May Programme update and last call for Registration – From Royal Gifts to Biodiversity Conservation: The History and Development of Menageries, Zoos and Aquariums

Thursday 19th and Friday 20th May 2011, Chester Zoo, UK

This international symposium is being held in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Society for the History of Natural History.It is a joint collaboration between SHNH – The Society for the History of Natural History, Chester Zoo and the Linnean Society of London, supported by the Bartlett Society and WAZA – The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The focus of the symposium is to provide a comprehensive overview of the history and development of living wild animal collections across the world.  Symposium proceedings will be made available.

Updated Programme May 2011

Invited speakers will be speaking on:

• The Foundations of Zoo Biology
• The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums
• Living Collections in the Ancient World
• Royal and Private Animal Menageries
• Aquariums and Marine and Freshwater Biological Associations
• The development of Regional and National Zoo Associations and outreach

Additional themes to be covered during the symposium include the history and development of:

• Zoos and Aquariums as charitable organisations
• Individual and specialised collections: Butterflies, Insectariums, Bugworlds
• Avaries, Vivariums/Serpentariums and Dolphinariums
• International Zoo and Aquarium affiliated organisations – the importance of partnerships
• Zoos and Aquariums as as leisure attractions
• Zoo and Aquarium architecture and master planning
• Zoos and Aquarium enclosure and exhibit design – the importance of animal welfare
• Zoo animal welfare, ethics and zoo medicine
• The concepts of the ‘Zoological Garden’ – the importance of plants
• Zoo animal aquisitions – from wild animal collections to sustainably-managed Conservation Breeding Programmes
• Zoo conservation science in the field
• Conservation education in zoos and outreach programmes
• Zoo history in the making

For further information on registering for the symposium, submitting an abstract or presenting a poster, please contact Claudine Gibson c.gibson(at)chesterzoo.org

Additional information

• Information leaflet
• Registration form
• Abstract submission form

Accomodation

It has been arranged with Visit Chester and Cheshire – the tourism management organisation for Cheshire and Warrington – to set up an accomodation booking website for the event.

If delegates do not wish to enter details on line, they can use the accomodation form which they will need to print out and return as detailed on top of the form.

WEDNESDAY 18TH & SATURDAY 21ST MAY 2011 – FREE ENTRY TO CHESTER ZOO FOR SYMPOSIUM DELEGATES

THURSDAY 19TH MAY 2011 

08:00-08:30  Registration: COFFEE AND TEA ON ARRIVAL

Session Chair: Professor Gordon McGregor Reid  

08:30-08:45  Welcome:  Dr Mark Pilgrim, Director General, Chester Zoo

08:45-09:00 Symposium Introduction including 75 years of the Society for the History of Natural History: Professor Geoff Moore President, Society for the History of Natural History

09:00-09:30  Heini Hediger and the Foundations of Zoo Biology. Dr Alex Rubel, Director, Zurich Zoo and Past President, World Association of Zoos and Aquariums

09:30-10:00  The History and Development of the World Association of and Aquariums. Dr Markus Gusset, Conservation Officer, World Association of Zoos and Aquariums Executive Office

10:00-10:30 The history and future of aquariums -a cultural and perspective. Bernd Brunner, Author of "The Ocean at Home -An Illustrated History of the Aquarium"

10:30-10:50 MORNING BREAK

Session Chair: Dr Markus Gusset

10:50-11:20 The Development of Regional and National Zoo Associations and Conservation Outreach. Sally Walker, Zoo Outreach Organisation, South Asian Zoo Association for Regional Cooperation

11:20-11:50 The History and Development of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria: from early traditions to modern management. David Field, Zoological Director, ZSL

11.50-12:20 The history and development if the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums – managing zoos in the New World.  Bill Peters. National Director, Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums

12:20-12:50 The Development of Zoos and Aquariums as Charitable Organisations. Dr Miranda Stevenson, British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquaria, Executive Office

12:50-13:45 LUNCH

Session Chair: Sally Walker

13:45-14:15 From Captive to Conservation: The IUCN Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG) and the evolving role of zoos. Dr Onnie Byers, Executive Director, IUCN Conservation Breeding Specialist Group

14:15-14:45 The evolution of zoos as environmental education providers. Dr Maggie Esson, Education Programmes Manager, Chester Zoo

