the global online library catalogue WorldCat found only 30 libraries with Animal Keepers’ Forum, and that Smithsonian Libraries was the only institution listed as having a complete set of the periodical. As a result, it has been one of the most frequently requested titles from the Smithsonian’s Zoological Park and Conservation Biology Institute library branch through interlibrary loan. (While it is likely available at libraries that don’t participate in WorldCat, the WorldCat search result does indicate that it was relatively difficult to access for those without the resources to subscribe.)

“Some species are so unique that information about their care is hard to find and [Animal Keepers’ Forum] might be one of the only sources for this material,” Chapman and Bullard write. “The knowledge within [Animal Keepers’ Forum] is now available to anyone, allowing the best practices and lessons learned, this collective knowledge of zoo keepers, to be accessed without barrier to anyone. This will hopefully support capacity and knowledge building in institutions that have suffered from limited resources over time.”

Image of a cover of Animal Keepers’ Forum, featuring a simple black and white illustration of a California Condor chick being fed by a puppet resembling the head of an adult condor. The image is by Mary Deckert, a docent at the Los Angeles Zoo, which participates in a recovery program for this critically endangered species. Animal Keepers’ Forum. 2007. Digitized in BHL by Smithsonian Libraries.

Many thanks to: the American Association of Zookeepers for contributing this resource; the Institute of Museum and Library Services for funding the Expanding Access to Biodiversity Literature project; Smithsonian Libraries for digitization; and Jacqueline Chapman and Kristen Bullard for sharing their insights!

References:

‘About Us’ (aazk.org)
‘Animal Keepers’ Forum’ (aazk.org)
‘Connecting Keepers to Collective Knowledge: The Digitization of Animal Keepers’ Forum and the Promise of Open Access to Zoological Scholarly Communication’ (Chapman & Bullard, 2017)

Last week the Association of Zoos and Aquariums held its annual conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. The conference draws around 2,800 attendees from a diverse group of institutions and organizations around the world.  The Expanding Access to Biodiversity Literature team was able to send representation and take part in the poster presentations.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) was originally founded in 1924 as the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums, later changing its name to the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums and eventually selecting its current moniker.  The founding officers included  Chairman C. Emerson Brown from the Philadelphia Zoological Park, Vice Chairman Dr. Harry M. Wegeforth of the San Diego Zoological Society, and Secretary Will O. Doolittle.  The original directors were Edward H. Bean of the Milwaukee Zoological Park and George P. Vierheller of the Saint Louis Zoological Garden.  Chairman C. Emerson Brown’s publication “A pocket list of the mammals of eastern Massachusetts…” can even be found in BHL here.

As a non-profit the AZA is “dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation.”  The organization represents over 230 different institutions within the United States and around the world.  The AZA and their institutions have a strong commitment to animal welfare and conservation which is seen through the millions of dollars they commit to scientific research, conservation and educational programing.

Besides supporting these areas they are also an independent accrediting organization.  With some of the highest and most comprehensive standards, not even 10% of the United States’ 2,800 licensed wildlife exhibitors meet the top standards held by AZA.  Every year AZA accredited institutions allocate $160 million on field conservation around the world- over 2,600 projects worked on by specialists in the field.  The AZA itself has provided a cumulative seven million dollars on over 375 projects in conservation.  Every year 40,000 teachers are trained at AZA accredited facilities, which lend support to state science curricula.  Overall, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ pledge to the natural world furthers the fields of animal welfare and conservation and trains new generations to save the biodiversity.

The conference began on Friday with committee meetings and the pre-conference tour.  On Saturday and Sunday, small session meetings and workshops were held.  Sunday evening an icebreaker was held at the Indiana State Museum ahead of the conference kickoff at the Opening General Session on Monday morning.  Below learn more about a sampling of the meetings, panels, and events that were attended by EABL.

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Association of Zoos & Aquariums Signage

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Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center (CELC) Meeting

The Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center, a network of 25 aquariums and marine science education centers located in the United States, Canada and Mexico, was originally foundedin 1996 by Coastal America.  With strong support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the consortium works to involve the public in protecting coastal and marine ecosystems. One of the major topics at the meeting was aquaculture- cultivating aquatic animals or plants for food.  Not to be left behind the curve, BHL already holds a number of titleson the subject. Do you have any thoughts or feelings on aquaculture?  Let us know in the comment section!

