Nature conservation and eco-education done by Mykolaiv Zoo

Education is one of the main functions of zoos. This is confirmed by the existence of exhibits available to the public.

The Department of Environmental Education and Public Relations of Mykolaiv Zoo consists of 9 specialists: head of department, deputy head of department, leading tour guide, tour guide, methodologist, organizer of cultural and leisure activities, designer of graphic works, translator and librarian.

The main tasks of the specialists of the department are to work on improving the image of the zoo, attracting visitors, increasing the level of their service, implementing innovative developments in the field of environmental education of the population; creation of advertising and educational products; raising one’s qualification level, both through self-education and through the exchange of experience with specialists from other scientific and educational organizations.

Excursions.

One of the main forms of work of the department is conducting excursions on the territory of the zoo. A total of 200 to 300 excursions are held per year. The general tour is in the greatest demand.

There are also thematic tours ordered by groups: “Bird tribe”, “Aquarium of Mykolaiv Zoo”, “World of Terrarium”, “In the Kingdom of Flora”, “Museum of History of Mykolaiv Zoo”, “Ethnographic Yard “Grandfather’s Hut” and its residents”.

We have also introduced new popular modern knowledge acquisition methods in the form of animated quest-excursions. Costumed quest-excursions are held for children of all ages: “The Key to the Storehouse of Knowledge” with characters Pinocchio and Malvina, “Note from the Founder” with heroes Metric the hare and Whitey the bear. Such excursions include the presentation of material in the form of a fairy-tale game of heroes with elements of musical accompaniment, dances, acting, various types of movements and much more. For such excursions, the employees of the ecological and educational department make a lot of props, costumes, and conduct numerous rehearsals.

Taking into account quarantine conditions, online quizzes and excursions were implemented. Online tours are a new form of work that we started at the end of 2020 due to quarantine restrictions. These excursions are broadcast live from the social pages of Mykolaiv Zoo on Facebook and Instagram. We get a lot of positive feedback from our subscribers. Our viewers have the opportunity to ask questions directly on the live broadcast and watch their favorites from anywhere.

We choose topics for excursions according to the following criteria: first, excursions can be subject to the eco-calendar, for example, November 29 is World Jaguar Day, so at the end of November, of course, our broadcast will be dedicated to big cats; secondly, we celebrate animal birthdays; also, when choosing a topic, we take into account the wishes of our subscribers, weather conditions are taken into account.

Excursions are held once a week, the topic, date and time can be found in advance on the poster.

The technical difficulty lies in the fact that there is not always a good Internet connection when shooting indoors, and there is also poor lighting in the premises, so preference is given to shooting outdoors. On average, from 800 to 3,500 people watch the online tour, and about 500 people take part in the quizzes. Figures are taken from “Publication Statistics”.

Environmental and educational actions.

Also, an effective form of ecological education of the general population is ecological and educational actions on the territory of the zoo. During the year, the following actions are held:

  1. Reserves and National Parks Day (January 11)
  2. Great winter bird census (January 18-25)
  3. International Zebra Day (January 31)
  4. All-Ukrainian campaign “Primroses” (February)
  5. Groundhog Day and Hedgehog Day; World Wetlands Day (February 2)
  6. Hippo Day (February 15)
  7. International Polar Bear Day (February 27)
  8. World Wildlife Day (March 3)
  9. World day against dams, to protect rivers, water of life (March 14)
  10. World Forest Day (March 21)
  11. World Water Day (March 22)
  12. International Bird Day and Ornithologist’s Day (April 1)
  13. Earth Hour (April)
  14. Earth Day (April 22)
  15. World Tapir Day (April 27)
  16. Ferret Day (May 2)
  17. Ladybug Day (May)
  18. Blooming irises (May)
  19. International Day of Biological Diversity (May 22)
  20. World Turtle Day (May 23)
  21. European Day of Parks (May 24)
  22. Environmental Protection Day (June 5)
  23. The day of the creation of the young naturalists movement (June 15)
  24. World Lynx Day (June 11)
  25. World Giraffe Day (June 21)
  26. Day of employees of the Nature Reserve Fund (July 7)
  27. World Chimpanzee Day (July 14)
  28. World Snake Day (July 16)
  29. International Tiger Day (July 29)
  30. International Day of Homeless Animals (August)
  31. Day of veterinary medicine workers (second Sunday in August)
  32. World Lion Day (August 10)
  33. World Elephant Day (August 12)
  34. World Lizard Day (August 14)
  35. Horse Day (August 31)
  36. World Crane Day (second Sunday of September)
  37. Sea Day (last Thursday of September)
  38. Amur Tiger and Leopard Day (last Sunday of September)
  39. International Birdwatching Days (September 30 – October 1)
  40. International Raccoon Day (October 1)
  41. International Animal Protection Day (October 4)
  42. Environmental Education Day (October 14)
  43. International Snow Leopard Day (October 23)
  44. World Lemur Day (last Friday of October)
  45. Black Sea Day (October 31)
  46. ​​Fox Day (November 1)
  47. Mushroom season (November)
  48. Tit Day (November 12)
  49. International Jaguar Day (November 29)
  50. World Monkey Day (December 14)

