Inspire and Empower Through Conservation Education

Ruby.

Hi, I'm Rick Schwartz.

When el Z s world, I'm Marco went.

Welcome to Amazing Wildlife, where we explore unique stories of wildlife from around the world and uncovered fascinating animal facts. This podcast is a production of iHeartRadio's Ruby Studio and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in international nonprofit conservation organization which oversees the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.

You know, Rick, it's a Monday morning, and I really appreciate you for doing those lines every single time. You know, It's great, you know, but life is good. Right, We're at the San Diego Zoo. We got a manned in the crew here. Man, how we looking and looking pretty good?

Yeah? Man is giving us the thumbs.

Up, you know, because there is that visual component too, reminding our little listeners right which.

I do wonder where Marco, will the visual component.

Be possibly on YouTube in the future, the other media and.

Interestingly enough tell me this time of year, we always like to talk about the fact that YouTube's very first video was uploaded from the San Diego Zoo by the founder of YouTube way back in the day.

To think how much YouTube has grown right.

Now, how much has this podcast grown. Oh, I know, and just keep.

An eye out on our Instagram handles myself on TikTok as well as Zoology Rick or Zoology Marco's for us to promote a little of it in the future. But we're not here just to hang out right and enjoy our Monday. We're here in this beautiful reptire room also used as an educational room.

Yeah, and that's what I love about this episode.

We're going to dive into the importance of wildlife education, conservation education, and that's really what this podcast has always been about. Right, So, I think it's time to introduce Lisa via Lisa gonnass up your last names Solo Bslo, Lisa Yelso, the vice president of Education here at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. What exactly does that title mean? It seems like a pretty big that's a lot going on there.

Yeah, it is. Thank you so much for having me.

Yes, So, the vice president of Education works with all the different educational initiatives for the entire alliance. That means I work with the education staff at the zoo and at the Safari Park and out of our Conservation Science Research Center. So we have more than thirty education programs across the Alliance, delivering all different types of education, whether it's field trips, summer camps, after school programs, weekend programming, teacher professional development.

I could go on and.

On, right, and I think that's important for our audience to understand that our Education department isn't just like tours or.

A summer camp, temporary thing.

Right.

The breath and scope of all of this that we do as an organization for education. I think a lot of people don't fully understand that. So that's what I'm really excited that you're here with us today. Also, by the way, you wrote an article that's going to be in the main journal, so our members that are out there, they're going to see this article as well, and we're talking a little bit about some of the things you touch on in that.

Article as well.

Excellent, let's do it.

I'm excited.

He hinted a little bit about the article, but in general, I got a sneak peak a little.

Bit, just a little bit.

And we always say, you know, working here at the Zoo and the Safari Park, animals are amazing.

They inspire everyone.

But what we say conservation begins with human beings, right, So we got to start even with the little youngsters. So I really appreciate you coming in and highlighting all the unique opportunities we're giving the kids of San Diego County and a lot of people from the world too in these programs. So, yeah, can you tell me a little about this awesome article that Rick was hinting at?

Sure, So this is an article that's coming out in the journal, okay, and it's focused all about what we do in education and what is the real purpose and mission. And our purpose is to connect people with nature and with wildlife and with each other, because you're very right that conservation begins with people, and to make sure that students have the knowledge, the skills, the efficacy to really make a difference in their communities. That's the main mission of all of our.

Education programs, right, I love it.

I mean a little bit ago, there is a program that you all have facilitated that I was really stoked about. I think it was called Conservation Core I from not mistaken, Is that correct?

Right?

Yes?

Yeah, can you highlight a little bit about that because that was a really cool experience for me.

But I think you better describe it better than I.

Okay.

Conservation Corps is an amazing program. It's been running for ten years and it runs out of the Safari Park and it is geared towards high school students and what they do is they apply, they do a group interview, and if they're selected, they spend two saturdays a month with us. So these are high schoolers that want to give up two saturdays a month to spend time with us at the Safari Park and out in the community

Oh it's incredible. Honestly, when I was there seeing the kids' faces and some of them.

