Page 2 - PDZA Sustainable Aquarium Brochure

A MESSAGE FROM ALAN VARSIK,

DIRECTOR AT POINT DEFIANCE ZOO & AQUARIUM

From the beginning of the project, the goal of Pacific Seas Aquarium has
been to directly connect with hundreds of thousands of our community
members annually to inspire and activate them to become stewards of our
marine environment. This huge reach and the intentional programming we
will employ will position Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium as a leader in marine
conservation education and action in our region.

Specifically, we will engage community members through three broad efforts:

• New exhibit messaging and experiences intended to increase visitors’
knowledge of and empathy for the ocean and marine wildlife; and move
them to commit to action that protects this vital environment;
• Partnerships with the scientific, advocacy and conservation community to
engage visitors and community members in actions that align with those
of our colleagues in our regional conservation community; and

• Robust outreach in the community to involve Tacoma residents in
exploring, celebrating, protecting, and advocating for their local
environment.

The intent of the new Pacific Seas Aquarium is to leverage guest visits into
impactful conservation action to protect the Puget Sound and the ocean. To
meet this goal, we will employ a variety of best practices in crafting messages
and other programming informed by research on communication strategies
for building engagement in conservation (The Nature Conservancy, 2013;
The Ocean Project, 2015). This research recommends engaging audiences by
focusing on ways people can be part of a solution, rather than focusing on
the problems; highlighting stories of specific animals and places; connecting
action asks to actions the institution is taking; and phrasing conservation
messages that imply ownership and inclusion.

This approach is intend to ensure that the messaging of PDZA’s Pacific Seas
Aquarium will impact families and individuals, not just within the walls of the
aquarium, but also throughout our community.

©EHDD 2017 AQUARIUM OF THE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: PUBLIC FACILITIES DESIGNED TO EMBODY CONSERVATION
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