International Zoo Educators Association


The International Zoo Educators Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the education programmes in zoos and aquariums.
Founded in 1972 by a group of European zoo educators, IZE's aim was to create a forum where zoo educators could meet every two years to discuss and share ideas and common interests. The founding members included those from Frankfurt Zoo, Amsterdam Zoo, Paignton Zoo and Copenhagen Zoo.
The first IZE President was Rosl Kirchshofer, head of education at the Frankfurt Zoo.
Proceedings were produced for the first time at the second international meeting in 1974 at Copenhagen Zoo. To facilitate communication among members the first newsletter was produced in 1977, edited by Jan Hatley, head of education at Paignton Zoo.
The IZE website states that the association's mission is to:
" the educational impact of zoos and aquariums worldwide", "improve the education programs" and "support excellence in animal care and welfare".

History

The International Zoo Educators Association was established after a meeting of zoo education officers held in Frankfurt, Germany on September 6, 1972.

Newsgroup

In November 1999 a group of IZE European members began a European regional internet discussion group to help educators network between conferences. This group started life as the ERNIZE Yahoo Group managed by staff at Chester Zoo in England, UK. In June 2007 the IZE Board voted to make the group international and available to IZE members worldwide. The name changed to the IZE Yahoo Group and its management transferred to Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland. Membership of the group is by invitation-only and its primary purpose is ‘to enable discussion, exchange of information and questions etc. between zoo educators across the world’.

Institutional membership and sponsored delegates

IZE offers institutional membership to zoos, aquariums, nature/wildlife centres and wildlife reserves. At least 50% of this annual membership fee is used in a scheme to enable sponsored delegates to attend conferences when they might not otherwise be able to afford to, and supports outreach to zoo and wildlife educators in the developing world.
Sponsored delegates must be qualified to seek full membership and be unable to pay regular membership fees. Sponsored membership applications must be approved by the Regional Representatives and IZE President. Approved members are entitled to all rights and privileges of full membership for two years.

Relationship with WAZA">World Association of Zoos and Aquariums">WAZA

Every year since 2000, IZE has reported to the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums about their achievements to realize the education goals formulated in the World Zoo and Aquarium Conservation Strategy.
In 2002 IZE became an affiliate member of WAZA.
In 2004 an IZE Central Office was established after a proposal to WAZA for assistance. It was decided during the 2004 WAZA Conference in Taipei, Taiwan to offer room, equipment and a one-day a week staff member in their headquarters at this time in Bern, Switzerland, giving IZE a stable base for all kinds of activities. This also increased the efficiency of the management of IZE membership dues, allowing more sponsored delegates to attend the IZE Conferences. Since 2009, IZE has made a contribution towards the running costs of the headquarters.
Under a MoU, the WAZA's Executive Office provides secretariat support to the IZE. In 2010, the Association separated from the WAZA office in order to better serve their members. The IZE Administrator position is a paid position and is now selected and works for the IZE President and in support of the President on all matters for the Association specifically membership, tracking financial statements and note keeping on Board communications. The Association now manages its own membership and membership dues in an extremely efficient manner and continues to make the IZE Journal and IZE Grants Program a priority of funding.

Formalisation of Statutes under Swiss law">Law of Switzerland">Swiss law in 2006

Under the name "International Zoo Educators Association" exists, for an indefinite period of time, an association under the terms of articles 60 to 78 of the Swiss Civil Code. The association is a non-profit organization with international membership. The association office is located in Bern, Switzerland.
The IZE Constitution was adopted and put into force by the General Assembly at the 18th Biennal Conference in Pretoria, South Africa on 13 October 2006. It is revised annually and proposed changes are voted on by the General Assembly during the IZE Conferences.

Website

The IZE's website was first launched in 2001 with a major overhaul taking place in 2005.

Journals

The first Newsletter of the International Association of Zoo Educators was produced after the third conference in 1976. It was edited by Jan Hatley, head of education at Paignton Zoo, and published in 1977. The aim of the newsletter was to facilitate communication among members between conferences.
The newsletter was redesigned and edited for economic reasons with the help of Judith White and Judith King of the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., and the sixth issue was published in 1981.
In 1986 the newsletter became the Journal of the International Association of Zoo Educators as suggested by Judith King:
The Journal describes itself as a resource for articles on conservation, interpretation, zoo education, methods and techniques, and evaluation. Its publication has been annual since 1999.

