Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo and the University of York have developed a blueprint to help zoos plan strategies for the conservation of native wildlife in and around their gardens.
As well as housing thousands of exotic species, modern zoos are playing an increasingly important role in native biodiversity conservation. Activities include conservation breeding and reintroduction, community education programmes and habitat improvement.
But despite the important conservation work being carried out, few zoos have strategic zoo Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs), which set out targets for biodiversity conservation based on priority species and habitats.
In 2011, Flamingo Land became the first zoo to produce a formal ‘Zoo BAP’ and has now developed guidance for other zoos based on its experiences, which is outlined in the Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research (JZAR).
The new guidance, which provides a framework for the establishment, monitoring and re-evaluation of a Zoo BAP, was produced by Dr Andrew Marshall and Natasha Hambly from CIRCLE (Collaboration for Integrated Research, Conservation and Learning), a joint initiative between the University of York and Flamingo Land.
Dr Marshall, who is Head of Conservation Science at Flamingo Land and a Lecturer in the University’s Environment Department, said: “Structured and well-managed strategic plans are essential in order to achieve successful evidence-based conservation. Throughout the framework we emphasise stakeholder participation, particularly zoo staff and local government biodiversity representatives, as well as local naturalists, conservation groups and land-owners.
“We see huge potential for the development of Zoo BAPs for the promotion of zoos as miniature ‘biosphere reserves’ where people and nature co-exist sustainably.
“With over 700m annual visitors, the world’s zoos provide an opportunity to conserve biodiversity in a human-dominated environment, while also promoting biodiversity conservation in a unique manner that is informal, educational and fun.”
The Latest on: Biodiversity Action Plans
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Biodiversity Action Plans” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Biodiversity Action Plans
- Bengaluru takes steps to document its biodiversityon May 17, 2024 at 5:40 pm
“BMC members will soon be meeting higher officials from BBMP to finalise the budget. A detailed plan of action to record and document Bengaluru’s biodiversity will also be drawn up. The department has ...
- Landowner project part of €2.8m biodiversity funding booston May 17, 2024 at 6:31 am
The Hare's Corner initiative is among 233 community biodiversity projects for which funding worth a total of €2.8m has been announced.
- 13 Kilkenny biodiversity projects to receive over €94,000 in biodiversity fundingon May 17, 2024 at 4:46 am
A total of 13 local biodiversity projects in Co Kilkenny have been chosen to receive funding under the Local Biodiversity Action Fund (LBAF). Kilkenny County Council have been awarded €94,031 to help ...
- Ten Carlow biodiversity projects have been awarded biodiversity fundingon May 17, 2024 at 3:47 am
A total of ten local biodiversity projects in Co Carlow have been chosen to receive funding under the Local Biodiversity Action Fund (LBAF).
- Rosslare biodiversity plan will preserve area’s natural heritage and engage citizen scientistson May 16, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Understanding how vulnerable the area is to the repeated storms and extreme weather events which have now become the norm, the group set about creating a biodiversity action plan with the intention of ...
- Ocean action on global agenda as negotiations to save biodiversity deepenon May 15, 2024 at 10:41 pm
It is within this context that negotiations on critical science, technical skills, and technology deepened on the second day of the 26th session of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and ...
- Cross-party MPs urge Sunak to end plans to ‘max out’ North Sea oil and gason May 15, 2024 at 10:28 pm
Cross-party MPs urge Sunak to end plans to ‘max out’ North Sea oil and gas - The members of the all-party parliamentary group on climate wrote to the Prime Minister on Wednesday with a list of climate ...
- SBSTTA and SBI—Biodiversity Meetings Crucial for the Global South Beginon May 15, 2024 at 1:23 am
More than 1,400 delegates are present at two crucial meetings, where preserving the planet's biodiversity for the benefit of humanity is under discussion.
- Asia-Pacific’s alarming loss of biodiversity – a hidden threat to the food security and habitat of our future generationson May 14, 2024 at 11:02 pm
Asia-Pacific’s alarming loss of biodiversity – a hidden threat to the food security and habitat of our future generations ...
- World Species Day: global action to stop biodiversity losson May 13, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Wildlife use and trade are prominent in the biodiversity agenda, and The Biodiversity Plan ... will moderate a session on Global Species Action Plan 4.6: Human Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence. James ...
via Bing News