A recent UN report estimated that more than one million species are threatened with extinction, offering this as an urgent call to action for all zoos and aquariums to further engage in conservation.  

But we must remember that what serves as a call to action for those of us in the profession may be less effective with our guests.  Even we find those numbers overwhelming.  But for the general public they are not only overwhelming but hard or impossible to relate to, and often the opposite of a call to action.  What we know about human behavior is that people are less responsive to messages about large numbers, and much more responsive to the story about “Fred.”  Think of your response to hearing about millions impacted by drought, by political unrest, by famine.  Unless you are unusual, until it is personal, until we’re hearing about it from someone we know and trust, it generally remains data rather than something that touches your heart.  As an example, the current Ebola crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo is worrying to all, but for those of us connected to the GRACE Center in the region, who know individual people and gorillas there, we are terrified.  

Which is where you all come in.  Our zoos and aquariums can, and should, be the trusted voice that makes our current extinction crisis personal for our guests.   That reach their hearts.   Not in a shaming way, but in a way that inspires people to care about wildlife, and to act on their behalf.  We have the individual animals.  And we have employees that can share their passion about animals and the work that you do to care for them, and how they can be involved.  

The good news is that we now understand many of the principles that help us to affect conservation action.  And that understanding is growing as more AZA members actively work in this area.  I challenge you all to do so.