Memberships

Ljubljana Zoo joined the European Zoo Educators Association (EZE) in 1999.

EZE was founded in 1972 and in its early years operated mainly in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany. The field of zoo education has been developing very actively since 2001, when the first standards for education in EAZA member zoos were adopted. EZE has around 300 members and today operates within EAZA as part of the Education and Exhibit Design Committee.

Between 2004 and 2012 we were active members of the EZE working group. One aim is to promote knowledge and understanding of nature through the zoo medium. With around 140 million visitors a year, zoos are a valuable educational and cultural resource alongside museums and botanical gardens. Ljubljana Zoo welcomes around 260,000 visitors a year. Education focused on understanding and protecting the environment is essential to make the millions of zoo visitors in Europe aware that humanity's long-term survival on Earth depends on rapid sustainable development at a global level. Both individual and collective political action must be stimulated to achieve sustainable behaviour in every area of human activity globally over the next three to five decades.

The 2008 EAZA document on educational standards sets out 16 standards that EAZA zoos must meet in educating their visitors. The EAZA Conservation Education Strategy 2010–2012 states that themes such as biodiversity, nature conservation, climate change and sustainable behaviour must be addressed comprehensively in connection with the animals housed in the zoo. All of these topics contribute to education for sustainable development. A new education strategy is currently being developed. The Education and Exhibit Design Committee has become an excellent institution for sharing information, education and awareness. The committee was established to follow innovations and publications in the field of education in zoos and aquariums, and to encourage a high level of education in EAZA institutions through conferences, workshops and training.

Zoos develop a variety of strategies for educating their visitors and the wider public at both local and global levels. Since the first UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, which focused on biodiversity, zoos have adopted the slogan 'Think globally, act locally', through which every person on Earth is encouraged to take responsibility for their own lifestyle and its impact on the environment.

The core aim of education is to inspire visitors to change their everyday behaviour and to live more sustainably. Environmental education gives impetus to changes in how people behave and directs attention to projects that negatively impact nature and endangered species.

Zoos are developing 'education for action', which involves visitors, schools and the wider public. We must act very quickly to protect endangered species and to conserve our planet for future generations. Through it all, simple 'enjoyment of nature' and 'wonder at living things' remains extremely important, for from these emerges an ethic of conservation and care for life around us.

The core aims of modern zoos include the conservation of nature and education about it. If we want to preserve species in their natural environment, we need to motivate people to understand animals, learn why they are endangered and work for their conservation. Ideally, everyone would have the chance to experience wildlife and learn about it in the wild; since this is not possible, zoos offer part of this experience and understanding of nature. Alongside botanical gardens and museums, zoos are precious and important cultural and educational institutions. Through a professional approach to developing educational programmes in zoos, we can increase people's awareness of the irreplaceable value of nature, which is why education is an essential task of every zoo.