A Letter from the ZACC Steering Committee

Dear Colleagues,        

Where did our sense of wonder go? Where did that childlike love of walking in the woods, or looking for colored rocks in a creek bed, or watching the birds in our backyards go?  And if we lost that sense of delight in the natural world - how do we get it back and instill it in the next generation?  

Scientific data has informed us that cataclysmic storms, heat waves, wildfires and subsequent flooding of such magnitude would occur – yet it seems Mother Nature has finally gotten our attention; but it’s different now – it’s personal. And what will we do with this changing landscape?  How will zoos/aquaria respond, knowing we have access to hundreds of millions of visitors worldwide – how will we engage to promote positive behavior change?  The pandemic brought home to us the vital importance of the One Health concept – that humans are not apart from this Earth, but are an integral part of it and as such our actions and inactions have real world consequences.

In the past year, the conservation community has lost some truly amazing conservationists, people who made a difference. Our own ZACC steering committee member, and two-time ZACC host Peter Riger, passed away in May. We are all devastated by the loss both on a personal level, and on a wider conservation level. Peter understood our role was to act as facilitators - to connect people. He understood the power of creating and sustaining partnerships, and that we must be willing to react and pivot to ever-changing events. Peter did his work quietly, effectively and humbly with his signature humor and goodwill – we miss him deeply, we miss his voice. 

In recent weeks, we lost Dr. Mike Cranfield of Gorilla Doctors and the Maryland Zoo. Mike was a vocal advocate for the One Health concept, seeing it first hand in the course of his work with wild gorillas. In reading comments from his friends and colleagues, both here and abroad, one is struck by such a deep sense of loss; people simply cannot wrap their heads around his absence. Mike’s story too, was one of quietly getting on with it - nurturing and creating opportunities for others, while always accompanied by his infectious grin and ever present brilliant wit.

We need more Peter’s and Mike’s in this world, and we need to keep telling their stories. They are examples of simply doing the right thing while being kind in the process and making us laugh along the way.

Conservation is nothing, if not personal – it is all about relationships and as such it is our actions that speak the loudest. The ZACC community wants to hear from zoos/aquaria that serve as examples of a commitment to in situ conservation that is real, substantial, long-term and holistic in its approach. Come inspire us with your stories of partnerships, share your stories of individuals making a difference – and of people who innovate and create authentic and impactful programs.

To the people on the frontlines of conservation doing the community-based work - the community leaders, the in-situ educators, the NGO’s, the researchers - help us understand your needs and define – from your perspective, what a successful partnership looks like.

To the storytellers - the writers, the journalists, the photographers and artists – come inspire us with your words and images – teach us how we can better tell our conservation stories.

As we prepare for the 2024 ZACC Conference in Salt Lake City, we thank each of you for your patience over the last several years and a big thank you to our sponsors for believing in ZACC and continuing to support us - for so many, your generosity makes this an affordable conference. We cannot say enough about Hogle Zoo and Tracy Aviary for their willingness to pick up the ZACC banner and carry it forward once again – to both institutions we offer our most sincere appreciation.

Please join us May 13 -17, 2024 in Salt Lake City to share your story, and be inspired to take action for wildlife conservation.

Our very best,

ZACC Steering Committee

Marc Ancrenaz, Erin Stotz, Rebecca Rose, Lucas Meers, Beth Armstrong, Liz Larsen