California Association of Zoos and Aquariums

The California Association of Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA) is a way to bring together all of those involved in AZA accredited zoos and aquariums in the California area.  California currently maintains more accredited zoos than any other state- twenty-three.  CAZA is dedicated to monitoring the local legislation that would affect the welfare and conservation of the natural world.

Icebreaker at the Indiana State Museum

Sunday evening the Indiana State Museum hosted a social event that allowed those in the zoo and aquarium field to catch up and enjoy Indiana history.  The museum, located along the Indiana Central Canal built in the 1800s, offered spectacular views of the city and even attracted the Indianapolis Colts’ mascot, Blue to join in the fun.

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View from the Indiana State Museum of the Central Canal

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Opening General Session

The conference kicked off Monday morning with the opening session.  Dennis Kelly, Chair of the AZA Board of Directors and the Director of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, welcomed attendees to the annual conference and introduced Mike Crowther, President and CEO of the Indianapolis Zoo who hosted this year’s conference.  He prepared attendees for the Indianapolis Zoo Day by throwing stuffed toy macaws into the audience to preface the zoo’s Magnificent Macaw exhibit which allows the birds to fly a half mile across the zoo and back  multiple times a day.

The Opening General Session also included speeches by Dr. Carl Jones and Wayne Pacelle.  Dr. Carl Jones, winner of the 2016 Indianapolis Prize, is known around the world for his championing work in saving a number of different species that were on the brink of extinction: the pink pigeon, the echo parakeet and the Mauritius kestrel.  Dr. Jones noted that zoos have the answer to saving species and urged attendees to think of zoos as arks and be creative in animal management.  He recalled many instances where other scientists recommended saving species that were not high risk, but maintained his commitment to high-risk species.  His commitment paid off when he restored a species (the Mauritius kestrel) of four to four hundred over the course of a decade.  Dr. Jones noted “it is not hard to save a species, but it takes time” and “we should not tolerate any future extinctions.”  Through his experiences as a world-class conservationist, he challenged the idea that focusing on entire ecosystems was the only way to save a species.  Instead, he found that working with particular species saves entire systems and that it is not about preservation, but looking forward and thinking about the future.

Wayne Pacelle is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS.)  In the position since 2004, Pacelle has helped the HSUS grow and pursue its goal of being the largest animal care and advocacy organization in the nation.  Since the start of his tenure, Pacelle has overseen the passing of over 1,100 state animal protection laws and over 100 federal statutes.  Before Pacelle took the stage, attendees were urged to remember that diversity made us stronger and that this was even true of diverse and differing opinions.  Pacelle lauded the work AZA zoos have been doing in the areas of animal welfare and conservation and highlighted the work the HSUS is doing in animal protection.

Nature of Americans

“The Future of Wildlife Depends on the Connections we Make Today and the ‘Nature of Americans'” was one of the first panels. The speakers- Claire Martin from the Disney Conservation Fund, Dr. Daniel Escher of DJ Case & Associates, and Monica Lopez Magee of the Children and Nature Network – presented a study done between 2015 and 2016 in response to the growing amount of time spent inside and on electronic media.  The major mission of the talks was to discuss what people think about nature and how do those in the field turn that into action.

Dr. Escher, a social scientist, talked about the Nature of Americans study (available at https://natureofamericans.org.)   Some of the key findings were that people like zoos and aquariums, the vast majority of children and adults like visiting zoos and aquariums, interest in nature is high across household incomes, and interest in nature is high and stable across educational levels.  Another major takeaway was that nature is social.  Most of the interviewed returned responses that showed people were more likely to experience nature in social groups rather than alone.

Magee went over some of the examples of using the data found in the study to connect with the community.  The first was “Nature in the City.” The Tracy Aviary in Utah brought nature to the community.  They attempted to go mobile and do activities outside of their institution. However, the initial attempt was not enough.  They eventually found that collaborating with local libraries and using them as a community hub and audience was very successful.

Another example presented was at the Houston Zoo.  They had a Zoo Sprouts program that had always been indoors. In order to get more engagement with the users they just moved the program outdoors. They found that this caused the children to be more inclined to meet and touch the animals and to explore their surroundings. The idea that nature is messy and unexpected things happen within it versus technology, which can be more stagnant, were shown by both the study and the case studies to be the reason children were drawn to it.

Overall, this panel focused on explaining the study and examples of using nature in education and outreach in order to give those in the zoo and aquarium field ideas of how to use these findings in their own institutions whether in activities or even in branding.