The following items may be included in the plan for each event:

  • Selection of material, selection of subjects, discussion of material with specialists of zoological departments;
  • Creation of a thematic article;
  • Photo and video shooting or selection of archival materials;
  • Broadcasting of the radio module through loudspeakers on the territory of the zoo;
  • Updating of information on the “News of the Zoo” stand for viewing by visitors;
  • The set of events may include the demonstration of a documentary film or video clip of an educational nature (created by specialists of the department);
  • Thematic class of the Group of Young Zoo Biologists;
  • Also, for some dates, for example, World Monkey Day or International Raccoon Day, etc., demonstrative enrichment of the environment of the animals-“culprits of the holiday” was carried out;
  • Posting information on the zoo’s website and pages in social networks.

Conducting environmental and educational actions is a relevant form of work especially when it is necessary to comply with quarantine regulations, because most of such events are held online or without gatherings of people. But at the same time, the audience covered by this format of environmental education is quite large.

Celebrating  holidays.

In order to popularize the activities of the zoo and attract visitors the specialists of the department hold festive events on the territory of the zoo. For example: Butter Week, Family Day, We are 120!, Night at the Zoo, Autumn of Life, Earth Day, Bird Day, Hanami Festival and many others.

The process of preparation and organization of each holiday includes the following stages:

  • development of the concept (compilation of a scenario plan);
  • work on attracting creative teams of the city to participate in the holiday on a free basis;
  • working with mass media, Internet resources, recording commercials on the radio “Native Street” announcing the event;
  • development of layouts, posters and invitations to the holiday;
  • development of layouts and design of certificates and letters of thanks;
  • creation and broadcast of advertising audio clips;
  • distribution of posters;
  • work on attracting mass;
  • scene design;
  • selection and arrangement of musical accompaniment;
  • preparation and development of accompanying printed material: press releases, leaflets, game material;
  • work on purchasing the necessary props, prizes, accompanying materials;
  • checking sound equipment.

The work of the group of young zoo biologists.

The group is attended by children aged 10-16.

Classes are held according to the “Young Keeper” program, which was specially approved for the zoo. Under this program, classes are held, aimed primarily at getting to know the basics of zoo business, studying the collection and peculiarities of the work of Mykolaiv Zoo and other zoos. Also, children study some branches of biology – they get to know the world of animals, they study the zoo’s arboretum, they get to know the basics of ethology and ecology. The main sections of the theoretical lesson plan are as follows: “Fundamentals of zoo business”, “Zootechnical departments of the zoo”, “Non-zootechnical departments and structures of the zoo”, “Arboretum on the territory of the zoo”.

During the presentation of the material, lectures, conversations, and discussions of the studied material were held in the classes. Animals of the zoo are studied during thematic excursions. Excursions are conducted not only near the exhibits of the zoo, but also in such departments as the veterinary medicine department, the feed department, and the vivarium. An excursion to the Museum of the History of Mykolaiv Zoo is always very interesting for young people. Special attention is paid to conversations with zoo employees, because such conversations allow you to learn a lot of interesting information about the peculiarities of work. To consolidate knowledge, cognitive quizzes, quests, and other competitions are held. Last year’s practice continued – theoretical classes in the fresh air in the form of a “picnic”. Such classes are very interesting for children, theoretical material is taught in an interesting form, in the form of a game. In 2021, for example, educational “picnics” were held, such as “Survival Picnic”, where children learned about the rules of ecological and safe behavior in nature, or “Sea Picnic”, dedicated to the inhabitants of the sea.

This year, the additional classes on the study of the natural world of our region continued. For example, in classes, children studied invertebrates that they can meet on walks, or learned to recognize the species of birds in our area, including by their voices. Considerable attention is paid to issues of nature protection and environmental education. Young people studied the rules of behavior in nature, met with ecologists, got acquainted with the forms and methods of nature conservation work. The children studied the role of zoos in the work of animal conservation, got acquainted with the successes of Mykolaiv Zoo in breeding rare species. Young biologists of Mykolaiv Zoo helped in nature conservation campaigns. So, for example, they independently recorded a video message “Let’s save the primroses”.

For some time, mass events at the zoo were prohibited due to quarantine restrictions, so young people participated in interesting events held online. In May 2021, the young naturalists of Mykolaiv Zoo took part in the All-Ukrainian online tournament of young biologists. The children received diplomas, honorary prizes, as well as new knowledge and interesting acquaintances with young naturalists from other zoos. We also conducted online communication with young biologists of Kyiv Zoo, during which the children exchanged experiences, told about the zoo of their city, its most interesting animals and about the peculiarities of the group’s work.

