Ecomuseum Zoo honoured with prestigious education award
The Ecomuseum Zoo in Ste-Annede-Bellevue is the recipient of the Eleonore Oakes Award, presented by Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA-AZAC).
The Ecomuseum was given the award for its popular Nature Camp, first established in 1989.
A jury panel composed of industry experts annually present the Eleonore Oakes Award.
“The awarding of this prize brings great pride to the Ecomuseum Zoo team, including, of course, the zoo’s entire education team,” said David Rodrigue, the Ecomuseum’s executive director.
“This award is a concrete reflection of the priority given by the Ecomuseum Zoo to raising awareness among future generations. Education has always been a pillar of our mission, and it’s a duty and a responsibility that we take very seriously. Influencing children today can make, and will make, a very big difference for the future.”
The Ecomuseum, which opened in 1988, launched its first Nature Camp the following year. In the ensuing years, the zoo “revised and revitalized the objectives, the messages, the content and the activities of the institution’s Nature Camp curriculum.”
“The objective was to integrate notions and concrete actions related to animal welfare and to wildlife conservation in natural habitats. As a result of this reflection, the zoo’s education team sought to introduce more advanced concepts: ecological balance, scientific fieldwork for the conservation of wildlife and its habitats, animal well-being in all its forms (physical, psychological, emotional),” the Ecomuseum said in a statement.