Knology

Nonsocial emotional and mental impacts of on-site nature stimulus experiences also emerge as a common theme when people describe zoos and zoogoing. Chapter 8 thus delves into what is known about mental models of connectedness, continuity, and belonging that appear to be linked to empathy, guilt, concern, and care – emotional responses that often arise automatically when humans encounter live animals. In addition to a psychological exploration of ions of nature and the concept of biophilia, we highlight patterns of affiliation, caring, and connectedness that emerge in zoo settings to shed light on the extent to which experiences that spark empathy toward animals can facilitate the development of moral emotional responses likely to ground or reinforce a conservation ethic. Building on primary research about the implicit connections people tend to develop during zoo visits – irrespective of the fact that zoo spaces are clearly human-designed – we demonstrate that zoo experiences overall impact humans’ capacity to connect and extend their scope of care to nonhuman entities in important ways. In particular, we consider why and how rich emotional relationships between zoo animals and the staff who care for them can and should be at the forefront of efforts to facilitate emotional connections to animals and caregiving that might build on and inform zoo users’ existing ideas, concerns, and motivations.

To situate learners within the unique context of zoos and aquariums, and the zoo as a conservation learning tool, Chapter 3 considers these institutions from the perspective of those it serves. Zoogoers’ perceptions, motivations, priorities, and preexisting conservation-related knowledge, concerns, and experiences are integral parts of the learning experience. Researchers have, furthermore, confirmed that zoo visitors build on, develop, and reinforce layered ideas and narratives they find personally meaningful, as they establish or negotiate connections and coherence during their on-site experiences. As such, zoogoers’ descriptions of their experiences in the zoo rarely align and tend to seem completely disconnected from the logico-deductive science learning pedagogy zoos have historically prioritized. In this chapter, we consider the many ways learning has been witnessed in zoos and why the presence of living animals may produce learning pathways unrealizable in other settings. To make these connections, we reflect on patterns that begin to unpack what appears to be happening in the minds of the very diverse people who come to the zoo. This approach allows us to describe multiple opportunities for learning, stories that are present, and, in some cases, how stories arrive with each person. We conclude that zoogoers’ emergent, on-site experiences and motivations for visiting do often converge with zoos’ conservation education goals.

This chapter explores conditions that appear to support the emergence of conservation values and identities that take the form of action, looking at current understandings of human behavior and what is known about zoos’ institutional power and capacities. Returning to the relevance and impact of the zoo as a museum with conservation mission goals, we explore theories and evidence relevant to the potential of zoos as activation entities able to shift zoogoers from the process of individual-level conservation values identity work to the active (and hopefully ongoing) pursuit of a conservation agenda.

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Numeracy is not a luxury: numbers constantly factor into our daily lives. Yet adults in the United States have lower numeracy than adults in most other developed nations. While formal statistical training is effective, few adults receive it – and schools are a major contributor to the inequity we see among U.S. adults. That leaves news well-poised as a source of informal learning, given that news is a domain where adults regularly encounter quantitative content. Our transdisciplinary team of journalists and social scientists propose a research agenda for thinking about math and the news. We engage here in a dialogue about two recent news articles, contrasting journalist and researcher perspectives on each. We close by talking about the particular opportunities and challenges that the global COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare for both of our professions.

Informal learning institutions like zoos, aquariums, science centers, and botanic gardens are popular among the American public. Many offer science-related activities, suggesting an “ecology” of sites varying in degree with regards to science and STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) learning in general. Understanding public perceptions of the STEM learning ecology can inform decisions about increasing STEM literacy in the United States. The current qualitative study used interactive workshops to understand the public’s perceptions of zoos and aquariums (Z/As) in particular, compared to other settings, for their potential to support STEM learning. Visitors identified a wide range of settings in institutions and their everyday lives where they experienced STEM learning opportunities. The primary STEM discipline they encountered was science, even though the opportunities were not explicit. They also recognized that these settings offer the potential for learning about technology, engineering, and math through staff facilitation. They distinguished Z/As from other cultural organizations because of opportunities to learn about science as it related to animals. Implications for STEM learning in informal settings are discussed for its potential to engage the public in STEM outside of the formal education context.

Bachelor males live outside heterosexual social groups, typically alone or associating with other bachelors in all‐male groups. Resident males must defend their groups against bachelors, who can stage takeovers and become residents themselves. Bachelors have less access to females than do residents and typically sire offspring at lower rates; however, they may be able to make up for this reproductive disadvantage by reproducing for longer or in multiple groups.