What: Nicole Mantz, Education Curator at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is on a 16 day Expedition to Kenya.
Where: Various Areas of Kenya: Nairobi, Amboseli National Park, Tsavo West, Olkiramatian, Chyulu Hills
Why: Nicole Mantz on behalf of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is joining an Earth Expeditions Program in Kenya through the Zoo’s participation in the Wild Research Consortium, directed by Project Dragonfly at Miami University and the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.
The Wild Research Consortium, started in 2007 through a grant funded by the National Science Foundation, brings together a group of Association of Zoo and Aquarium (AZA) Institutions around a common mission: to deepen public engagement in science and conservation. Wild Research will create and assess exhibit environments that ask visitors, particularly families, to take a plunge, cast off their traditional roles as spectators, and become active investigators and conservationists. The premise of Wild Research is that the most powerful way to engage families is to invite them into the world of science and conservation.
By using inquiry methods to invite public engagement, Wild Research supports what appears to be a recent national movement toward participatory science at zoos and aquariums. In an effort to build capacity, the Wild Research Consortium brings AZA professionals together with conservation scientists and educators for direct research experiences at key conservation sites in Africa, Asia and the Americas. These graduate credit workshops leverage the successful Earth Expeditions program . Participants will spend more than 100 hours at a field conservation site, attend follow-up workshops, and implement cooperative action plans. The Wild Research Leadership Workshops create international collaborations, while building the capacity of zoos and aquariums to connect families to global conservation efforts.
This trip is perfect timing for Cheyenne Mountain Zoo as Nicole will be leading the interpretive planning for the Zoo’s new elephant exhibit. With her experiences in Africa and learning opportunities in the course, Nicole hopes to engage guests with the story of how amazing elephants are and their coexistence with people and other wildlife.
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