Voices for Conservation

On this episode of Breaks for Conservation listen to Liz Hines, Community Engagement Coordinator, and Suzanne Ackerman, Staff Biologist @ Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater, from Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium talk about empathy, what is empathy for wildlife, and its role at the zoo and aquarium. This is the first part to a mini series on empathy and empathy for wildlife.

In this episode, we chat with Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium's 2023 Volunteer Rookies of the Year Alfredo Miranda, Shelby Rohzen, and Rick Dow.  We learn why they volunteer, what they love about PDZA and their successes in their first year of volunteering at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

Further Reading Our Changing Climate: https://www.pdza.org/care/climate-change/   The Debunking Handbook ( https://skepticalscience.com/debunking-handbook-2020-downloads-translations.html ): Written by scientists, this document helps combat climate skepticism by debunking the most frequent climate change myths.    The Talking Climate Handbook https://climateoutreach.org/reports/how-to-have-a-clima...

References and Further Reading McClain CR (2017) Practices and promises of Facebook for science outreach: Becoming a “Nerd of Trust”. PLoS Biol 15(6): e2002020. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2002020 Museums and Trust 2021: https://www.aam-us.org/2021/09/30/museums-and-trust-2021/#:~:text=This%20high%20level%20of%20trust,%2C%20and%20are%20research%2Doriented Polar Bears International: How to...

Thank you for listening to this month’s Breaks for Conservation! A huge thank you to Sheriden and Zach for taking the time to chat with us.  Below you’ll find some additional resources and information to further your own learning and to expand upon some points touched upon in our interview. Enjoy!   Polar Bears International (PBI) https://polarbearsinternational.org/ PBI is located in a town on Hu...

Check out the following resources for additional information on the topics discussed in this episode! Pet Ownership   Not a Pet: https://www.notapet.net/   Wildlife Trafficking Alliance: https://www.aza.org/wildlife-trafficking-alliance?locale=en   U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s page on Injurious Wildlife regulations: https://www.fws.gov/story/understanding-injurious-wildlife-regulations   Flo...