Addressing DEAI in Zoos and Aquariums
One of the major themes of AZA 2023 was addressing inclusivity at our zoos and aquariums. There were many sessions discussing what most people think of related to “inclusivity:” physical, cultural, gender, and neuro-diversities, but I also saw a sub-plot of inclusivity in terms of communication, teamwork, leadership, and engagement of staff, conservationists, and community.
One particular session stuck out to me as highly relevant to the long-term planning and design of our facilities: “Embracing Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusion (DEAI) in Public-Facing Physical Spaces: Best Practices for Zoos and Aquariums” (which can be found in the Wednesday 10am slot of REWIND).
I didn’t write the exact quote, but the moderator, Jessica Andree Tantin of New England Aquarium, began by pointing out that ‘best practices’ perhaps is a misnomer since no one has this figured out yet, so perhaps evolving practices should be the terminology. I like that very much. Acknowledging that we don’t have the answers yet, but we are trying. And that’s what matters.
“Are we EMBODYING the values of diversity and inclusion?”
One of the reasons this session resonated with me--and perhaps with you, too--is because the issue of access and inclusion is a major question I ask every time we begin master planning. As part of Felis Consulting’s market analysis, we compare your attendance demographics against your city or regional demographics to determine how reflective of your community your attendance is today. This almost always comes back with the answer, “not very reflective” especially related to race or culture. I use a statistic (from 10 years ago!) that says zoo and aquarium attendance tends to be 75-80% Caucasian (anyone have a more recent one?). I think we all know that—if this is true, we are not reflecting the diversity of the U.S. currently (which as of 2021 is just under 60% white). The case is even worse at many urban zoos where the surrounding urban community’s racial or cultural diversity is always higher than the U.S. average.
So, we begin discussing ‘how can we increase the diversity of our attendance?’ Unfortunately, as we all know, there is no quick and easy answer to this problem. Within this session, Rory James of Saint Louis Zoo suggests that it’s a process that must begin with asking the question: “Are we embodying the values of diversity and inclusion?” That’s a great question that we should be asking ourselves as organizations and developing internal strategies to address.
But what about the public-facing side of things? This session suggested utilizing a three-prong approach: on-site, through digital platforms, and in the community. On-site experiences are most relevant to master planning, of course. We’d look at what people can see (graphics with DEAI statements, cultural sensitivity towards symbology, etc.); what people can experience (universal design and accessibility, cultural events like Juneteenth celebrations, etc.); and who people interact with (staff diversity—leading us back to your internal strategies toward a staff that is a reflection of your community and how it relates to your attendance diversity!).
There were too many suggestions offered at the session to list here, but some that stood out were from Tennessee Aquarium who installed “a 'weeping wall' representing the tears shed as the Cherokee were driven from their homes and removed on the Trail of Tears,” a five senses garden, and many visitor amenities supporting diversity such as ASL translators on site, informational graphics representing people from diverse backgrounds, multi-level sinks in bathrooms, and adult changing tables in non-gendered family restrooms.
This session reminded me of the master planning work Felis Consulting did for Wright Park Zoo in Dodge City, Kansas—a minority majority city (in this case, Hispanic mostly from Mexico). We had many, many public workshops and focus groups that allowed us to speak directly with the community, and we specifically asked what they wanted to see at the Zoo and what would get them to attend the Zoo. The results were, in fact, surprising! Incorporating botanical gardens and having places to sit and relax in nature were the two top requests. We developed an entire region of the zoo dedicated to the Mexican culture, heavily botanic (with quiet places to sit and reflect) and celebrating the Monarch butterfly, whose migration is a symbolic link between Kansas and Mexico.
The Passage at TN Aq (from Brenda B via Tripadvisor.com)
I’ll leave you with a few other thoughts that the session provided. The idea of also including “Economic Diversity” within your DEAI strategies, essentially making your facility truly accessible to all was a powerful one. Suggestions included free or reduced admissions linked to SNAP, EBT, and free / reduced lunch programs at schools, and reimbursing bussing costs to schools from disadvantaged neighborhoods. All of the speakers talked about going into the community and attending cultural events that you may not immediately think of as being related to the zoo: Pride parades, Juneteenth celebrations, Hispanic cultural celebrations. Your facility can sponsor the event or host a table there. Hosting events like lecture series on-site reflective of diverse voices is another simple addition, but in everything related to DEAI, we must be careful of tokenism.
Finally, a lot of this may seem daunting to my smaller facility friends with very small budgets, but one message stood out to me. You don’t need to have a dedicated staffer or committee for DEAI; you just need to incorporate it as a fundamental element of your organization and include it as a filter in your decision-making process. And, you don’t have to have a fully realized solution or strategy before taking your first step.
What actions and initiatives is your facility implementing to improve DEAI? What has been the impact? Would love hear from you!