List of Journals

Issue no.YearEditorZoo
11977Jan HatleyPaignton Zoological and Botanical Gardens
21978Jan HatleyPaignton Zoological and Botanical Gardens
31978Jan HatleyPaignton Zoological and Botanical Gardens
41979Jan HatleyPaignton Zoological and Botanical Gardens
51980Jan HatleyPaignton Zoological and Botanical Gardens
61981Judith White; Judith KingNational Zoological Park
71981Judith White; Judith KingNational Zoological Park
81982Judith White; Judith KingNational Zoological Park
91982Judith White; Judith KingNational Zoological Park
101983Judith White; Judith KingNational Zoological Park
111983Judith White; Judith KingNational Zoological Park
121984Judith White; Judith KingNational Zoological Park
131984Judith WhiteNational Zoological Park
141985Pegi S. HarveyZoological Society of San Diego
151986Helen FreemanWoodland Park Zoo
161986Malcolm WhiteheadTwycross Zoo
171987Judith KingNational Zoological Park
181987Pegi HarveyZoological Society of San Diego
191988Stephen McAuleyTaronga Zoo
201988Malcolm P. WhiteheadTwycross Zoo
211989Judith KingNational Zoological Park
221989Janet JacksonPhiladelphia Zoological Gardens
231990Stephen McAuleyTaronga Zoo
241990Juliane SegerDortmund Zoo
251992Phillip CoffeyJersey Wildlife Preservation Trust
261992Christopher ChengTaronga Zoo
271993Stephen McAuleyTaronga Zoo
281993Stephen McAuley;
Juliane Seger		Taronga Zoo
Dortmund Zoo
291993Stephen McAuley; Christopher ChengTaronga Zoo
301994Stephen McAuley;
Kim Stiles		Taronga Zoo
Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust
311995Stephen McAuleyTaronga Zoo
321995Stephen McAuleyTaronga Zoo
331996Stephen McAuleyTaronga Zoo
341997Greg HuntMelbourne Zoo
351999Robert MindickSeaWorld Orlando
362000Robert MindickSeaWorld Orlando
372001Robert MindickSeaWorld Orlando
382002Stephen McKeownChester Zoo
392003Stephen McKeownChester Zoo
402004Stephen McKeownChester Zoo
412005Martin SerafiniEdinburgh Zoo
422006Natasha SilvaRoyal Zoo Amsterdam
432007Natasha SilvaRoyal Zoo Amsterdam
442008Natasha SilvaRoyal Zoo Amsterdam
452009Natasha SilvaRoyal Zoo Amsterdam
462010Natasha SilvaRoyal Zoo Amsterdam

List of Conferences

NumberDateHostHost location
1September 6, 1972Frankfurt ZooFrankfurt, Germany
21974Copenhagen ZooCopenhagen, Denmark
3June 1976London ZooLondon, England, UK
4September 26–29, 1978National Zoological ParkWashington D.C., United States
5September 30 - October 3, 1980Tiergarten SchoenbrunnVienna, Austria
6September 25–29, 1982Arizona-Sonora Desert MuseumTucson, Arizona, United States
7September 2–6, 1984Edinburgh Zoo and Peebles Hotel HydroEdinburgh, Scotland, UK
8October 26–31, 1986Melbourne ZooMelbourne, Australia
9October 2–7, 1988Metro Toronto ZooToronto, Ontario, Canada
10September 9–15, 1990Antwerp ZooAntwerp, Belgium
11August 23–28, 1992Taronga ZooMosman, Sydney, Australia
12September 25–30, 1994Los Angeles ZooLos Angeles, California, United States
131996Copenhagen ZooCopenhagen, Denmark
141998Taipei ZooTaipei, Taiwan
15October 1–6, 2000Guadalajara ZooGuadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
16August 17–22, 2002Tiergarten SchoenbrunnVienna, Austria
17September 4–9, 2004Ocean ParkHong Kong
18October 9–14, 2006National Zoological Gardens of South AfricaPretoria, South Africa
19October 19–23, 2008Adelaide ZooAdelaide, Australia
20September 28 - October 2, 2010Disney's Animal KingdomLake Buena Vista, Florida, United States
21August 28 - September 1, 2012Chester ZooChester, England, UK
22September 2–6, 2014Ocean Park Hong KongHong Kong
23September 18–22, 2016Temaiken FoundationBuenos Aires, Argentina
24September 14–18, 2018Al Ain ZooAl Ain, UAE
25October 11–15, 2020San Diego ZooSan Diego, California, United States
262022Wellington ZooWellington, New Zealand

List of Presidents

  1. Rosl Kirchshofer
  2. Han Rensenbrink
  3. Jan Hatley
  4. Judith White
  5. Lars Lunding Andersen
  6. Robert Ollason
  7. Pegi Harvey
  8. Annette Berkovits
  9. Chris Peters
  10. Stephen McKeown
  11. Kathy Lehnhardt
  12. Rachel Lowry
  13. Isabel Li
  14. Debra Erickson