The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden’s 2018 Barrows Conservation Lecture Series begins March 7. Since 1993, the zoo has invited naturalists and scientists to speak on wildlife issues and global conservation efforts. As a preview of this year's series, Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard recently talked with each of this year's speakers. For information and tickets to the 2018 Barrows Conservation Lecture Series, click here.
2018 Speakers
Gerry Creighton is operations manager at the Dublin Zoo. His career has spanned several decades of exciting development, during which time Dublin Zoo has transformed from its Victorian beginnings in 1831 into a modern, vital and progressive European center for conservation, education and animal husbandry. Mr. Creighton is also a world authority on Asian elephants and consults for many international zoos. He will be speaking at the Cincinnati Zoo March 7 on the future of Asian elephants in human care.
Julie Scardina has revolved her life around working with animals, educating the public and supporting conservation. From her first love of horses as a young girl to an animal training career and her longtime role as Animal Ambassador for SeaWorld & Busch Gardens, she utilizes her expertise in conservation, animal training and care to improve the lives of animals worldwide. Julie Scardina will present Mission: Wildlife at the Cincinnati Zoo on March 21.
Dr. Paul Smith is Secretary General of Botanic Gardens Conservation International. He is the former head of Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, which represents the greatest concentration of living seed-plant biodiversity on earth. Dr. Smith will be at the Cincinnati Zoo on April 11 to give a presentation on the role botanic gardens can play in protecting plant biodiversity.
The 2018 Cincinnati Zoo Wildlife Conservation Award recipient, Dr. Amy Dickman, is the Kaplan Senior Research Fellow in Felid Conservation at Oxford University. She has 20 years experience working on large carnivores in Africa, specializing in human-carnivore conflict, and established the Ruaha Carnivore Project, based in southern Tanzania. As the final event in this year's Cincinnati Zoo Barrows Conservation Lecture Series on April 25, Dr. Kaplan will present "Money, myths & man-eaters: Big cat conservation in Tanzania & beyond."