2008 - 2009 Annual Report - Zoos South Australia

CONTENTSYear In ReviewPresident and CEO’s ReportConservation ProgramsAssets and InfrastructureConservation EducationConservation EducationLibraryThe AnimalsLiving collectionsThreatened SpeciesOperationsCommunications and PartnershipsVisitor ExperiencesHuman ResourcesFinancial ReportFinalsConservation EducationDuring the 2008-2009 financial year 63,412 students andtheir supervisors used Zoos SA Education at the two Zoos.Activities undertaken by these students included regulardaytime and overnight Education programs, Zoomobilepresentations, hands-on conservation activities, negotiatedlessons, career days, school holiday programs, workexperience placements, and teacher training.As well as these programs, many students visited thesites under their own direction, but with support fromEducation in arranging a suitable experience andproviding relevant resources.Both sites were also involved in “Centra” online events,where students from over a dozen rural and remote schoolswere able to simultaneously link with Zoo staff to askquestions and to take part in online activities. Mark Taylor,from DECS, organised all the IT links and created a “moodle”site for students in participating classes to explore, play andlearn more, before and after the events.The International Zoo Educators Biennial Conference washeld in Adelaide in October 2008. This gathering of 86 zooeducators from 26 countries (on six continents and threeislands) was held in conjunction with the World Associationof Zoos and Aquaria (WAZA) Conference.It was a fantastic opportunity for Zoos SA educators tomeet and share ideas with educators from vastly differentcountries and economic systems, but all with a passionateconcern for conservation and a talent for, and a love of,teaching others.As well as presentations of papers, the group was involved invisiting both Zoos and seeing the way the sites are used toprovide Conservation Education. Associated social activitiesenabled many meaningful friendships to be established.John Gardner, from Zoos SA Education, was the Australasianrepresentative of the IZE for the previous four years.His tireless effort and attention to detail in the conferenceplanning was largely responsible for the conference’ssmooth running and excellent program.In April 2009 the Westpac Envirodome was opened atAdelaide Zoo. Major sponsorships from DECS and Westpacmade this facility possible. This amazing building, builtwithin the skeleton of the old Ape block, is the new homefor Adelaide Zoo’s Education programs, the Society Libraryand the Zoos SA Interpretation team.Assets and Infrastructure - 2 of 5