Zoophoria!

The Story of the Modern Conservation Zoological Park as Told by its Leaders

"As a past interviewee for Zoophoria, I believe it to be a very valuable and factual documentation of the passion and commitment of the many fine people that are involved in zoo-based conservation. Over the past 20-30 years, accredited zoological parks have undergone a transformation from historical menageries to active participants in the global conservation community. Zoophoria is a great testimonial to this conservation revolution."

Rick Barongi

Former Director, Houston Zoo

The Zoo Fix It Guy: A Conversation with Nevin Lash, Zoo Designer CEO of Ursa International

@ Nevin Lash Nevin Lash’s career took a turn when he heard about the emergence of CLR Design in Philadelphia, a design company dedicated solely to zoos. “I was quite bored of designing malls and office parks when I heard about this firm in Philadelphia,” he recalled. At the time, they were looking for a project manager for a massive undertaking that would take Zoo Atlanta from one of the worst zoos in America to a world-class facility. Lash was given the Project Manager role,

Great Potential: A Conversation with Dan Wharton, Former Director of the Central Park Zoo and Senior

While volunteering at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Dan Wharton became aware of the visions and ideals of the zoo of the future. He would soon go to the New York Zoological Society's Bronx Zoo and would stay there when the society transitioned to the Wildlife Conservation Society. Wharton spent 13 years as Director of the Central Park Zoo and finished his career as Senior Vice President of Conservation Science at the Brookfield Zoo. Here is his story. @ Dan Wharton Dan Wh

Living Landscapes: A Conversation with Fred Koontz, Retired Vice President of Conservation at Woodla

Fred Koontz is an expert in the science of small population management and understands the opportunity zoos can play in that realm. He worked at the Bronx Zoo as Curator of Mammals at a time when the zoo was dramatically growing its involvement in insitu conservation. After a 13 year absence from the zoo industry, he became Vice President of Conservation at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle in 2011. During his six years there, Koontz developed a living landscape program for th

Celebrating a Life Devoted to Saving Species: A Conversation with the late Dr. Michael Hutchins, for

As the zoo and conservation community mourns the untimely passing of Dr. Michael Hutchins, I thought it would be appropriate to share an interview I conducted with him this past fall. Hutchins was a true warrior for zoo conservation, as evidenced by his influence as William Conway Chair of Conservation and Science for the Association of zoos and Aquariums. Additionally, he wrote and edited over 200 publications including the influential texts Second Nature and Ethics on the A

Exhibits Are Like Movies: A Conversation with Ace Torre, CEO and Principal of Torre Design Consortiu

For the last four decades, Ace Torre and his firm Torre Consortium have been household names in the zoo design industry. He has become renowned for his innovative habitat designs often incorporating strong cultural, architectural and historical themes. Notably, Torre master planned designed most of the key exhibits at the Audubon Zoo, the Memphis Zoo, the Lowry Park Zoo and the Virginia Zoo. Here is his story. @ Torre Consortium Torre started out in city planning with a stron

A Healthy Appetite for Innovation and Change: A Conversation with Alejandro Grajal, President and CE

During his time at the Wildlife Conservation Society, National Audubon Society and Brookfield Zoo, Alejandro Grajal proved himself a great student in conservation psychology and an ambitious, forward-thinking zoologist ready to spark change. In 2016, he became President and CEO of Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, one of the best institutions of its kind in the world. Grajal is in the process of implementing his strong vision of zoos as social agents of change leading a social mo

A Conversation with Dr. Nancy Hawkes, Director of Animal Care at the Woodland Park Zoo

For decades, the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle has been one of the most well respected zoos in the nation. It has a rich legacy of creating immersive habitats which let visitors see animals thriving in replications of their natural environments. The Woodland Park Zoo has won more AZA exhibit awards than any other zoo besides the Bronx Zoo. Beyond building impressive habitats, the Woodland Park Zoo ensures all of its animals receive the best care possible. For the last fifteen

A Conversation with Chuck Mayes, Architect Principal at The Portico Group

For over thirty years, the Portico group has been creating some of the very best zoo habitats ever built. The group has helped raise the bar of how zoos exhibit animals and give them environments to thrive. From savannas for lions and elephants to frigid waters for penguins and polar bears, Portico has done it all. One of the geniuses and founders of the Seattle based design company is Chuck Mayes. Here is his story. @ Portico Mayes started his zoo career at Jones and Jones,

Telling the Story: A Conversation with Becca Hanson, Zoo Designer and Principal of Hanson Studio Rob

Becca Hanson is one of the most innovative and well respected zoo designers in the field. Along with her husband, David Roberts, she founded both The Portico Group in 1983 and, more recently, Studio Hanson|Roberts, a design firm focusing exclusively on zoos in 2003. She is renown for her work on such groundbreaking exhibits as Banyan Wilds and the award-winning Humboldt penguin habitat at the Woodland Park Zoo; the award-winning “Watershed Heroes” at the Sequoia Park Zoo; man

Reimagining Spaces for Animals: A Conversation with Jon Coe, Legendary Zoo Designer

Jon Coe has been at the cutting edge of zoo design since helping to establish immersion habitats in the 1970s. Throughout the years he’s been the one to break the mold with revolutionary ideas for animal habitats: a space where gorillas live in a lush replication of the African rainforest, an African savanna where you can’t see other people looking out at the animals, animals such as tigers and orangutans rotating in a series of habitats and even trails that let animals explo

Zoophoria!

The Story of the Modern Conservation Zoological Park as Told by its Leaders

Rick Barongi

Former Director, Houston Zoo

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