WAZA and IZE agree to formalise long-standing partnership

The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) and the International Zoo Educators Association (IZE) have formalised their long-standing cooperation with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The two organisations will now be positioned to jointly strengthen their collaboration to continue to enhance the capacity of members in biodiversity conservation through communications, visitor engagement and a large variety of educational and interpretive programs for all ages.

The MoU establishes a strategic partnership and framework to promote and amplify joint communication activities focusing on conservation education, interpretation, and behaviour change. IZE will additionally assist WAZA's mission by providing expertise and guidance on conservation education. Both organisations will share knowledge and materials to extend the reach and impact of both entities' work.

The two organisations have worked closely over the years, sharing a central office in Switzerland from 2004 to 2010 and working on complementary missions. IZE and WAZA share the same vision for global biodiversity conservation and previously collaborated on multi-year nature play programs at global zoos and aquariums.

In 2020, they jointly published Social Change for Conservation - The World Zoo and Aquarium Conservation Education Strategy, a global strategy on conservation education that aims to guide zoos and aquariums to achieve educational, behavioural social outcomes which are key to their organisational missions.

Announcing the MoU, WAZA Chief Executive, Dr Martín Zordan, advised “we are delighted to strengthen our relationship with IZE, an organisation with whom we share the same values for the future of biodiversity conservation. Both IZE and WAZA are committed to helping and supporting our members to develop and foster visitor engagement."

IZE President, Debra Erickson added “as we continue to face the challenges of climate change, habitat alteration, invasive species and other factors that affect biodiversity, our partnership with WAZA is even more important.

"As we work together to provide the resources our members need to connect people to wildlife and conservation, they will continue to develop an empathy and caring in their guests for animals and plants, which will lead to our global audiences' support of efforts to protect biodiversity."

Founded in 1972, the International Zoo Educators Association is an international organisation committed to engage their more than 300 members worldwide to achieve biodiversity conservation by encouraging sustainable behaviours in people that visit zoos and aquariums.

The Association's vision is the conservation of the world's biodiversity through effective zoo and aquarium education programs.

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Founded in 1935, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) is the global alliance of regional associations, national federations, zoos and aquariums, dedicated to the care and conservation of animals and their habitats around the world.

For more information go to www.waza.org