GENERAL INFORMATION ON BIAZA—THE BRITISH AND IRISH ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS

  BIAZA is the professional association representing Zoos and Aquariums in Britain and Ireland. Currently we represent 84 Zoos and Aquariums. An updated list of our members is available on our website.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

  BIAZA member collections attract more than 18 million people each year, of which more than 800,000 are children on organized educational visits. BIAZA's membership plays an important role in inspiring and educating people about science and the natural world. Its great strength is being able to embrace the whole out of classroom learning experience and a vast amount of pubic engagement in science is carried out in imaginative ways in BIAZA member collections. Zoos and Aquariums are uniquely placed in that they attract and can communicate with, adults, families and those taking part in formal education from schools and colleges. Examples are provided of the scope and effectiveness of BIAZA's members in their ability to act as innovative science and discovery centres. However they are very much under resourced and in order to carry out their important role as exemplary practitioners and as influential public educators, support is requested along with resources dedicated to making a major difference.

RESPONSE

1.  Facts about BIAZA members (from the Association's Annual Questionnaire to Members)

—  More than 18 million people visit BIAZA collections every year, one in four of the population of Britain and Ireland.

—  More than 800,000 people (mainly children) come to BIAZA collections each year on an organized educational visit.

—  Over 600 projects involving research and training for research are carried out in BIAZA member collections each year.

—  BIAZA members support over 300 field conservation projects, including work on British and Irish native species, contributing over £5 million per year—they also support conservation campaigns, eg contributing over £100,000 to the EAZA rhino campaign in 2005-06.

The Work of Zoos and Aquariums

  2.  The zoos and aquariums that make up BIAZA's membership play an important role in inspiring and educating people about science and the natural world. Their great strength is being able to embrace the whole out of classroom learning experience. Pubic engagement in science occurs to a massive extent and in imaginative ways in BIAZA member collections. People need to be inspired and informed in order to care and want to learn more about natural ecosystems, the species that live in them and the scientific knowledge that enables us to understand how to conserve them. Zoos and Aquariums are uniquely placed in that they attract and can communicate with, adults, families and those taking part in formal education from schools and colleges. A MORI poll conducted in 2004 for the Museums, Libraries and Archive Council found that zoos attract a significantly more even spread of economic groups, compared with museums, galleries and similar attractions. www.mla.gov.uk/resources/assets//M/mori_visitors_v2_doc_6693.doc

  3.  Many people now live in towns and cities and have little or no regular contact with nature. This has recently been demonstrated by a survey carried out by the National Farmers Union which shows, alarmingly, that around 47% of people are unaware of the plant and animal origin of the food that they eat http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6731659.stm. However, people have more leisure time and the fact that so many visit BIAZA member collections show that there is a widespread interest in seeing living wild animals and a strong curiosity about the natural world.

  4.  Simply inspiring visitors and classes of children is not sufficient unless it results in changes in behaviour. In order to combat global warming and climate change people in the developed parts of the world need to both understand the scientific evidence that underpins the problem and undertake a change in lifestyle to become more sustainable. To achieve this outcome we need effective communication. BIAZA members measure the effectiveness of the messages they convey to their public, as some recent examples show. Eg a play about turtles to explain how important it is to conserve these animals and learn about their biology, an activity for children washing the oil off plastic penguins to explain the dangers of environmental pollution to wildlife. These activities that involve interaction with visitors can be shown to have more significant learning outcomes than simply sitting and absorbing facts. (Yalowitz, SS 2004. Evaluating visitor conservation research at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Curator 47, 283-298). Zoos and aquariums are particularly skilled at providing these sorts of activities.

  5.  A recent study carried out in North American Zoos by the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums (http://www.aza.org/ConEd/Documents/Why_Zoos_Matter.pdf) has revealed the following:

—  Visits to accredited zoos and aquariums prompt individuals to reconsider their role in environmental issues and conservation action, and to see themselves as part of the solution.

—  Visitors believe they experience a stronger connection to nature as a result of their visit.

—  Visitors bring with them a higher-than-expected knowledge about basic ecological concepts. Zoos and aquariums support and reinforce the values and attitudes of the visitor.

  6.  As well as this important role in making the public more aware of the natural environment and the scientific principles involved in its conservation, schools throughout Britain depend on BIAZA collections to assist them in teaching children and complying with the various elements of national curricula. This is reflected in the over 800 thousand children who come to BIAZA collections as part of their educational programmes and over 170 full and part-time education staff are employed to carry out these programmes. All age categories are catered for from nursery through key stage groups to higer education students and adults. Examples of science topics taught have a huge range:

—  Zoos and aquariums are complex businesses and can teach children about the running of such science based enterprises.

—  Several zoos and aquariums are involved in the teaching of MSc courses in conservation sciences.

—  Summer schools enable children to learn about wildlife and science while having fun.

—  Zoos and aquariums regularly take part and contribute to regional science week type events eg Edinburgh Zoo and the Edinburgh Science Festival, Paignton Zoo and Science Week.

—  Many zoos and aquariums assist with the training of veterinary students (in particular, Edinburgh, Twycross and the Zoological Society of London).

—  Using the zoo grounds to teach many topics, eg mapping and basic physics, maths and chemistry.

—  Many biological research projects are carried out in zoos and aquariums and published in peer reviewed journals (Rees, PA 2005a. Towards a research-based conservation identity for zoos—a reply to Wehnelt and Wilkinson and Thomas. Oryx 39, 135-136. Rees, PA 2005b. Will the EC Zoos Directive increase the conservation value of zoo research? Oryx 39, 128-131).

  More examples can be found on: http://www.biaza.org.uk/public/pages/education/educationNdx.asp

  7.  BIAZA has endorsed the DfES Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto, which was launched in November 2006. BIAZA is fully supporting efforts to encourage schools, other organizations and families to experience wildlife, science and conservation issues at first hand as part of a commitment to lifelong, vocational and out-of-classroom learning. See http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/resourcematerials/outsideclassroom/. However exemplary though this scheme may be, it offers no funding support to allow out of classroom learning centres to develop and expand.

  8.  The bulk of this important work carried out by zoos and aquariums has to be funded through entrance gate charges. Only 17% of collections receive any kind of external funding and none of this fully covered the cost of educational resources.

  9.  Therefore Zoos and aquariums occupy unique positions as science and discovery centres and have enormous potential, much of which has still to be developed. In order to carry out this important role as exemplary practitioners and as influential public educators, we urge and request support in our efforts with resources dedicated to making a major difference amongst our member institutions and visitors.

June 2007