Media Release
3 March 2017

Wild Ideas – Big Ideas for Global Change

Wellington Zoo and twelve conservation partners from around the globe will be hosting a series of events in April, showcasing the conservation work our organisations do in partnership and empowering others to take positive steps for global change.

Representatives from 21st Century Tiger, Golden Lion Tamarin Association (AMLD), Cheetah Outreach, Fauna & Flora International Vietnam Programme, Free the Bears Asia, Madagascar Fauna and Flora Group, Proyecto Titi, Red Panda Network, TRAFFIC, Kea Conservation Trust, Save the Tasmanian Devil Programme and Jane Goodall Institute will be speaking at Wild Ideas, a symposium being held on April 5 and 6 at the Paramount Theatre in Wellington.

Wellington Zoo’s conservation partners will be speaking about the opportunities, challenges and successes of their work on the ground in places as diverse as Brazil, Madagascar and Nepal.

“We’re thrilled to bring Wellington Zoo’s global conservation partners together for the first time, as they join us for a week of events being held in Wellington and at the Zoo,” says Conservation Manager, Daniela Biaggio.

“Wild Ideas is an opportunity for us to share our Zoo’s efforts to save animals in the wild and inspire Wellingtonians with forward-thinking ideas to make positive steps for global change.”

The symposium will be held on Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 April from 9am – 3.30pm with morning tea and lunch provided. Each day there will be half hour talks from five to seven speakers, plus two panel discussions each day. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite, and Wellington Zoo will be donating a portion of each ticket directly to the Zoo’s conservation partners.

In addition to the symposium, there will be a visitor day on Saturday 8 April, where our conservation partners will take over Wellington Zoo for the day.

“We hope visitors enjoy meeting our conservation partners during this very extraordinary day, where they will be able to pre-book Close Encounters and hear a personalised talk from our partners who work closely with the animals we seek to save in the wild,” says Amy Hughes, General Manager Community Engagement.

“Visitors will also be able to join in conservation themed activities and head along to our daily talks at the Zoo in conjunction with our partners, where they will learn more about how we are helping to protect animals in the wild.”

“As part of our partnership with these global conservation initiatives, we give Zoo staff the chance to work with our partners in the field, to learn more about the initiatives within these organisations, while also offering our skills in return,” says Amy.

“This is made possible through donations into The Wellington Zoo Conservation Fund, which allows our staff to continue to contribute to wildlife conservation and inspire others about how we can all help.”

A portion of Wellington Zoo Close Encounter sales and Zoo Crew membership sales go toward The Wellington Zoo Conservation Fund, which helps us support local and global conservation programmes.

“We are very excited to be able to bring our conservation partners to Wellington and share their stories with our staff and visitors at the Zoo, as well as the wider community,” says Amy.

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