Zoo and Aquarium Groups

Working with zoos and aquariums
to connect people with the natural world…

With the pressures of climate change, habitat degradation, and biodiversity loss weighing upon us, Earthwatch knows how crucial it is to get people of all ages and backgrounds involved in saving our planet.

Like many zoos and aquariums, we work to connect people in powerful, hands-on ways with animals and their habitats – to make the need to aid and conserve species personal. We make conservation science and action real for all kinds of people.

By partnering with Earthwatch, zoos and aquariums can enhance their ability to foster this type of connection, and take their leadership of environmental awareness and action to the next level.

Here are just some of the ways we can help
your organization achieve its goals and involve your stakeholders:

1. Zookeeper/ Aquarist Fellowship Program
   Exclusive Earthwatch teams just for zoo or aquarium staff: By working with Earthwatch to create an all-zookeeper or all-aquarist team, you can offer your staff a unique professional development opportunity – a chance to study animals in their native habitats while sharing experiences and ideas with their peers. When they return to work after their expedition, your staff will be better motivated and equipped to speak on the environmental issues affecting the animals under their care. By sharing personal stories of the connections they've made, they'll be able to educate more people in a more intimate way – making conservation science real.
   
   
2. Customized expedition groups for your zoo or aquarium volunteers: Your volunteers provide invaluable support to your organization – show your appreciation by sending them on an Earthwatch expedition. With a range of available expeditions for both adults and teens, we can work to match your schedule and can help to expand your volunteers' connection with the natural world. You can even choose to enhance their experience by sending along one of your curators as well.
   
   
3. Offer your zoo or aquarium members and supporters the chance to participate on an Earthwatch expedition: Like Earthwatch, many zoos and aquariums depend on the support of a network of people committed to animals and their environments. Offer your Board Members, docents, high-level donors, and constituents the opportunity to connect with animals on a more intimate level by actively helping to save them in the wild just as they work to save them with you.
   
   
4. Co-Funding of Earthwatch research projects with zoo and aquarium lead scientists. We have an unmatched record of successful collaborations with scientists and are currently working with The Denver Zoo in Mongolia and The Bristol Zoo on Robben Island, South Africa. Learn more about Earthwatch research programs and how to submit a proposal here.
   
   
5. Joint Fundraising events to support new or existing exhibits.
   To promote the opening of the San Francisco Zoo's Madagascar exhibit, the zoo sent a group of high-level donors and members on an Earthwatch Madagascar expedition. We also hosted a joint fundraising event promoting the opening of the new exhibit.
   
   
6. Education
   We share the same goal of educating students, teachers and the general public about critical conservation issues. Work with Earthwatch to reach these audiences with a co-branded message and integrate our missions into their classrooms.

We're already connecting with zoos and
aquariums across North America and Europe…

• In conjunction with the St. Louis Zoo, we have offered a special all-zookeeper expedition to study the Grevy's zebras of Kenya, and this summer the LA Zoo will send a group of their teen volunteers, along with zoo staff and mentors, on that expedition, as well. Additional expeditions just for zoo and aquarium staff, such as projects studying wildlife in Mongolia and dolphins in Greece, are always being considered and developed.

For more information on the exciting opportunities we have available to zoos and aquariums, please email James Fry, Director of Institutional Partnerships, or call 1-800-776-0188 ext 221.