Like reminded me of me, Like I swear I saw a little like my key dolls there around in front of it, you know.

But what I loved about, like, I'm a native.

San Diego and I grew up here and at the time, there wasn't a lot of diversity being represented in some of the programs. As a child, I was trying to get involved in but now today, I see the diversity of different people nuances of community we support, especially me speaking to the Latino community, So I really really appreciate that. That's really great to integrate how zoos can also support local community as well.

And that's a big part of our mission. Our mission is to be part of the community and embedded in the community.

And I think what you had said earlier too, is that installing that empathy and that knowledge of how people can make a difference. And we both Mark and I come from a history of wildlife education outreach to the public that a lot of times you go into the more urban areas, the city communities, and there's this disconnected I can't really do anything because I don't live near

So I think we try to tackle that in a few different ways. One is in the programs themselves, so sometimes we're going out into the community, and sometimes we're bringing the community on site and just letting them experience the amazing wildlife we have here at the zoo of the park, the amazing.

Plant life that we have.

But we all so always try to instill the sense that nature is all around us, so it can be found in pocket parks and on our balconies and all these different areas that you don't have to drive somewhere really far, that nature's not separate from us.

We're all also part of nature.

I love that I'm saying that all the time. You know, it doesn't matter where you live. That one of the wonderful things I love about the Safari Park in the San Diegos it was an ability to get reconnected. Like my favorite thing is when I see some guests who've never been there before. They come in and honestly, the first thing they do is like they take a big side now and they forget like we're all human, we're all mammals, right, We're all in these ecosystems, and we

That's a loaded question, I know.

Yeah, how much time do we have to tell me.

I'm a lifelong educator. So I was a teacher, I was a school principal. I was also a school director, and I worked in international schools. So I worked in South Korea, in Cambodia and Rwanda and Austria. But I always felt like something was missing, and that was that environmental literacy, that was sustainability stewardship, and that just became more and more important to me. So I needed to find the perfect job that would let me meld these two things, and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is

That's really great.

I'm really lucky.

But I have to ask you said it two times, something's picked up on it, Rick, But environmental literacy. You know, we have a lot of adultsa listen to the podcast, but there's a lot of kids as well.

Can you highlight what that really means?

Sure?

So environmental literacy is the ability to understand about the natural world, about environmental ethics. It could be something as simple as understanding about recycling. So we would take the concept of environmental literacy and we really gear it towards the age group that's in front of us. Well, make sure it's developmentally appropriate and each appropriate.

Yeah, I mean you each change it up right, elementary kids, high school kids, you know, adults. You got to gear your communication into that way. So that's a very nuanced e FIA. That's awesome.

One thing I want to ask you, it's something that I know, Mark when I've run into over the years of doing wildlife education in many different formats, But I love your take on it in the sense of a lot of times when kids start to become excited about wildlife and they want to learn more, some of the first things they hear about is they're endangered or the challenges they face in the wild.

Due to habitat loss.

Sometimes for a lot of people, that can be very overwhelming to the point of almost you need to turn away from it, because it's just like, how can I, as a kid or a high school or make a difference when it comes to creating that empathy you're talking about in that environmental literacy. What are some of the things that can empower kids to feel not overwhelmed and that they can make a difference.

That is a great question and something that we take so seriously. Believe that children of all different ages can learn about the challenges that are facing our planet today.

Absolutely, but how we.

Introduce that content is just as important as the content itself, So we need to make sure that it's very carefully chosen, we're being very intentional, and again that it's age appropriate, and we're always pairing success stories, stories of hope, and also concepts around empathy for wildlife, and we pair those things together so that students and young learners, young adults, really any age can see that they have agency and they have efficacy and what they do can make a difference.

So we have to be really careful.

And then if we're talking about possibly older learners, maybe you have teens like our team program we were talking about, they're really ready for complex conversations, right, They have the skills to research, they like to dialogue, they like to debate, and so we can go into much greater depth there.

But again we always bring it back back to action.

So we often talk about our work and the alliance, we talk about what's happening in the world, and what they can do in their community.

