I was wondering how zoos teach and encourage visitors to actually act for conservation. Education e.g. from a zoo in Europe about destruction of wildlife in Africa can be pointless, because European city dwellers agree its horrible, but their knowledge changes nothing on the ground. How zoos show people what do do? What zoo visitors actually can do? Donating money and joining conservation societies is very common. But what more can be done? It may be buying particular products or refraining from buying some other, or any other action. It may be also about protecting wildlife locally. How do zoos deal with difficult choices? It is easy to be radical about doing good faraway, but once a person must sacrifice something himself, or the matter concern the place one knows, things are suddenly more difficult.
I don't know about how most zoos do this in Europe, North America, Australia etc. However, I saw this video a while back of a lecture by a conservation campaign manager of Bristol zoo on how they encourage behaviour change through using marketing strategies developed from understanding of social psychology in their campaigns. I personally found it quite interesting and I think you might find this interesting too so I'll post the link below : The situation in Latin America with environmental education within zoos I feel I can tell you much more about. Here in this area of the world the focus in zoos does go some way (IMO) to changing things on the ground by combatting certain anthropogenic drivers of the decline of wild populations of threatened species (of course zoos cannot achieve this alone and it must be matched by both changes in policymaking, improvements in law enforcement and in-situ actions). For example, the illegal trafficking of wildlife is a very extensive and lucrative business here in Brazil and particularly when it comes to species of Amazon parrots which are widely sought after by many people / households and sold either online or directly in rural or urban markets. Zoos often teach (through environmental education talks and graphic signage placed around zoos) about the harsh and ugly realities of animal trafficking and the lasting damage this does to wild populations. This is on some level an effective educational outreach strategy in disuading people from purchasing these birds because the truth is that most people here (and in wider Latin America) are just totally unaware of / unexposed to this reality.
In France (and probably other European countries), the zoos are increasingly involved in conservation actions with partners across the world. They inform the public about the actions done on the ground (for example, reintroductions, rescuing of injured/orphaned animals, patrols against poaching...), on various supports : animations and posters near the enclosures, games for children, websites, DVD's, books/comics, mass media (TV, radio, press)... So you can be informed either in your visit, either at home. Recently some zoos started to raise money for big rescuing actions, as last year during the wildfires in Australia and in Brazilian Pantanal. They made public calls on the web and the mass media. Sometimes they teach actions to do in your private life, about consuming, gardening... This year Beauval zoo posted on its website tips to make nestboxes, insect hotels and even refuges for bats.
French, British and Dutch zoos are excellent and indispensable partners for conservation NGO's here in Brazil (literally lifelines) and with our NGO we are supported in our work by the zoo you mention, Beauval.
When I visited Shepreth Wildlife Park, it encouraged visitors to support various wildlife charities, including those promoting species not kept in the collection.
Palm oil education and teaching guests what they can do to make better purchases and smarter decisions.