The zoo’s young naturalists drew ecological posters for the competition dedicated to the Black Sea Day, at which they also received honorary diplomas and prizes.

A new, extremely interesting and useful form of the group’s work became the running of the permanent column “School of the Young Zoo Correspondent” by the young naturalists. During these classes, children conduct conversations with zoo employees and independently write articles about animals on the zoo’s page for publication on social networks.

In 2021, young naturalists took part in many thematic actions held by Mykolaiv Zoo. For example, they helped organize “Birthday of Shanti the Elephant” and an exhibition dedicated to Independence Day. Young biologists also independently prepared and held a traditional event – the “Pet Day” exhibition, which took place in the form of a lecture in the fresh air. During such events, young naturalists showed themselves to be talented actors. With the aim of developing the acting abilities of young naturalists, the organizer of cultural and leisure activities in 2021 started a cycle of theater arts classes, where children developed imagination, trained diction, learned to stage creative sketches, etc..

In addition to theoretical classes, practical classes were organized for residents of the group. In the course of them, children help the zoo workers to take care of the animals. Young biologists take an active part in harvesting edible and medicinal plants on the territory of the zoo. So, the children collected the fruits of mulberries, cherries, plums, hawthorns, dogwoods, collected several buckets of acorns, prepared oak leaves for bedding, green mass, dandelion leaves, hibiscus flowers, etc. Children help take care of contact group animals, turtles that are kept in an open enclosure in the summer, etc. Young naturalists also took part in planting trees during the “Give the Zoo a Tree” campaign.

A lot of attention is traditionally paid to such a form of work that is interesting for young naturalists and visitors and useful for animals, such as enriching the environment of animals. Basically, we used methods of non-standard feeding of feed for animals of different departments. Children independently made various hiding places, “toys” to enrich the environment of zoo animals. Traditionally, such “gifts” are prepared for animal birthdays or themed holidays, such as “Turtle Day” or “Chimpanzee Day”.

Holding zootherapy sessions on the territory of Mykolaiv Zoo.

Zootherapy sessions have been held at Mykolaiv Zoo since 2005. Now classes are held twice a week, and students of the “Mriya” and “Tsvetik-semitsvetik” rehabilitation centers are studying with us. These are children of different ages and with different diagnoses.

In 2021, in accordance with quarantine requirements: mass events should be held in the fresh air if possible – classes with children with special needs are held on the territory of the “Grandfather’s Hut” yard. There are developmental games, classes aimed at learning new concepts, etc. Children also have the opportunity to communicate with the domestic animals of the yard, pet them, and hear them.

Creation of video production.

During the quarantine, the number of informative or promotional articles published on the zoo’s website and social media pages increased significantly. Educational articles were created and published under thematic headings, namely: flowering calendar, zoo through the eyes of an architect, golden autumn in the zoo, school of a young zoocorrespondent, work of a zootechnician. Also, compared to previous years, much more attention was paid to the creation of video productions.

Among the created videos were films telling about the news of the zoo, about interesting information from the life of our animals, about the features of the zoo’s work, about our arboretum. In cooperation with a graphic designer, the creation of an animated series for the smallest visitors “To the little ones about the animals”, which tell about the animals of Mykolaiv Zoo in an accessible form, was continued. All these movies are available to watch online. It is also planned to use them in the future during classes of young naturalists, lectures for visitors in the hall.

For a certain period of the year, due to the quarantine, the zoo worked in park mode, so we paid much more attention to plants. In 2021, the creation of the cycle of video lectures “Around the world in half a day. Our park” was completed and the fourth episode of the series was filmed, dedicated to plants that look spectacular even in winter. All these movies are available to watch online. We also plan to use these videos during educational lectures.

During the year, a cycle of photo selections “Flowering Calendar” was created, which reported on the mass flowering of one or another decorative plant in the zoo. Such photo selections allowed visitors to plan a visit to the zoo in time to admire the blooming of flowers and were very popular. Video tours were filmed, inviting you to admire the mass flowering of flowers. (“Hanami in the Zoo”, “Blooming Zoo in Spring”). In the fall, we published a cycle of photo selections “Golden Autumn at the Zoo” on our social media pages, showing how the beautiful corners of the zoo look in different periods. We consider such articles and photos to be interesting educational materials and useful as advertising measures.

A new photo column “Home for animals. The zoo through the eyes of an architect.” has also been started. We offer to look at the objects of the zoo through the eyes of an architect, designer, engineer, builder. We also show the features of the decor, elements of environmental enrichment and educational clarity. We hope that this photo project will be interesting for our colleagues, our visitors and all animal lovers.

Publications of photo selections of zoo animals that can be seen at different times of the year were also popular.

Photo zones.

Since 2017, the department’s specialists have introduced a new form of work – themed photo zones – in order to popularize the zoo and attract more visitors. Four thematic photo zones were designed and opened last year:

  • Nativity scene
  • Butter Week
  • Easter
  • Halloween

Photo zones are popular among our visitors.