ZACC

The first ZACC conference was hosted in 1995 by Ohio’s Columbus Zoo. ZACC is a bi-annual event that promotes the role of zoos and aquariums in supporting conservation activities worldwide, both at their institutions and in the field. Conference participants include representatives from zoological institutions, international conservation organizations, local non-governmental organizations, government agencies, funding agencies and, most importantly, field biologists and conservationists. Bringing together individuals from different countries and disciplines, ZACC conferences help to build a stronger and more effective global network for wildlife and habitat conservation, and to establish direct links to zoos, aquariums, and their constituencies.

For registration, hotel and other information, please follow these links:

Registration
Hotel and Travel
Program and Schedule
Sponsors
Conservation Exhibitors
2009 ZACC Awards

The Houston Zoo would like to announce our Keynote Speakers for the 2009 ZACC conference:

 

Carter Smith
Executive Director, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Carter Smith was named Executive Director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in January of 2008 after spending 10 years with The Nature Conservancy. Smith joined with The Nature Conservancy of Texas in 1998 and had been the state director since 2004.  Prior to his promotion to state director, Smith served as Director of Conservation Programs where he was responsible for conservation, external affairs and science programs. Before working at the Nature Conservancy, he was the first executive director of the Katy Prairie Conservancy and continues to serve on their Advisory Board. 

Smith is a native of Central Texas and began his career in 1992 at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as a management intern, assisting in the Private Lands and Public Hunting programs.  He has a wildlife management degree from Texas Tech and a master’s degree in conservation biology from Yale University.

 

Charles Knowles
Executive Director, Wildlife Conservation Network
Charlie has devoted over a decade of pro bono work to conservation projects and start-ups. Since his "retirement" from high tech he has actively worked to get several innovative conservation start-ups, including Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) and The Snow Leopard Conservancy, on their feet. During his tenure, CCF has grown 10 times and is now the largest cat conservation program in the world. Charlie brought the same combination of business experience and energy to the start-up of The Snow Leopard Conservancy in 1999, and its results have been equally impressive.

A model Knowles had developed based upon providing "venture capital", business and technical skills to "conservation entrepreneurs" around the globe, was the best way to multiply the impact that other entrepreneurs could have on wildlife, people and the environment. Their vision became the Wildlife Conservation Network.

Dr. Lesley Dickie
Conservation Officer, Zoological Society of London

Dr Lesley Dickie was educated at the universities of Glasgow (BSc Zoology), Cambridge (MPhil Biological Anthropology) and London (PhD).  At Queen Mary, University of London, she undertook her PhD work entitled, ‘The Behaviour and Reproductive Physiology of the Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) in Captivity’.

She began her career in zoos at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland as a records and zoo keeper at Edinburgh Zoo.  After completing field work in Madagascar and finishing her doctorate she began her current post as Zoo Conservation Officer at the Zoological Society of London.  Lesley is an editor of the book ‘Zoos in the 21^st Century: Catalysts for Conservation?’ (published August 2007), co-chaired the 2006/07 European Association of Zoos and Aquaria Conservation Campaign, the Madagascar Campaign, Arovako i Madagasikara, and is now the 2008 Year of the Frog Global Campaign Manager, working 50% of the time for Amphibian Ark in this capacity, while continuing to develop conservation projects for the Zoological Society of London.