Yeah, I think sharing stories about things that had success. So you might be focusing or talking about in a dangered environment or critically dangered species, but you can also look at that and go and here's the species that was there ten, fifteen, twenty years ago. But the work is starting to turn that around. So that same type of work and commitment can turn it around for this

Oh So, like a little follow up to what Rick had just said, do you have any recommendations like what parents could sign their kids up for in some of the programs we have here in the Alliance?

Sure?

So the top thing that comes to mind right now is camp. Yes, we have a very very large summer camp here, especially at the San Diego Zoo. Starting next year, our summer camp will be back at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and that is just such a time, that's so much fun. We have kids coming in every week, We plan all these fun activities and they get to experience wildlife and unique ways that they don't get if

School programs Oh Wow.

And if someone's not in the area and they're interested in learning more as a parent or as a teacher, can go to our website. So we have our Wildlife Explorer's website which has curriculum on it. It has all different activities for children and they can learn a.

Lot about that's wildlife Explorers the website. But also I mean as a parent, I can say the camps are awesome. My daughter's been through a couple of.

Times, and she's grown up in the zoo basically.

Because of where I wonder where its work.

But because there's so many different activities involved in the process of learning, you know, the arts and the crafts, the exploring, the different things they have to do to find out information, and it's always so age appropriate. So yeah, then people can find out more information on that just on the website, Sandy goozo dot org.

But I'm so happy to hear it's coming back to the fly Park next year. Yeah.

Yeah, we are really excited. So it was just paused during the construction of Elephant Valley. Yeah, and now we're going to bring it back. It's going to be bigger and better than ever.

That's right, right, look at for Elephant Battle a little later on next year, you know, sometime earlier next year. So that's going to be really cool. But you said something that like made me think. You said teacher programs. It's really interesting because most people think of just kid focused educational programs. Can you speak a little more about what programs we offer for teachers because man, they need support.

Right definitely. As a former teacher, my heart has always been.

Teacher professionals development.

So we have this amazing program over the summer where teachers can come we call them teacher workshops. It's residential and then they come on to site at the Conservation Science Research Center and they get to learn about all the different programs that we do, and our community engagement team delivers those. They're learning how to deliver different labs

If they don't have the.

Materials in their school to deliver those labs, we send it to them.

Nice we send it to them.

We send it to them completely free, and the training is completely free, and we even offset costs with a stipend. It's the most amazing program that's just generously funded by some donors and provides amazing professional development for teachers. And we've had teachers not just from San Diego, but across the country and even participants from across the world.

Rightly well, a big thank you for donors, because that's amazing.

I love that program.

I'm actually going to be going to it's called the Latin American Easy a Cup outside just a couple of weeks, and I'm going to be speaking about this particular program to help remind people of the support, because we all got to do this together, right, I mean, that's why have these eight conservation hubs around the world, over two hundred collaborators, and like we said earlier, teachers really need support.

And the teachers are going in English and in Spanish.

And for me growing up, I was one of the few kids speaking Spanish and it was very difficult for me learning in that way.

So that's amazing that we.

Offer sources of teachers for students, real time education and translations.

So man, you guys are doing it all. You're killing it out there.

We are trying to be very inclusive and make sure that all of our programs can reach all of the learners. When people come for a field trip, we often don't know what the student's needs are before they arrive. So it's really important that that responsibility is on us, that we can make our lessons accessible and we can make every student successful and every student feel like a scientist.

And so part of that is being.

Able to understand all of those really key vocabulary that they're learning in their science lessons. So I'm so glad you got to see it. We actually just started that maybe six months ago, so yeah, that's I'm really glad that you got to.

It was amazing.

Why and they say, brightened up they were involved in it because that was rough for me. I didn't want to speak up as a kid. I was embarrassed not being able to speak English. So it's me and my heart smile. So thank you for that. That was really cool.

The impact of that too.

Margo's talking about I want our audience to understand that making these accommodations for those who can be completely participating that way. It is, like you said, it's our responsibility to meet these students where they are it's our responsibility to meet the communities where they are, no matter where they are. If we can have the tools to meet them where they are, to bring them up in the sense of understanding the need for conservation education, that's such

What is that for you?

