Zoohistorica 2017, Wroclaw

The 28th Zoohistorica meeting is now just under two months away. It will be in Wroclaw - the third occasion on which it has been held in Poland (previously, once at Poznan and once before, in 2008, at Wroclaw). More details can be found here: http://www.zoohistorica.org/Zoohistorica 28.pdf.

For those who have not attended such a meeting before, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. The main focus is on the exchange of zoo-related ephemera - guidebooks, postcards, leaflets etc - although not all who attend are as nerdy about such matters as some of us are.

More important that the exchange, though, is the opportunity to meet like-minded souls, in the surrounds of a wonderful zoo. There is an evening get-together on Friday September 8th, the main event on Saturday 9th (with a very early start in the Afrykarium), then, on the Sunday, the "official" destination is a nature centre in Lubin (I expect many will go elsewhere, however, or remain in Wroclaw).

On a personal note, this will be my 17th Zoohistorica.

Is anyone else intending to attend?

 

Yes, I'll be there and am looking forward to it enormously. I agree; ZooHistorica is always a thoroughly enjoyable event that provides a great opportunity to meet up with old friends.

As you know, "Sooty", it is unusual for me to miss ZooHistorica although, unfortunately, I couldn't attend the event last year. Circumstances also prevented me from attending in 2008, the last time it was in Wroclaw.

I have never visited Wroclaw so I am eagerly looking forward to seeing that zoo.

 

I shall be there - it's my 17th event also!

 

Blimey - I remember meeting you at London, in 2001, for what must have been your first!

 

Yes indeed - I remember it well! I think you may have been the first person to call me a zoo nerd.

 

I'll be attending, my second Zoohistorica (and first abroad).

The flights and accommodation are booked and I'm been watching the sterling-zloty exchange rate for over a month now in the, probably forlorn, hope it'll raise above 4.5 again before I buy (I know who/what I blame for that but I don't want to get off thread).

I'm also well down the path in the totally nerdy, and laborious, exercise of copying the species list from Zootierliste, breaking it down into classes (if there's a short-cut for this don't tell me now, it's done and I don't want to break my leg kicking myself) and highlighting those species new to me and unique to Wroclaw (mammals and birds done, herps part done, fishes remaining) ready for recording what I see.

Really looking forward to the event, the people and the zoo.

 

I'm genuinely honoured to have been the first to bestow such a well-deserved title upon you!

 

Maybe he needs a name change, Sooty the Baptist -anointer of zoo nerds.

 

Wow, where did those weeks go?

I've got my zloty (had to settle for 4.4 to the pound in the end, it was hovering about 5.5 not much more than a year ago but something's changed), all the camera batteries are charged, maps printed and species lists completed and ready.

Today I'm carrying out my packing dry run (I'm a big fan of the 5P's principle) and I'm starting to get really excited about the zoo/event.

My flight leaves 6.45am on Friday and I'm hoping to drop my luggage off at the hotel and be wandering the zoo by noon (ish) before finding my way to the "icebreaker".

I know a number of (wonderful) UK zoo-nerds staying at the same hotel but their flight's much later than mine but I'm sure I'll bump into them somewhere on Friday and commence my impersonation of an amiable remora.

 

Isn't it 6Ps?

Will you be playing spot the zoonerd?

I do hope to go one year.

 

Are you going to wear your "Hi, I'm Animal Friendly." t

 

Shorts, my flight arrives in at 11.45 and I plan to head straight to the zoo. I think designaka will be arriving about an hour before me.

 

Which hotel are you / they staying in?

 

Have fun, I am at a conference in Lisbon now, where I am the only zoochatter I guess, otherwise it would have been interesting to come to Wroclaw..

 

Hotel Piast Wroclaw Centrum, there's quite a group there I think (got a text off "Twycross Zoo" today saying he's staying there too). Where are you (going to be) at?

 

I should arrive at 10.05 so should* beat you there . If I'm running late I'll keep an eye out for designaka for taxi sharing. Look forward to seeing you and catching up. I'll PM my mobile in case it's of any use (though I expect you already have others anyway). Bon voyage, see you Friday!

*I'm always paranoid airport security can sense my (arguably juvenile) Pavlovian disdain for authority beneath my relatively normal exterior.

 

By coincidence, that’s the hotel I’m staying at too: I’ll be arriving on Thursday evening and, needless to say, intend to spend all day Friday in the zoo so doubtless will run into you sometime during the day......