2014 Annual Report on Conservation and Science INTRODUCTION 2 2014 Annual Report on Conservation and Science Highlights The Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) 2014 Annual Report on Conservation and Science (ARCS) celebrates the activities of AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums and certified related facilities in the following areas: » field conservation » green (sustainable) business practices » education programming » mission-related research Each of these areas has been carefully defined to maximize consistency of reporting throughout the AZA community. Review of all field conservation and mission-focused research submissions by members of AZA’s Field Conservation and Research and Technology Committees promotes even greater consistency. Field conservation focuses on efforts having a direct impact on animals and habitats in the wild. Education programming includes those with specific goals and delivery methods, defined content, and a clear primary discipline and target audience. Mission-related research projects involve application of the scientific method and is therefore hypothesis (or question)-driven, involves systematic data collection and analysis of those data, and draws conclusions from the research process. Green (sustainable) business practices focus on the annual documentation and usage of energy, fuel for transportation, waste, and water, as well as identification of specific green practices being implemented. Content in ARCS reflects the submissions made through annual surveys available through AZA’s website. The field conservation survey has been circulated among the AZA membership annually since 2010, and the 2014 response rate was 89%. Surveys for each of the other areas were first circulated in 2013, and response rates in 2014 were 59% for the education programming, 38% for green (sustainable) business practices, and 49% for mission-related research surveys. AZA anticipates that response rates in future reports will increase across the four areas as the AZA community becomes more familiarized with the related data collection and reporting processes. While 2014 ARCS focuses on individual activities undertaken in 2014, download Highlights (available at: https://www.aza. org/annual-report-on-conservation-and-science/) to learn more about what the AZA community accomplished together. This Report was compiled by Arslan Ahmad (AZA Program Assistant for Conservation and Science) and Shelly Grow (AZA Director of Conservation Programs). INTERNATIONAL 3 INTERNATIONAL Argentina Green (Sustainable) Practices FUNDACIÓN TEMAIKÈN ENERGY Field Conservation Documented Amount Spent Lowland Tapir (Tapirus terrestris) Conservation Project Documented Amount Used Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) Conservation Project Documented Square Footage of Conditioned Space Research Project in Magellanic Penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) FOOD Threatened Species Recovery Program Sourced Local Food or Grew it On-Site Bahamas FUEL Documented Amount Spent ATLANTIS, PARADISE ISLAND Documented Amount Used Education Programs Atlantis Stingray Experience GREEN PRACTICES IMPLEMENTED Caring for Atlantis’ Marine Life Composting (On-Site or Off-Site) Discovery Tours Diverted or Recycled Construction Waste Dolphin Deep Water Swim Graywater Reuse and/or Rainwater Harvesting Dolphin Shallow Water Swim Green Purchasing Policy / Green Procurement Junior Ultimate Trainer for a Day Sea Lion Interaction PLANS, POLICIES AND BUDGETS Snorkel the Ruins of Atlantis Dedicated Full-time Equivalent (FTE) Staff to Coordinating Green Practices Ultimate Trainer for a Day Developed or Updated a Sustainability Plan (or Equivalent) Field Conservation Developed or Updated a Sustainability Policy Atlantis Blue Project Bahamian Coral Reefs and Climate Change: Coral Reef WASTE Conservation Through Climate Change Education in Documented Amount Composted Schools and in the Wider Community Documented Amount Recycled Coral Reef Monitoring and Restoration in the Bahamas Documented Amount Sent to Landfill Field Research and Outreach to Support Conservation of Marine Mammals in the Bahamas Documented Amount Spent on Landfill Waste Promoting the Expansion of Andros West Side National Park on Andros Island, the Bahamas WATER Stranding Response to Support Marine Mammals in the Documented Amount Spent Bahamas and Marine Mammal Research, Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation (BMMRO) Documented Amount Used Tour de Turtles INTERNATIONAL 4 Bermuda Research Abundance Estimates, Haul Out Patterns and Natural BERMUDA AQUARIUM, MUSEUM AND ZOO History of Harbour Seals (Phoca vitulina) in the Churchill River Estuary Field Conservation Assessing the Effectiveness of Interpretive Elements in the Bermuda Amphibian Project Journey to Churchill Exhibit: Overall Impact, Knowledge Gains and Behaviour