Yeah, I would say that, I mean it happens often.

I'm sure there's so many different ways that it can happen. But especially when you see young adults come back and they come back and they share stories, they share how something like Conservation Corps or other teen programs have helped them pick a career path. It's helped them find a sense of community, and that is amazing. We have a staff member in our education department that came through camp

Yeah.

And so you make networks in the community and you talk to people and you realize how many lives have been impacted by some of these programs.

And a lot of these programs are not big.

You know, maybe only twenty or twenty five students at a time are going through them, and there are a lot of hours and they spend a lot of time with us. But that's how we can create really meaningful change is by having these relationships.

Absolutely.

Absolutely, I want to ask more about Zoocre because it's funny you mentioned that the person you you know.

Have gone through it now you see them as an adult.

I was a wildlifere specialist in the children's who eons ago. When I first started, I met a young boy I think he was probably for seven other time and they didn't even live in San Diego, but they were here all the time, he and his mom, And long story short, he waited till he was whold enough. He did Zucor. His mom would drive him all the way down for Orange County to be a part of Zucorp. He crushed it in Zucor. He went to college for zoology and now he's the keeper at the Fresno Zoo.

Wow.

And so that's the level of impact programs like this have, is that it's that inspiration that then lights that fire. So tell me a little bit tell our audience I say a little bit.

About zuok Coorp. It's one thing we haven't mentioned yet. I'd love for you to expand on that a little bit.

Yeah. Sure.

Zoopor is a program.

It's another teen program that we have and actually right now we're redesigning it.

Oh yeah.

Yeah, So it's paused and what we're going to be doing is we are going to work with teens and we are.

Going to co design it.

Oh wow.

Yes, so we want to relaunch it and we want to make sure that it's everything that teens.

Are looking for. So yeah, so we're right in the process. Again.

We just secured some very generous funding to allow us to do this so that we can reimagine it and make sure it's meeting all the needs of teens. As you know, things change and evolving needs. So that's where

Into almost old different professions.

So we really like to also give that career exploration opportunity and a lot of our older.

Programs, right, that's amazing. I'm actually part of what's called Plane to See program. It's under the culture and belonging our DEIA initiatives here in the Alliance. The similar concept too is we want different communities, people of color, unsupported communities, possibly depending where we're talking about.

Intercity communities, specifically.

Around the zoo and also in the Safari Park because I grew up in Escondido, Escondido High kids coming up. But just show exactly that that wildlife care I mean where the lines is like a big city.

Right.

So everything from like if you're into PR, public relations, social media, are into cameras video.

And that was like my latest way of describing how awesome you guys work. It's behind the cameras. But but but the point is, right, Yeah, you can apply what you're good at.

You know, for instance, my husband is great with technology, he's working for the Alliance. But to that point, all kinds of people, all different backgrounds, apply what you love and you can be part of something big or something that kind of impacts the world in.

A good way. Right. So that's awesome. I love that.

I love that the redesign of Zucorp is now including teams inputs. So again that takes that concept to meet them where they are so we can have the biggest impact. Stead of asking them to meet us where we are, we can take our stuff to them.

That is so amazing. I absolutely love that.

That's inspiring.

It makes me think of where we're at now, like Wildlife Explorers based and some of the designers working with child psychologists to really learn how kids grow and process information.

Yeah, it makes perfect sense.

And the key is sounds silly, but just to listen, right, to listen to what the needs are of the youth of these communities.

So that's that's awesome. Friend. I really appreciate that.

I actually have a side question because I'm always curious about this one that I asked, and it might throw your out.

At the loop, friend, but I am furious. What You're ready for this?

What is your favorite animal or plant of all the time? You know, I say plant also because organisms because maybe it's something different. So of everything out there, what's your favorite? I know, rickron right crusted for me.

What's it for you?

So I am going to have to pick something that's not actually.

Here that's for you.

That's fine.

I love Newdi branks.

So sea slugs we got called out rich. I love sea slugs and I'm a big tide pooler. And here in San Diego you can see so many different types of moody branks in our tide pools, and so I think one of my favorites is the Hopkins Rose right, pink bubblegum pink sea slug. I encourage you to look it up if you're listening and you don't know, So we want everyone.