Why Save a Species?

The “Why Save a Species” panel brought together five different international conservation projects that highlighted regional species and animal reintroductions. The presentations focused on lessons on wildlife management, human-animal interactions and public interaction, working with international colleagues and working with stakeholders to aid in saving species from extinction.

Dr. Melissa Songer gave the first presentation from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and National Zoo. It centered on restoring the Przewalksi’s horse to the wild in the Kalameili Nature Reserve located in Xinjiang, China. The Przewalksi’s horse was extinct in the wild in the 1960s with the only living animals being in Western zoos.  Within these zoos, and with careful genetic management, the population grew from 14 founders into 1,900 horses who lived in captivity.  Reintroduction efforts began, and they are no longer nearing extinction.

This particular presentation was on the reintroduction efforts in Mongolia. Because of the harsh winters, they turned the project into a semi-release of the horses. The project members reached out to the locals to see if they were interested in the project and found that the locals were worried about how the release program would affect local pastures for the cattle and therefore affect the locals’ livelihood. Dr. Songer noted that one of the challenges was balancing the goals of the different stakeholders.

Carlos Galvis of the Zoologico de Cali in Columbia presented on the Golden Poison Frog. The Wildlife Conservation Society and the Zurich Zoo provided funding to help conserve the species in Colombia.  Through this research, they found that the range of distribution of the frogs was much larger than originally thought.  They are now working to use this new distribution of the species to conduct field studies and help determine if reintroduction is necessary.

Dr. Ian Singleton, Director of Conservation of the PanEco Foundation and Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Program talked about their work in reintroducing the orangutans to their native Indonesia. Through Dr. Singleton’s work, two genetically viable and self-sustaining wild populations have been established. Their goal is to release 350 orangutans at each of their sites.  So far 170 orangutans have been released in Jambi and 99 have been released in Jantho. They have been attempting to tackle the demand for wildlife in the illegal trade through education of the locals, finding that some of those involved just needed to be told that it was detrimental to the population of the orangutans.

Dr. Amy Dickman, director of the Ruaha Carnivore Project in Tanzania, highlighted the struggle between humans and carnivores in the area.  The Barabaig people have long had a tradition of killing African lions. Dr. Dickman’s team wanted to determine why they were killing the lions and other large carnivores which would contribute to eventual extinction of species. After many failed attempts at making contact with the tribe, they found that the people had started using the solar charging station to charge their mobile phones. Eventually they were able to create an understanding and trust with the community.

She found that there were four major reasons why the carnivores were being hunted: deprecation of cattle, absence of benefit from their presence, rewards to warriors for the killing of the animals, and lack of motivation to care about the animals. To solve the first issue, they helped to build safe areas for their cattle and crops. They then started a point system that rewarded the community members for capturing images of the local wildlife.  The points could be exchanged for something they wanted- healthcare and other benefits. They also started a warrior school in order to allow people in the community to still gain notoriety.  The school provided these ‘warriors’ with educational benefits. Thanks to Dr. Dickman and her team they were able to change an entire community’s understanding of nature.

John Newby, CEO of the Sahara Conservation Fund, talked about another species who has been extinct in the wild since the 1980s- the scimitar-horned oryx. The last surviving oryx was killed inside a game reserve in Chad.  In 2008 the Sahara Conservation Fund started its project to reintroduce oryx into their natural habitat. The first fully wild calves have already been born- there are currently 90 in the wild breeding and 23 offspring.  The Fund’s goal is to have 500 breeding animals that are secure and free-ranging. Newby stressed that the zoo community played a major role in helping stop the extinction of the oryx and that the captive population was imperative for reintroducing the species.

Michael Mace, curator of birds at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, closed out the panel.  He noted zoos and aquariums need to continue to fight for every creature.  This includes the flagship or more well-known animals as well as the lesser known species and even the unknown species that have yet to be discovered.  It is also imperative to ignite visitors- engaging and inspiring the next generation to protect wildlife. Some of the overall takeaways were that while donors may want to give a large amount of money in a short time, budgets for conservation efforts need to be able to adapt and change without being specifically allocated. Each of the presentations mentioned the local communities, and it is important to note that they cannot sustain these conservation efforts.  Therefore, it is imperative that international supporters step up.  Since these conservation efforts take time, donor fatigue happens and those involved should be prepared to get creative with providing results and finding new sponsors.

