Embracing Change

My childhood was spent camping in National Parks with my family. Having spent a great deal of time outdoors in Yosemite and Yellowstone, my parents instilled in us the importance of conserving nature. Children today prefer spending time indoors doing activities utilizing technology then spending time outdoors. Zoos and aquariums serve a great role in care and conservation. However, the message is sometimes missed by the general visitor. We need to do a better job of communicating our conservation messages, like parents did for me. Now that I am an employee of a aoo, I see how we play a vital role of the care and conservation of our world. It is easy for me to see the impact on the world through the animals that we care for, the research that we do, and the programs that we provide at the zoo daily. If conservation is not engrained in you on a daily basis, is it as easy for someone to see our impact on our natural world? Zoos and aquariums should continue to cultivate relationships with partners that also have care and conservation in their missions. For example, national and state parks, museums, and nature centers. Together we can help visitors understand the impact that we have as well as the choices that we make can impact the world. Technology has altered the way that we see, learn and do things. Instead of viewing technology as a negative, we should use it to our benefit, to encourage the message of care and conservation.