EAZA Conservation campaigns

The last part of EAZA's vision 'Progressive Zoos and Aquariums Saving Species Together with You', refers to being a community, joining forces with our audiences and partners and to working in alignment with international conservation strategies and policies. 

For many years, EAZA and its Members have been aligning their work with WAZA strategies and IUCN policies. Today, modern zoos and aquariums also have a role to play in the new plans for nature: the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) – and in national strategies that contribute to them.

EAZA21+ was an internal campaign aiming to explore these big frameworks and increase our confidence and competence for engaging with them on local, national and international levels.  

The campaign has ended but the journey continues, both for individual EAZA zoos and aquariums and for EAZA as an organisation. A set of campaign resources is available to all for knowledge, inspiration and guidance for making a stronger impact in biodiversity conservation.

The Which Fish Campaign addressed how commercially-based human activities impact marine species conservation. It focused on how zoos and aquariums work and encouraged participants to make real changes to their working practices by applying the already shared vision to united objectives for marine biodiversity management and protection.

The campaign was developed along three different axes:

1. Human sustainable consumption, 
2. Sustainable animal feed,
3. Collection planning for sustainable aquatic species.

Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic and its disastrous consequences, the campaign still achieved some impressive results, thanks to the intention to move forward and the resilience of the EAZA community that has been able to react. The total number of registered institutions participating to the campaign was 147 from 30 countries and the most common campaign commitments for participants were linked to awareness raising.

More information.

Songbirds in Asia are threatened with extinction due to excessive and strongly cultural rooted consumption of wild songbirds for trade, songbird competitions, pets, export, traditional medicine and food.

The Silent Forest Campaign aimed to save a growing number of songbirds by increasing knowledge, awareness and commitment to do action within and beyond the zoo community. 

Between 1 September 2017 to 31 December 2019, more than 200 zoos signed up in support and more than €550,000 were raised. The activities and projects initiated during this period continue as a permanent activity and commitment of the EAZA Songbird Taxon Advisory Group.  

More information. 

Led by three of Europe’s largest scientific associations – EAZA, Botanical Gardens Conservation International and Ecsite, the network of European Science Centres - the Let It Grow Campaign aimed to:

1. Raise awareness in citizens on what local biodiversity is and why having a full range of native species can help keep ecosystems healthy for all forms of life including humans
2. Get people involved in the recovery and protection of native species by helping them set up “left spaces” on balconies, terraces, gardens and community spaces, and by getting them involved in citizen science - experiencing and measuring biodiversity
3. Show world leaders the value and reach the Let It Grow coalition has as implementing partner for various political targets and strategies.

During the span of the campaign, 239 institutions joined the campaign, located in 43 different countries worldwide. Thousands of birdhouses and insect hotels were build and placed, hundreds of bat boxes were created, and thousands of seeds for local plants were sown. Visitors were educated, challenged and inspired to do what they can for their own backyards, and hundreds of square meters of space was left alone to Let It Grow!

All Let It Grow campaign resources are available on the EAZA Member Area.

The Pole to Pole Campaign kicked off with the following objectives:

1. Secure the participation of as many zoos and aquariums in as many countries as possible
2. Affect positive behaviour change amongst: zoos, schools and zoo visitors
3. Run as near a carbon-neutral campaign as possible
4. Present a petition calling on world leaders to reduce CO2 emissions to below 350 ppm

An overwhelming number 250 participating institutions worldwide signed up for the campaign and showed the commitment and involvement of the zoo community towards combating climate change. 

Until mid-January 2016, 3,123 individuals joined in the Pull the Plug pledge and unplugged 12,214 electronic devices (which are not in use). This means that together we have saved 338,762 kilowatt-hours of electricity (!). Thanks to your effort and dedication we have been able to make a difference!

Get more information to continue to use energy wisely.

Southeast Asia is one of the most bio diverse regions on Earth, home to Sumatran tigers, Asian elephants, orangutans and many other species that are threatened, at some level, with extinction due to illegal trade, habitat loss, pollution, invasive species and/or other disturbance.

Led together with the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission (IUCN SSC), the campaign aimed at:

1. Raising awareness in the European public, European institutions and European business community of the amazing, yet threatened, animal species of Southeast Asia;
2. Creating a fund for Southeast Asian species conservation projects
3. Assisting in reducing trade and hunting of Southeast Asian species at risk;
4. Influencing European consumer behavior, demonstrating how this can positively impact on conservation issues.

Over 125 EAZA Members and 12 non-EAZA participants joined the campaign and raised in total €270,000 for conservation projects in Southeast Asia. Many campaign participants collectively joined in the ‘Saola Awareness Month’ event. During which zoo visitors were offered lots of opportunities to learn about the amazing animals in Southeast Asia, and how they are under threat from poaching, wildlife trade and habitat destruction.