Developing Partnerships with Local Agencies and Scientists: Overcoming Reservations and Challenges

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium began the Amphibian Conservation Education Project (ACEP), a citizen science program, in 2007 to address the global decline of amphibian populations in our own backyard. This project was... [ view full abstract ]

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium began the Amphibian Conservation Education Project (ACEP), a citizen science program, in 2007 to address the global decline of amphibian populations in our own backyard. This project was conceived through meetings hosted by Omaha’s Zoo & Aquarium that brought together Zoo staff and herpetologists from universities and governmental agencies in the region.

Through these meetings, it was obvious that very little was known about the current state of amphibians in Nebraska and surrounding states, due to the extensive field work required. Educators at Omaha’s Zoo & Aquarium quickly realized that this would be the perfect opportunity to involve educators and students in real-world research, while at the same time providing valuable data for the herpetologists and helping statewide amphibian populations. Thus, the Amphibian Conservation Education Project was born, a statewide amphibian study and educational campaign, where participants collect data on water quality and swab samples from amphibians to be tested for disease.

This project did not come without many obstacles to overcome along the way. Of those hurdles, garnering the trust from the scientists to properly implement ACEP and overcoming their reservations with regards to citizen science was a challenge. We learned valuable lessons about gaining their support, addressing concerns, and ensuring that the data collected was valued and useful for them. This presentation will aim to share some of those struggles and how we successfully partnered with local agencies and scientists to create a sustainable citizen science program.