You might not think of the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo as a museum, but the new accreditation confirms its focus on education.

When most Calgarians think of the city's museums, the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is unlikely to come to mind compared to institutions like Glenbow, the National Music Center or the Military Museums.

But this February, after just over two years of operation, the organization received the highest level of accreditation offered by the Alberta Museums Association (AMA) as a Recognized Museum Program (RMP).

Accreditation reflects the zoo's efforts to adhere to best museum practices and to meet and exceed the AMA's museum criteria.

“It's a very comprehensive application, where they look at everything from our organizational vision and mission or financial planning, to the role of our board, and therefore from the whole organizational level, as well as the specifics of our collections. said Laura Glick, Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo Conservation Education Manager.

“So they're looking at everything from how we manage that inventory, how we keep track of documentation on those individual items, whether we have a storage and contingency plan in place in terms of whether we need to move or store that collection. They look at examples of the research our organization is involved in, how we create signage and the different messages we use in our exhibits, and the different planning we put into exhibitions.”

In total, Glick said the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo has more than 4,000 different biological artifacts that serve as educational tools for daily visitors or those in registered programs such as school groups.

Edit a pair in the making

He said the zoo received a conditional rating last year and was working to complete full accreditation this year. As an organization, the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is also an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Glick said the road to accreditation has been a learning experience for the zoo and can be a mindset change for visitors who learn about accreditation.

“People sometimes shy away from the word museum, and even for me, it's been a learning journey to change the way we think about what does a museum come across?” What does it look like?' Glick said.

“I think people definitely think of zoos for education and enjoyment, but knowing how much work goes into managing this collection — and the animal care side as well — we want to meet those best standards and the industry. best practices”.

He said the accreditation work connected zoo staff to the wider museum world and new ways of introducing and educating the public.

“It connects us to a network of like-minded people, both at the provincial level and then by proxy through people at the national level who figure out different ways to use science, communication, conservation education,” Glick said.

“It's not just about engaging and conducting research, but then sharing it with the general public, sharing it through programming, and sharing it through different resources like biological facts.”