Voices for Conservation

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Check out the following resources for additional information on the topics discussed in this episode!

Pet Ownership

Not a Pet: https://www.notapet.net/

Wildlife Trafficking Alliance: https://www.aza.org/wildlife-trafficking-alliance?locale=en

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s page on Injurious Wildlife regulations: https://www.fws.gov/story/understanding-injurious-wildlife-regulations

Florida Museum’s page on responsible snake ownership (the page is specifically about snakes, but this information applies to any pet): https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/florida-snake-id/responsible-snake-ownership/

Feral Cats

It’s good to keep in mind that there are very different cultural norms around keeping indoor cats in North America versus the rest of the world. Outdoor cats are far more common outside of the United States and Canada and attitudes toward them are very different in other parts of the world.

However, that does not change the fact that feral and outdoor cats are a danger to our wildlife, even in North America. We have included information from both the United States Department of Agriculture and the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to help demonstrate the negative impact outdoor cats can have on wildlife.

US Department of Agriculture info on free-ranging and feral cats: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/reports/Wildlife%20Damage%20Management%20Technical%20Series/free-ranging-and-feral-cats.pdf

Feral cat control in Australia: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/invasive-species/feral-animals-australia/feral-cats

Reptiles

Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy: https://arcprotects.org/

Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation: https://parcplace.org/

Glaw F, Köhler J, Townsend TM, Vences M. Rivaling the world's smallest reptiles: discovery of miniaturized and microendemic new species of leaf chameleons (Brookesia) from northern Madagascar. PLoS One. 2012;7(2):e31314. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031314. Epub 2012 Feb 14. PMID: 22348069; PMCID: PMC3279364. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3279364/

Palm Oil

Breaks for Conservation: Palm Oil https://www.buzzsprout.com/2224824/13339323

PDZA’s Protect the Rainforest page: https://www.pdza.org/care/rainforest/

Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil: https://rspo.org/

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Thank you for listening to this month’s Breaks for Conservation! A huge thank you to Sheriden and Zach for taking the time to chat with us.

Below you’ll find some additional resources and information to further your own learning and to expand upon some points touched upon in our interview. Enjoy!

Polar Bears International (PBI)

https://polarbearsinternational.org/

PBI is located in a town on Hudson Bay in Manitoba, Canada. It has a population of approximately 870 people. Thousands of tourists flock to the town every year to observe polar bears, belugas, and birds.

Additional information from PDZA about polar bear conservation

https://www.pdza.org/tracking-polar-bears/

https://www.pdza.org/partnering-for-polar-bears/

https://www.pdza.org/dyed-hair-polar-bear/

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References and Further Reading

McClain CR (2017) Practices and promises of Facebook for science outreach: Becoming a “Nerd of Trust”. PLoS Biol 15(6): e2002020. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2002020

Museums and Trust 2021: https://www.aam-us.org/2021/09/30/museums-and-trust-2021/#:~:text=This%20high%20level%20of%20trust,%2C%20and%20are%20research%2Doriented

Polar Bears International: How to talk about climate change: https://polarbearsinternational.org/act-now/take-action/talk-about-it/

Effectively Communicating Climate Science beyond Academia: Harnessing the Heterogeneity of Climate Knowledge: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590332220301524

How do young people engage with climate change? The role of knowledge, values, message framing, and trusted communicators: https://wires.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/wcc.353

Understanding Organizational Trust of Zoos and Aquariums: https://dr.lib.iastate.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/2a21eaf3-0122-4e80-a5b7-1cc7692c11aa/content

Why Some Americans Do Not See Urgency on Climate Change: https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2023/08/09/why-some-americans-do-not-see-urgency-on-climate-change/

Americans’ Trust in Scientists, Other Groups Declines: https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2022/02/15/americans-trust-in-scientists-other-groups-declines/

The Information Deficit Model and Climate Change Communication (paywall): https://oxfordre.com/climatescience/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228620.001.0001/acrefore-9780190228620-e-301

Gaining Trust as well as respect in communicating to motivated audiences about science topics: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1317505111

Our Changing Climate | Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium: https://www.pdza.org/care/climate-change/

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Further Reading

Our Changing Climate: https://www.pdza.org/care/climate-change/

The Debunking Handbook (https://skepticalscience.com/debunking-handbook-2020-downloads-translations.html): Written by scientists, this document helps combat climate skepticism by debunking the most frequent climate change myths.