Changes Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo (BAMZ) / Bermuda Zoological Society (BZS) Research Grants and Support Polar Bear Denning in Canada Bermuda Mangrove Response to Sea Level Rise Population Genetic Structure in Bearded Seals (Erignathus barbatus) in the Canadian Arctic Bermuda Marine Moorings Initiative Use of Baited Hair Traps and Genetic Analysis to Investigate Bermuda Reef Ecology Assessment and Mapping (BREAM) Source Populations of Cougars (Puma concolor) in Manitoba Bermuda Turtle Project Internship Programme Green (Sustainable) Practices Marine Invasive Species in Bermuda ENERGY Marine Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Documented Amount Spent ReefWatch Documented Amount Used Sargassum Community Studies Generated Renewable Energy On-Site Purchased Renewable Energy Canada FUEL ASSINIBOINE PARK ZOO Documented Amount Spent Education Programs Documented Amount Used Girl Guide Badge Programs Guided Zoo Tours GREEN CERTIFICATIONS School Programs Certified as LEED by the US Green Building Council Teacher Training Workshops Zoo Tots GREEN PRACTICES IMPLEMENTED Commingled Recycling Field Conservation Green Purchasing Policy / Green Procurement Manitoba Burrowing Owl Recovery Program Red Panda Network PLANS, POLICIES AND BUDGETS Southern African Foundation for the Conservation Dedicated Full-time Equivalent (FTE) Staff to Coordinating of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) Green Practices Developed or Updated a Sustainability Plan (or Equivalent) WATER Documented Amount Spent Documented Amount Used INTERNATIONAL 5 CALGARY ZOO FUEL Education Programs Documented Amount Spent Behind the Scenes Programs Documented Amount Used Birthday Parties Botanical Education GREEN CERTIFICATIONS Corporate Teambuilders Certified as LEED by the US Green Building Council Homeschool – School Programs Documented Square Footage of Facility With Green Building Certification Keeper for a Day Kids Club Programming GREEN PRACTICES IMPLEMENTED Leisure Programming Alternative Transportation Discounts for Guests Penguin Plunge Interpretive Programming Building Energy Management School Programs Composting (On-Site or Off-Site) Sleepovers Diverted or Recycled Construction Waste Summer Camps Energy Submetering Year-Round Value Added Interpretive Programming – Zoo-Wide Graywater Reuse and/or Rainwater Harvesting Green Purchasing Policy / Green Procurement Field Conservation Procured Local Food for On-Site Animals and/or Guests Alberta Treasury Branches (ATB) Financial Swift Fox Smart Building Strategies Conservation Program Stormwater Management Program Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Ecosystem Research Project Wastewater Reduction Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Breeding Water Submetering Population Dynamics of At-Risk Northern Leopard Frogs in Western Canada GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS Vancouver Island Marmot Conservation Breeding Documented Amount of Greenhouse Gas Emissions West Africa Community-Based Conservation Whooping Crane Conservation Breeding Program PLANS, POLICIES AND BUDGETS Dedicated a Line Item in the Budget for Green Practices Green (Sustainable) Practices Developed or Updated a Sustainability Plan (or Equivalent) ENERGY Developed or Updated a Sustainability Policy Documented Amount Spent Documented Amount Used WASTE Documented Square Footage of Conditioned Space Documented Amount Composted Purchased Renewable Energy Documented Amount Recycled Documented Amount Sent to Landfill FOOD Documented Amount Spent on Landfill Waste Sourced Local Food or Grew it On-Site Documented Amount Used INTERNATIONAL 6 VANCOUVER AQUARIUM MARINE SCIENCE CENTRE Development of Methods for Sustainable Wolf Eel Aquaculture Field Conservation Development of Sustainable Live Feed Production Systems Agarum Monitoring The Potential Use of Kelp Perch to Control Sea Lice Infestations in Farmed Atlantic Salmon Amphibian Ark – Earth Rangers Assessing Growth Trends and Body Condition of Killer Whales to Infer Nutritional Status Green (Sustainable) Practices Beluga Research ENERGY Documented Amount Spent British Columbia Northern Leopard Frog Recovery Project Documented Amount Used Dolphin Echolocation and Net Avoidance Documented Square Footage of Conditioned Space Evaluation of Four Species of Perch for Potential Use as Sea Lice Biological Controls in Atlantic Salmon Fish Farms Field Study of Demography, Population Status and Natural EXTERNAL SUPPORT History of British Columbian and Alaskan Killer Whales Received Support From External Sources Specifically Fur Seal and Sea Lion Projects for Green Projects Marine Mammal Rescue Centre Monitor Glass Sponge Reefs FOOD Monitor Lingcod Spawn Demography Sourced Local Food or Grew it On-Site Mystery Reef – Tunstall Bay Project North Coast Cetacean Research Project FUEL Oregon Spotted Frog Recovery Project Documented