To look at the hops What is it?

Hopkins Ross I'm going to go, I know.

But also reminded why San Diego is so great, right, I mean not only our conservation parks right this at Fari Parks San Diego, so you put all the wildlife around San Diego. I mean it is one of our conservation hubs right over the biodiversity here. Thank you for answering that. That's really cool and I feel like I know you a little better.

Well with that.

Before we wrap up, I do want to ask is there anything that you would like to share with the audience about your work or education for wildlife and conservation that we haven't touched on yet.

Oh that's a great question.

I guess the biggest takeaway I would have is just that whether you're a parent listening or you're a young person a teacher, just fostering that sense of empathy and feeling connected to nature, it can happen anywhere, and it happens by slowing.

Down and really looking right.

Asking questions, feeling that sense of inquiry and curiosity. Whether you're just going for a walk in your neighborhood, maybe you're walking your dog. Look, look in the flowers, see what's happening, See if you see any insects. And the more we feel connected to nature, the stronger we will be as a community.

I love it.

Thank you so much. I really appreciate you taking the time to meet with listeners.

Thank you. I really appreciate you inviting me.

Excellent.

I love that. That was great.

I love the recommendation just being calm and looking around because I just keep talking about that.

Just take a moment instead of running around like I always am, you know.

Take a month, look up, look at a bird, look at a tree, look at a butterfly.

Yeah, and that's one thing too.

I always hope people when they come to the zoo, it is like, make sure you slow down and look in the habitats for a while, because the animal might be looking like it's sleeping, but it might get up in two minutes.

You'll take your time.

But she's right.

It also applies to when we're outside I love the term she used pocket park.

You know, small urban areas, right, Yeah, yeah, those are the places or.

Even like you know, on your balcony or a patio, a potted plant might have a caterpillar in it, or something curious to watch it, watching a spider make its web, any of that stuff, and then growing that empathy and having that curiosity.

It's so so important.

Oh man, Yeah, I love it.

Someone's good work that they're doing too, and it reminds me see the benefits of being in a zoo, right, whether it be supporting park or the San Diego is not just for wildlife care and plants, you know, conservation, which is very important, but building up community, supporting community and empowering community.

And like she said, if you're not in the San Diego area, check out your local zoo. Check out your local you know, maybe you're living near the ocean and there's some sort of aquarium you can check out, or any of those areas where there's a chance, even if it's just a a nature park to take a hike through a hundred there's usually some sort of literature or things you can look up.

And now with our phones, you can take a picture and go what is this? I know you can learn more that way as well.

So there's always an opportunity to get more in touch with nature and follow that curiosity.

And I couldn't set a better mess up on me going that article, right, it's going to be in May, yes, major, Yeah, So everyone keeping out for that.

Man.

We've been doing so much this year so far, it's been really really cool. But I think we have another little extra thing we're going to offer for the next episode.

Right, We're going to change it up a little.

Bit, a little bit in the sense that really like the future and talking a little more about the future. But it's kind of leaning in the fact, like you mentioned, this year twenty twenty five, we've talked about it for it is the fiftieth anniversary of the Frozen it is it is. We happen to have somebody available we can talk to that's been there as an intern from the beginning and is now the curator.

Of the Frozen Zoo.

Not only can we talk a little bit about the history, but also a lot about where it's going.

I know, I'm excited, man, it's going to be about women in science, see the future. What's happening so I get it's going to be great, all right, and we're going to go to this safari park, which you know always makes me very very happy.

Well, be sure to join.

Us and subscribe if you haven't already, to make sure you catch what's going on in the future at the Frozen Zoo.

All Marcolet and I'm Rick Schwartz.

Thanks for listening or watching.

For more information about the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, go to SDZWA dot org. Amazing Wildlife is a production of iHeartRadio. Our supervising producers are Nikkia Swinton and Dylan Fagan, and our sound designers are Sierra Spreen and Matt Russell. For more shows from iHeartRadio, check out the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.