The Talking Climate Handbook https://climateoutreach.org/reports/how-to-have-a-climate-change-conversation-talking-climate/

PBI’s tips for having climate conversations: https://polarbearsinternational.org/act-now/take-action/talk-about-it

Active Listening: https://www.usip.org/public-education-new/what-active-listening

Using Active Listening to Coach Others: https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/coaching-others-use-active-listening-skills

PBI’s top conservation highlights: https://polarbearsinternational.org/news-media/articles/top-10-conservation-highlights-2023

Why People with Disabilities Want Bands on Plastic Straws To Be More Flexible: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/07/11/627773979/why-people-with-disabilities-want-bans-on-plastic-straws-to-be-more-flexible

Better Bus Systems Could Slow Climate Change (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/better-bus-systems-could-slow-climate-change/): A very good and accessible summary of the relationship between climate change and transportation.

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In this episode, we chat with Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium's 2023 Volunteer Rookies of the Year Alfredo Miranda, Shelby Rohzen, and Rick Dow. We learn why they volunteer, what they love about PDZA and their successes in their first year of volunteering at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

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On this episode of Breaks for Conservation listen to Liz Hines, Community Engagement Coordinator, and Suzanne Ackerman, Staff Biologist @ Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater, from Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium talk about empathy, what is empathy for wildlife, and its role at the zoo and aquarium. This is the first part to a mini series on empathy and empathy for wildlife.

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On this episode of Staff Chats, Stacey talks with Liz Hines, Community Engagement Coordinator, at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. We learn how she went from part interpreter to Wildlife Champions instructor and now Community Engagement coordinator and how her previous jobs and interests have helped her in her current job.

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On this episode of Staff Chats, Stacey talks with Abbi Robocker, Guest Engagement Interpretive Specialist, at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. We learn about how her love of PNW marine life, her interest in conservation, and about her work as chair of PDZA's Equity Team.

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Hear how Jasmine Williams, Community Collaboration Manager at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium made her way into the zoo and aquarium field. We will also dive into what equity and equity in conservation looks like in the zoo and aquarium industry.

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In this special anniversary episode, we sit down with PDZA Deputy Director Sarah and chat about one year of Voices for Conservation.

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On this episode of Breaks for Conservation, we dive back into empathy with a focus on how zoos & aquariums can support conservation action by stimulating motivational empathy in our guests. Special guest Interpretive Programs Specialist Nicole M.

Resources
Consorte-McCrea, Adriana & Bainbridge, Alan & Fernandez, Ana & Nigbur, Dennis & Mcdonnell, Siri & Morin, Aïssa & Grente, Oksana. (2017). Understanding Attitudes Towards Native Wildlife and Biodiversity in the UK: The Role of Zoos. 10.1007/978-3-319-47883-8_17. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312070381_Understanding_Attitudes_Towards_Native_Wildlife_and_Biodiversity_in_the_UK_The_Role_of_Zoos.

Salazar, Gabby & Satheesh, Nitya & Ramakrishna, Ishika & Monroe, Martha & Mills, Morena & Karanth, Krithi. (2024). Using environmental education to nurture positive human–wildlife interactions in India. Conservation Science and Practice. 6. 10.1111/csp2.13096. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378664004_Using_environmental_education_to_nurture_positive_human-wildlife_interactions_in_India.

Wilson, Jennifer & Nageotte, Nichole & Pletcher, Nette. (2022). Evoking empathy—An overlooked role of animal statues in zoos. Zoo Biology. 41. 10.1002/zoo.21691. https://digital.lib.washington.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/a665d580-31e6-4eb3-a093-570af5b190b9/content.

Clayton, Susan & Fraser, John & Burgess, Claire. (2011). The Role of Zoos in Fostering Environmental Identity. Ecopsychology. 3. 87-96. 10.1089/eco.2010.0079. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275269313_The_Role_of_Zoos_in_Fostering_Environmental_Identity.

Clayton, S., Luebke, J., Saunders, C., Matiasek, J., & Grajal, A. (2013). Connecting to nature at the zoo: implications for responding to climate change. Environmental Education Research, 20(4), 460–475. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2013.816267. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264090313_Connecting_to_nature_at_the_zoo_Implications_for_responding_to_climate_change.