Ursa International

What I learned at AZA2022



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Well that was quick!

The AZA met this year in Baltimore. It was earlier than most years, just before the labor day weekend and for a day shorter than previous years. While this was the first year back together since COVID shut down face-to-face meetings, this one took many precautions to make sure this was as safe as possible for 2500 of your best friends to gather INDOORS and in packed conference rooms. Every attendee had to show a negative test, uploaded to a central website and we had to print-out a QR code that needed to be handed in at Security before allowing access to the registration lobby of the Commercial vendor exhibits hall. There were QR codes to get your conference schedule on your phone, volunteer-less name-tag printing and gathering of the donated bag and re-useable aluminum water bottle - then once inside, anything goes! Read More...

AZA - Here we come!

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Ursa in the HOUSE!!! True that! Looks like after 25 years in the AZA, I'm finally going to experience the great unknown! What it's like to be "in the booth"! I usually spend a lot of time in the exhibit hall, talking to vendors, designers and other commercial members, but like a grandparent - I can leave! This year I talked the Epsten Group into doing a booth, then they turned around and talked me into sitting in it. So - this year I get to experience the cold shoulders of "i'm not interested" and the "how do you design a zoo" questions from the 1st timers and the great homecoming greetings from friends that I haven't seen in three years. I am looking forward to it - but i'm also quite curious how it feels to watch the parade of attendees walk by and see if I can grab their attention for just a minute as they zoom by on their way to an important talk or meeting. Read More...

Looking back and thinking about tomorrow

by Nevin Lash

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This photo taken by John Bierlein ended up in my inbox recently. John was part of the design team from Woodland Park, when I worked with CLR in Philadelphia in the 1980's. Seems like a long time ago - and it was. The project started in 1988 and opened in 1994 as Northern Trail. This was one of five or six major projects taken on during the second wave of ground breaking Woodland Park Zoo project outlined in the Long-Range Plan by David Hancocks/Jones and Jones (J&J) approved in 1976. But when you think back before the 1976 plan, there wasn't anything like it in the world. All zoos were made by Architects - who know how to handle a buildings program, but the site is insignificant in most cases, and that was the case in most zoos prior to 1976. It really came to light, that a zoo project must to managed by a multi-disciplinary team including and sometimes led by Landscape Architects.
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Boldly moving the ball forward

by Nevin Lash

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As we look ahead to 2022 - we are excited to participate in several new projects that hope to move the ball forward for animal wellness at every level.

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Now what?

by Nevin Lash

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OK. So we have just spent 16 months in a lockdown due to the COVID pandemic. Those of us who cherish their lives and health took this period seriously. Restricting social activities and gatherings, wearing masks and primarily staying home. For us, staying home began with moving our home base. At this same time, Gail and I decided to sell our house, and most of our possessions, pare down our 30 years of professional records and resources (this meant throwing out tons of paper, after reviewing each piece, photographing important items and tossing the rest) and packing things up and sending them to our future home in Belize.
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What Is Your Ideal World?

By Gail Lash, PhD

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“…if civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationship – the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together and work together in the same world, at peace.” President Franklin D. Roosevelt


My dog lifts her front paws onto my leg, staring at me with big brown eyes as I stuff forkfuls of cooked veggies into my mouth. Our other two dogs lounge in cuddle beds, patiently eyeing her progress. All three know what their “ideal world” looks like: spontaneous special treats from their human caregivers. If only human desires were so simple. An ideal world for a dog is a bit different than an ideal world for a human. Or is it?

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How big?


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Big is always relative. Elephants are big - but compared to whales, and trees and mountains. Not so big. So when I went to answer the question of how much bigger is the new elephant at Zoo Atlanta compared with the old one.

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Conservation Is For All


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We had a chance to review some of the talks that were given at the Annual Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) virtual conference September 2020. One of the great benefits of the virtual conference method is to be able to listen to talks that you missed as well as talks you'd like to hear again to get a better understanding of what was said.
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Peace and Prosperity In A Changing World: AZA Conference Reflections

By Gail Lash, PhD

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Well, it’s a wrap! The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) 2020 Annual Conference ended last Friday (18 September). As I write this reflection, today 21 September is the United Nations International Day of Peace. Because I live in Belize, Central America, I also recognize that this auspicious day is Belize’s 39th Independence Day. Its theme, "Overcoming Adversity, Creating Opportunity, Belizeans: Unite for Prosperity!" was created by a 13-year-old girl from the town I live in, San Ignacio.

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Women Leadership In A World Of Change

By Gail Lash, PhD

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“The world of humanity has two wings -- one is women and the other men. Not until both wings are equally developed can the bird fly. Should one wing remain weak, flight is impossible. Not until the world of women becomes equal to the world of men…can success and prosperity be attained as they ought to be.” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá


We are learning a lot about equality these days. How all humans are equally susceptible to viruses and other zoonotic diseases. How humans with darker skin colors are equal to those with lighter tones. How women can equally contribute to the development of local communities and national economies. I want to explore this concept of women’s equality, and the value of women in leadership, particularly in creating new, just solutions for this rapidly changing world we live in.

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Creating Brave Spaces

by Gail Lash, Ph.D.

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Many of yesterday’s talks at the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Conference were about our support communities. How do we connect with them? What do they want? How can we be resources for them? How can we inspire conservation action? I particularly liked what Jess Niven-Kohring, from the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens, said about creating “Brave Spaces” of/by/for their communities. Let’s explore this more here.

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Using Our Light Saber

By Gail Lash, PhD.

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I just finished listening to Dr. Mark Plokin’s Community Conversation with Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) conference attendees. In response to a question on whether zoos and aquariums should use their collective voices for political change, he said, “You have a Light Saber. Use it. Specifically, on issues that are relevant to you.”
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AZA 2020 Virtual Exhibit booth

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How amazing is it that AZA is virtual this year!? Now we get all the valuable experiences that AZA offers without the cost of Travel, a week of Hilton Hotel, rental car and all those a rushed breakfast buffets and box lunches and wondering what to do with those free hours where none of the presentation speak to you and you've made your rounds in the exhibit hall one too many times!
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Building a better Bear Manor, Belize

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Many of you have asked to see photos of the construction of Bear Manor Belize - our new home in the Tropics!
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Broadcasting from Belize!

Well we did it!

We came on the last flight out of Atlanta to Belize City on Sunday morning (March 20th) before the Covid 19 crisis gripped the world. Read More...

Thing we love about the Zambezi Elephant Center


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Since I haven't been very effective keeping the Blog going, I am, for this entry going to turn to one of the Keepers at the Elephant Habitat at Zoo Atlanta. I've been so happy that the both guests and users groups at the zoo have really embraced the new exhibit and are so positive about the impact on their lives.

This morning I read a post on the Zoo Atlanta website that put this in focus, and thought I'd share it here. Thanks Josh for putting pen to paper and telling us what exactly are the…
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Back to work


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And we are open! Zoo Atlanta's new "African Savanna"…… Read More...

How'd I do?

My last post was a year and a half ago! and the years roll by.

Since mid-2016, we've continued to be primarily focused on the Cyclorama project (Project C) with it's 10-sided space at the front door of Zoo Atlanta. The project was to create a huge new plaza at the current entry plaza and remove the hideous Administration building, renovate the Cyclorama into the new Administration offices and a 1000 person 2 story event space overlooking a new expanded Savanna, with a new huge elephant barn and habitat. It's a huge project and has been a challenge to hang on.
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10 directions - the art of patience

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My last post was in Last Year! but it's not that there isn't anything going on….
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Big changes underway


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Finally some forward movement!
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