We know how much certain zoos have found listed ‘heritage’ buildings a huge burden rather than an asset. Animal welfare has to be the number one priority, and, to earn a living, visitor access number two.
However the recent success of Twycross Zoo in attracting £3 million for its new entrance, in part due to this building’s offer [...]
John Regan Associates Blog
Zoos as contexts for cutting edge, iconic buildings
November 30th, 2007My earliest memory…?
November 29th, 2007I came across some data a while back that suggested that is you ask someone to identify the very earliest memory they can recall, 5% refer to an early trip to the zoo (incidentally if you broaden that out to any kind of animal reference, toys, pets, wildife, picture, the statistic is 50%).
This really brings [...]
So, name a famous zoo director…?
November 29th, 2007Well you may be able to name quite a few, if you actually work in the field, but figures that are recognisable at all to the public or the media..?
Of course there was one in the past, Gerald Durrell, amongst other things, perhaps the zoo world’s most sucessful marketeer. Because he ‘got it’. Ultimately, people don’t [...]
Books on zoos and allied subjects
November 27th, 2007books-on-zoos.doc
Here is such a list (rather thrown together due to time pressure). Some of these are guide books to zoos around the world, some look at the history of the zoo world, some at our general role in society. Certain of these latter of course , especially published a while back, take an equivocal lstance [...]
Interesting set of forums run by the American Zoo & Aquaria Association
November 25th, 2007Some of you may be interested in this site, full of discussions around various zoo topics: http://www.aazk.org/forum/
Core funding for associations of conservation NGOs in the EU
November 25th, 2007This budget line will provide in theory up to 70% ( in reality more like 50%) of the operating budget of a network of conservation organisations operating in at least 3 different EU States.
To qualify a network organisation would need to show that constitutionally its members are primarily active in the environmental field. It also [...]
Money from USA Foundations for zoo projects around the world
November 24th, 2007A doubtless challenging but nonetheless huge source of finance for the right projects lies within grant making foundations based in the USA. I attach below an article composed with the help of David Wickert of Chapel & York. Please contact David ( see blogroll) if you want further info, and tell him you came through [...]
What is the best way to recruit a Development or Fundraising person..?
November 18th, 2007Recruitment in this area seems to be very much a revolving door. What is going wrong?
Well, first decide which of these two very distinct philosophies you wish to adopt ( see former post http://zoofunding.wordpress.com/2007/03/15/fundraising-versus-development/). The instinctive response of a zoo decision maker when first wishing to explore external funding is simply to dip their toe [...]
Accessing a ‘hard to reach’ audience: the unbelievable things visitors say at zoos
November 11th, 2007Anyone who has worked in a zoo has overheard members of the public pronounce with confidence all kinds of bizarre and often very funny misunderstandings on the living world.
For instance there was the woman at Chester who told her children that bats nest under the water (..she had read a reference to the breeding pool [...]
