Utilizing Zoos Victoria's Connect‐Understand‐Act model to enable social and biological gains in northern Kenya

Abstract

As human populations grow, wildlife across the globe is increasingly threatened. As a zoo‐based conservation organization, Zoos Victoria (ZV) in south‐east Australia is dedicated to fighting wildlife extinction locally and globally. Our international partnerships work with local communities, governments and non‐governmental organizations. The focus of the ZV conservation programmes is on alleviating threats to wildlife while addressing the needs of the community. The shared vision of a partnership with the Melako Community Conservancy (MCC) in northern Kenya is to foster sustainable development that allows communities to live in balance with wildlife. In 2011, an opportunity arose to trial ZV's Connect‐Understand‐Act (CUA) model for influencing visitor behaviour change, and this led to the first practical application of this model in Kenya. The model utilizes best‐practice conservation, education and social science to shape wildlife‐friendly values and behaviours. The impact of this model is now being trialled in situ through a conservation‐based sports programme called ‘Kicking Goals for Wildlife’. After conducting a conservation‐needs assessment in 2010, the community identified human–wildlife conflict as an issue negatively impacting species such as the Beisa oryx Oryx gazella beisa and Grevy's zebra Equus grevyi. The Kicking Goals for Wildlife programme is targeted at morans (initiated youth ranging from 15 to 30 years of age, and also referred to as warriors), filling their ‘idle time’ with football as an alternative to harming wildlife or engaging in intertribal conflict. The outcomes of the programme will be measured through changes in warrior attitude, knowledge, behavioural efficacy, reduction in biological threat and social change. Preliminary feedback is showing positive progress across all aspects. An additional measure, in an effort to assess the programme's impact on target species, was distance sampling to monitor the changes in flight distance. This paper outlines the theoretical framework underpinning the model, using the Kicking Goals for Wildlife programme in the MCC as a case study for what is involved in planning, designing and implementing a conservation‐education programme in the field.

Recycling 115,369 mobile phones for gorilla conservation over a six-year period (2009-2014) at Zoos Victoria: A case study of ‘points of influence’ and mobile phone donations

“…In 2005, post-visit teacher calls were placed to almost 50 schools whose students had taken part in environmental education programs at Werribee Open Range Zoo, and it was discovered that not a single school had installed a nest-box or planted native grasses, and only one school had installed a frog bog incorrectly. As a result, to facilitate uptake of pro-conservation behaviors, Zoos Victoria developed the Connect-Understand-Act (CUA) conservation education model [48], provided as Supporting Information (S3 Appendix), which is based on principles of psychology (e.g. contemporary learning theories) and utilizes behavior change tools from Community-Based Social Marketing [49].…”

“…contemporary learning theories) and utilizes behavior change tools from Community-Based Social Marketing [49]. The CUA model [48] guided the design and development of the They’re Calling On You (TCOY) campaign to facilitate donation of retired mobile phones (target behavior) by mobile phone users over 12 years of age (target audience).…”

New hope for the Eastern barred bandicoot Perameles gunnii after 27 years of recovery effort

“…Zoos play a pivotal role in engaging the public with the Eastern barred bandicoot and ways to assist the species. With over 2·5 million visitors per year and 150 000 students, Zoos Victoria has the ability to connect local communities with the subspecies and promote recovery efforts through a ‘Love your Locals’ campaign and the Connect‐Understand‐Act model (Lowry & Hradsky, ; Dunstan et al ., ; Squires et al ., ; Zoos Victoria, ). Melbourne Zoo, Healesville Sanctuary and Werribee Open Range Zoo hand‐rear Eastern barred bandicoots to introduce visitors to the species and its conservation (Plate 2), with Werribee also promoting the species in a purpose‐built nocturnal ‘Bandicoot Hideout’.…”

Editorial: Future Perspectives in Conservation Education

“…However, in this introduction, the complexity and scope of education needs to be acknowledged and explored. These can be on-site at an institution (Hughes & Allan, 2016), as part of an outreach programme in the local community (Jacobson et al, 2006;Cureg et al, 2016) or at a conservation field site (Crudge et al, 2016;Squires et al, 2016). In zoos and aquariums it is used to reflect education and learning in its broadest sense.…”

“…Conservation education can be thought of as an umbrella term for a whole host of educational programmes that contribute to biodiversity conservation. These can be on-site at an institution (Hughes & Allan, 2016), as part of an outreach programme in the local community (Jacobson et al, 2006;Cureg et al, 2016) or at a conservation field site (Crudge et al, 2016;Squires et al, 2016). Conservation education includes both formal and informal approaches to learning (Falk & Dierking, 1992), structured and free-choice programmes (Tofield et al, 2003), elements of exhibit design (Coe, 1987) and collection planning (Moss & Esson, 2010), public-engagement and science-communication activities and events (Bickford et al, 2012), biological, science and environmental education (Ballantyne & Packer, 1996;Falk & Storksdieck, 2010;Offord-Woolley et al, 2016), education for sustainable development (Packer & Ballantyne, 2010) and practical skills-based programmes (Lopes & Salovey, 2004).…”