14:45-15:15 The evolution of record-keeping and development of ISIS the International Species Information System. Karin Schwartz, Biological Database Manager, Chicago Zoological Society

15:15-15:40 AFTERNOON BREAK

Session Chair: Dr Maggie Esson

15:40-16:10 Vets, historically the most dangerous creatures in a zoo…now out in the wild. Professor Malcolm Bennett, Director of National Zoonoses Research Centre, School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool

16:10-16:40 New information from old bones – remnants from the Tower of London Menagerie. Louise Tomsett, Curator, Mammal Group, Zoology Department, The Natural History Museum, London

16:40-17:10 Financing the Early Zoo: Manchester Zoological Gardens – Charitable Status and Selling Shares. James Kiddle, Student, Biological and Forensic Sciences, University of Derby

17:10-17:30 Day one summary. Gina Douglas, Honorary Archivist, Linnean Society, Meetings Secretary, Society for the History of Natural History

17:30 End of day 1

19:30 Conference dinner

SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME FRIDAY 20TH MAY 20

08:30-08:30 Registration: COFFEE AND TEA ON ARRIVAL

Session Chair: Gina Douglas

08:30-09:00 Arts, plants, animals, the living zoo history in Budapest. Professor Miklós Persányi, Director General, Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden and Past Chair, EAZA

09:00–09:30 Doing a roaring trade: travelling menageries in 19th century Britain. Dr Helen Cowie, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Plymouth

09:30–10:00 The history and development of living wild animal collections in Bulgaria. Dr Gabriela Petkova-Campbell

10:00–10:30 Dublin Zoo: the long-term impact of 19th century penny visitors. Catherine de Courcy, Dublin Zoo

10:30-11:00 MORNING BREAK

Session Chair: Dr Graham Rowe

11:00-11:30 Brighton Zoological Gardens: 1832-1833. Dr Graham Rowe, Lecturer, Biological and Forensic Sciences, University of Derby

11:30-12:00 The Sheffield jungle 1910/11. Ian Trowell, National Fairground Archive, University of Sheffield

12:00-12:30 Salad, sandbags, shrapnel and sustainability: learning the lessons from how zoos and botanic gardens survived wartime challenges. Mark Norris, Education Manager, Newquay Zoo

13:00-14:00 LUNCH

Session Chair: Professor Geoff Moore

14:00-14:30 Society for the History of Natural History award presentation and AGM Society for the History of Natural History. (Note: Non members are welcome to attend) 

14:30-15:00 The Robertson Museum and Aquarium at Millport’s Marine Station: a century of compromise. Professor Geoff Moore, President, Society for the History of Natural History

15:00-15:30 The History of the Horniman Museum Aquarium. James Robson, Deputy Aquarium Curator, Horniman Museum and Gardens

15:30-16:00 AFTERNOON BREAK

Session Chair: Dr Onnie Byers

16:00–16:30 Natura Artis Magistra, Amsterdam: strategies for a new future of a 19th century institution. Professor Erik A. De Jong, Artis Chair Culture, Landscape and Nature, Natura Artis Magistra Royal Zoo, Amsterdam

16:30-17:00 175 years of Bristol Zoo: reflecting on the past role of
zoos as a guide to their future. Dr Jo Gipps, Former Director General, Bristol Zoo, Chair of IUCN‐CBSG Advisory Committee and Past Chair, WAZA Conservation Committee

17:00–17:15 Conclusions. Professor Geoff Moore, President, Society for the History of Natural History

17:15–17:30 Closing remarks. Professor Gordon McGregor Reid, Director Emeritus, Chester Zoo, Past President World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and Past President Linnean Society of London

End of symposium

Please note: this schedule may be subject to possible changes, in which case an updated version will be made available. For more information, please contact Claudine Gibson c.gibson(at)chesterzoo.org. Registration information is also available from the SHNH website.

Image: Auguste Macke, Zoologischer Garten (I). Source: Wikimedia Commons

The work of art depicted in this image and the reproduction thereof are in the public domain worldwide. The reproduction is part of a collection of reproductions compiled by The Yorck Project. The compilation copyright is held by Zenodot Verlagsgesellschaft mbH and licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.