Resource Library
The ACE for Wildlife® Network Resource Library is intended to support peer-to-peer learning, knowledge sharing, and collaboration. Resources are provided by contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of, nor constitute endorsement by, the ACE for Wildlife Network. Users should independently evaluate the suitability and accuracy of any resource before relying upon it.
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This article featured in AZA's Connect magazine defines critical anthropomorphism and showcases examples of it being done across the ACE for Wildlife Network.
This event is designed for Members and Affiliates who joined the Advancing Conservation through Empathy for Wildlife (ACE for Wildlife) Network between January-April 2024.
1. 2. 3. There will also be opportunities for attendees to connect with each other in small breakout rooms.
An intro to the Network to help you understand our definition of empathy, the three types of empathy, and why empathy is an emotion worth fostering in a zoo or aquarium setting.
This document provides examples and advice from ACE participants to those who wish to begin DEAI committees.
This resource highlights several studies that point to the potential role empathy may play in relation to conservation behavior.
Paper on: The Impact of Interpretive Messaging and Animal Handling on Visitors’ Perceptions of Animal Welfare and Empathic Reactions
This resource, created with guidance from the Network’s DEAI Committee, highlights the relationship between effective empathy practices and DEAI initiatives by showcasing different projects from across the Network that embody that relationship.
This toolkit helps zoos and aquariums understand inclusive practices and gain tools for supporting autistic and neurodivergent individuals in these spaces
This study aimed to assess connection to nature and humans, using empathy as an indicator, as a predictor of prosocial behavior in ecological and human domains.
This research paper examines the relationship between guests viewing elephants in AZA accredited zoos with their reported conservation intent and perceptions of animal welfare.
This manual outlines Woodland Park Zoo’s intentional efforts to create an inclusive and accessible volunteer program through the development of the Volunteer Inclusion Program (VIP).
This literature scan, conducted by Inform Evaluation & Research for the Minnesota Zoo, explores best practices in wildlife trafficking education and the use of biofacts in zoo programs.
This study tested how two conservation presentations types shifted children's attitudes, empathy, and knowledge about cockroaches. While both presentations reduced negative associations, only the empathy infused presentation increased positive and naturalistic associations of the species.
This list provides alternatives to commonly used words in zoo lexicon that may elicit poor perceptions of wildlife.
This toolkit is focused on responsible consumerism and sustainable holiday shopping. In addition to the toolkit, they have also created a guide on how to spot and avoid greenwashing.
You can find all of our annual ACE for Wildlife Network Year in Review reports here!
Two instruments administered as a pretest in fall and post-test in spring, one measuring empathy with humans and with animals, and the second measuring affinity toward nature.
This video shows how keepers can use empathy during guests encounters and also provides a document with best-practices for you to develop your own similar video resource.
The protocol document explains how to conduct observations of visitors, program audiences, signage, and presenters and can be used to collect observation data on paper.
The ACE for Wildlife® Network Resource Library is intended to support peer-to-peer learning, knowledge sharing, and collaboration. Contributors retain ownership of materials they submit but grant the ACE for Wildlife Network and its parent organization, Woodland Park Zoo, and Library users a non-exclusive license to access and use those materials for educational and professional purposes consistent with the Network’s mission. Contributors are responsible for ensuring they have the right to share submitted materials and that no confidential, proprietary, or restricted information is included. They also must comply with applicable ACE for Wildlife Network policies and guidelines, including the ACE for Wildlife Network Artificial Intelligence Usage Guidelines.
Resources are provided by contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of, nor constitute endorsement by, the ACE for Wildlife Network. Users should independently evaluate the suitability and accuracy of any resource before relying upon it. The Network reserves the right to remove content at its discretion.
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