Victoria Inglis, MSc Napier University

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Zoo Visitors Are They Getting the
Message? Evaluating the Effectiveness of
Interpretation in Providing Conservation Education
Victoria Inglis, MSc Napier University
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Zoo Visitors Are They Getting the Message?

• Aims and Hypotheses
• Methodology
• Visitor Motivation
• Awareness of Zoo Roles
• Understanding of Conservation
• Attitudes to Work by Zoos
• Scope for Learning
• Potential for Further Studies
• Conclusions

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Aim
To discover whether the interpretation at
Edinburgh Zoo proved successful in imparting
knowledge of conservation issues to the visiting
public.
Hypotheses

• It was predicted that
• Most visits were made by family groups.
• Entertainment is the most important motivation
  for all visitors in choosing the zoo.
• Respondents have a species-centred understanding
  of conservation, which will be reinforced by the
  visit.
• Post-visit respondents would be more aware of the
  conservation and research work of the zoo.

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Methodology

• Questionnaire surveys were carried out on
  visitors entering and leaving the zoo.
• To assess of knowledge gained and awareness
  increase as a result of the zoo experience.
• Observation of visitors at activities used to
  support findings.
• A combination of open and closed response
  questions were used.
• Additional questions in the post-visit survey
  relating to visitor perceptions of the zoo.
• Respondents did not complete both the pre- and
  post-visit questionnaires.

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Methodology Cont.

• Questionnaires were self-completed by
  respondents.
• Respondents selected using next-to-pass method.
• Independent visitors only, no tour groups.
• English-speaking adults (aged 18).
• Visitor observation was used to support the
  findings of the questionnaires.
• Subjects selected randomly from the crowd.
• Observed for duration of the activity.
• Observations restricted to one individual at a
  time.

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Visitor Profile

• Results based on assumption that pre- and
  post-visit samples differ only in their exposure
  to interpretation within the zoo.
• Differences can thus be attributed to the zoo
  experience rather than any other independently
  influential variable.
• No significant differences were found between the
  two samples in a comparison of socio-demographic
  variables.

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Visitor Motivation
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Awareness of Zoo Roles
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Visitor Understanding of Conservation
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Visitor Understanding of Conservation Cont.

• Respondents were asked to rank the seriousness of
  a range of threats faced by endangered species.
• Pre- and post-visit samples both identified
  habitat destruction as the most serious threat to
  wildlife.
• Other threats ranked highly were trade in
  animals, over-harvesting resources and pollution.
• Competition with introduced species was
  identified as the least serious threat.
• Direct threats to wildlife were seen as more
  serious that indirect threats.

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Attitude Change

• Visitors asked the extent to which they agreed
  with statements regarding the conservation work
  of zoos.
• Statements were chosen to reflect the information
  presented in the interpretation at the zoo..
• Results showed a strong positive skew, with few
  respondents selecting neutral or negative
  responses.
• Supporting in-situ conservation and working
  with conservation organisations showed
  significant increases.

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Attitude Change Cont.
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Attitude Change Cont.

• Supporting in-situ conservation and working
  with conservation organisations showed
  significant increases.
• Visitors recognised the importance of
  conservation as a result of their visit.
• Educate about animals in exhibits showed a
  significant increase, Educate about
  conservation did not.
• Visitors have a limited scope of the information
  they find acceptable in interpretation.

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Scope for Learning
Did you learn about d. Why endangered? a. Animal
behaviour e. Conservation work b. Appearance f.
Conservation in zoos c. Habitats g. What you can
do?
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Scope for Learning Cont.
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Potential For Further Study

• Group size, the number of children in the group,
  and the age of children may all have an effect on
  the potential for learning.
• These may affect the visitors level of interest
  in various interpretive activities.
• The methods used for observations in this study
  could be further refined to produce this
  information.
• Information recall can be accurately tested using
  a quiz, which proved difficult to develop in the
  limited time frame of this project.

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Conclusion

• The majority of visitors were family groups, with
  one or more children accompanying the adults.
• Visitors were found to recognise the importance
  of the conservation role of the zoo, despite not
  being a major motivation for their visit.
• The majority of visitors associated conservation
  with preserving species.
• This understanding was reinforced by information
  perceptible from the interpretation throughout
  the zoo.

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Conclusion Cont.

• Visitors are likely to have a preconceived idea
  of the type of information provided by the zoo
  that it relates to the exhibits.
• Information that does not match this idea may be
  unacceptable to the visitors.
• The success of interpretation depends on the
  individuals motivation to seek educational
  experiences during the visit.

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Acknowledgements

• Kathy Velander, School of Life Sciences, Napier
  University
• Royal Zoological Society of Scotland