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Expanding Access to Biodiversity Literature Poster

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Poster Reception

The Expanding Access to Biodiversity Literature poster was titled “ZooLiterature Online” and reflected the work the grant had done in the area of zoo and aquarium literature.  Since AZA was a relatively new area for BHL, a portion of the poster was general information about BHL highlighting some of the different ways content could be used and analyzed. The poster also highlighted the Expanding Access project, its goals, grant team institutions, accomplishments and zoo and aquariums contributors and titles in BHL, many added as part of EABL. The poster was well received and introduced many AZA conference attendees to BHL.

Explore the zoological titles highlighted in the EABL poster in BHL here:

• The Aquarium Bulletin (Digitized by Smithsonian Libraries)
• Animal Keeper’s Forum (Digitized by Smithsonian Libraries with permission from American Association of Zoo Keepers)
• Bulletins of the Zoological Society of San Diego (Contributed by San Diego Zoo Global Library & Archives)
• Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (pre-1923) (Digitized by University of Toronto Libraries)
• Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research (Contributed by European Association of Zoos and Aquaria)
• Lives of Eminent Zoologists, from Aristotle to Linnaeus (Digitized by Smithsonian Libraries)
• Zoological Bibliography (Contributed by Aves Press Limited)
• Zoological Record (Digitized by Smithsonian Libraries and the USDA National Agricultural Library)
• Zoologica (Digitized by MBLWHOI Library)
• Zoological Science (Digitized by Library of Congress)

Communities Come Together Over Gardens: Using Horticulture to Connect with Our Neighbors

The focus of most of the AZA panels was, logically, zoos and aquariums.  However, one of the final panel options centered around botanical gardens in zoos. The panel began with a look back at horticulture in zoos. Fifty years ago, it involved trimming hedges around the property. Forty years ago, zoos moved towards hiring horticulturists to create convincing habitats. Moving to thirty years ago, some zoos started becoming botanical gardens as well. It was just twenty years ago that zoos and aquariums became more interested in plant conservation as an added component to their missions.

Presenting at the panel was Steve Foltz, Director of Horticulture at the Cincinatti Zoo and Botanical Garden; Paul Bouseman, Botanical Curator at the Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden; Bob Chabot, former Director of Horticulture at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens and current Chief of Staff at Zoo New England; and Christine Nye, Horticultural Programs Manager at the John G. Shedd Aquarium.

Each presenter highlighted the work their zoos and aquariums did both within their institution and in their community in the area of horticulture. The Cincinnati Zoo worked to build bridges in their community by planting trees in areas of the town that were affected by tornadoes or in communities in need of transformation. They worked with master gardeners, Proctor and Gamble, and the Cincinnati Reds to help renew the community and change the way the community looks at the zoo.

The Shedd Aquarium uses the spaces around its exhibit as a free public garden space and created volunteer and education programs around it.

The Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden uses horticulture to attract people with the power of plants. Mesker’s local community comes in and volunteers and they gain a better connection with the zoo.

The Jacksonville Zoo and Garden partnered with a number of different local organizations and even a high school. Chabot and the zoo worked to create gardens in a number of locations and used the local arts high school- Douglas Anderson School of the Arts- to record sounds for the Butterfly Hollow exhibit.

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Indianapolis Zoo Garden

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Zoo Day at the Indianapolis Zoo

The final event of the AZA Annual Conference was Zoo Day.  The day included full access to the rides and attractions- including the carousel, train ride, skyline, 4D theatre, Kombo Family Coaster, and Race-A-Cheetah. They also set up a number of different chats, demos, feedings and presentations throughout the afternoon and evening.  Between the hosted lunch, happy hour, dinner, and dancing AZA attendees were able to take advantage of a number of different Behind-the-Scenes Open-Houses that allowed those from other zoos and aquariums to get a better understanding of the operations and animal care at the Indianapolis Zoo.

Also attended were Public Perceptions of Zoos and Aquariums in a Changing World, Classic Continuing Conservation, What’s New in Exhibit Design?, and Cognitive Tasks for Great Apes: Promoting Conservation, Research, Education and Animal Wellness.

Moving forward, the Expanding Access team and the Biodiversity Heritage Library hope to maintain our current relationships with Zoo and Aquarium institutions and publishers.

Are you part of a zoo or aquarium and interested in what you can do to get involved? Here’s some tips on what you can do!