Zoo theater's influence on affect and cognition: a case study from the Central Park Zoo in New York

Abstract

Zoo theater is used by zoos as a means to influence visitor feelings and knowledge gain about wildlife and environmental themes. This study examined whether and to what extent zoo theater fulfilled these aims by investigating its impact on affect and cognition. The study consisted of an in-depth case study at the Central Park Zoo in New York, a location that has one of the most diverse zoo theater programs in the United States. Using a multimethod approach the study explored many facets of the Central Park Zoo's extensive zoo theater program. These included performances at a main stage, at exhibits, and in the children's zoo. The study found that the extent of zoo theater's influence on affect and cognition is dependent on a combination of a variety of characteristics that include the length of a performance, audience participation, the level of structure of a performance, the presence of song and dance elements, and the scale of the productions.

Evaluating the conservation impact of an innovative zoo‐based educational campaign: ‘Don't Palm Us Off’ for orang‐utan conservation

“…Collectively these demonstrate the successful nature of the campaign and reinforce the role zoos can play as agents for education and conservation in society, consistent with their shifting organizational purpose [ Patrick et al, 2007 ]. More broadly, they also attest to the importance of continued innovation in zoo education practices [ Broad and Weiler, 1998 ; Andersen, 2003 ; Penn, 2009 ; Vischer et al, 2009 ] and highlight how zoos can complement traditional education (i.e., signage and animal displays in isolation) with focused conservation education messages, which cover both the cause of conservation threats as well as what people can do to help [ Falk, 2005 ]. Furthermore, the use of new media in this campaign (i.e., disseminating the campaign video on You Tube as well as screening it at the exhibit; providing an online petition; and developing a Facebook page and dedicated web page through the Zoos Victoria website) demonstrated how traditional and newer forms of educational mediums can be combined to enhance dissemination and efficacy [ Lievrouw and Livingstone, 2002 ; Kahn and Kellner, 2004 ; Pearson et al, 2011 ].…”

“…This is consistent with the findings of Weiler and Smith [] that more layers of interpretation (and different interpretive experience opportunities, i.e., walking along the trail with static displays, attending a keeper talk, interacting with/asking questions of a volunteer guide, or participating in a behind‐the‐scenes tour) are associated with greater learning. Comparable positive impacts have also been seen through the use of zoo theatre performances or placing costumed interpreters at selected exhibits to provide information to the public and answer questions arising from the viewing experience [Penn, ].…”

The effects of environmental education on children's and parents' knowledge and attitudes towards lemurs in rural Madagascar

“…The paucity of quality evaluations of conservation education programmes limits ongoing development and improvement, and is greatly needed (Jacobson, ). A number of recent studies assess the impact of environmental education on participant's immediate knowledge and attitudes (Penn, ; Damerell, Howe & Milner‐Gulland, ). However, there are few studies that investigate the longer term retention of knowledge and whether changes in attitudes are maintained.…”