Zoo memberships

Z

zoogeek

Well-Known Member
Is anyone a member of more than 1 zoo? Are you a member for the members benefits? To support conservation? I am a member of my home zoo and also the National Zoo.
 
I am an annual pass holder at Marwell not only so I have free access, but it's an essentiality for me to participate in the Oryx Club. We recieve regular zoo news and news in breif, and a large number of member-exclusive talks and events, such as the Picnic in the Park in July. Free access to a wide range of other UK zoos and discounts in the cafe/kiosks/shop also included.
We're also members of the Hawk Conservancy Trust near Andover (and recieve seasonal issues of 'Hawk Talk') and season ticket holders to the New Forest Otter, Owl and Wildlife Park. :)
 
im member at Dudley Zoo-mainly for the free access and Chester Zoo- access for other zoos for free, member trips and talks, FFI talks, erhm its worth it!
 
Chester and Jersey. Have been a member of Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and ZSL in the past.
 
I am a member of Linton Zoo and ZSL. Being a member of Linton for me as great as it is a fantastic value as a visit very often. Being a member of ZSL is also very handy because I can get in for free at Whipsnade being about 30 mins away and also with London being so easy to get to from me it may also mean more visits there.
I have also been a member of Monkey World when i adopted one of their chimps 'Rodders'
Quite often being members you get such things as:
Monthly/Seasonal Newsletters.
Information and discounts on certain events.
Some of the bigger parks offer discounts on car parking,Products in shop aswell as food in the Cafe'.
In ZSL you also get to have free access to the Library there.
 
I have in the past been a member of Marwell , ZSL and Jersey as well as Chester and WWT - now it is just the last two .

I dropped Marwell when they gave up on Annual Reports and a decent newsletter - I can still visit using my Chester card as well as a lot of other zoos . ZSL became too expensive as I am a very infrequent visitor - less than once a year to either collection . I gave up on Jersey some time back as they were sending any news only very infrequently and I have only visited a few times over many years . I know that the subscription also supports the organisation but I like to think I am also getting something back .
 
JerseyLotte said:
That's lovely to know :D

Have you been over recently or are you planning to?
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I haven't been to Jersey since 1989, and have no plans to do so soon. I would like to return one day.

Like Bele says I miss all the information Jersey used to produce, informative newsletters actually detailing animal news and also the excellent Annual report/Dodo journal.

JWPT was the first organisation I joined back in 1974 and I will continue to support them for the moment.
 
bongorob said:
Like Bele says I miss all the information Jersey used to produce, informative newsletters actually detailing animal news and also the excellent Annual report/Dodo journal.
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Do you find it to be growing a trend for zoo newsletters to spend more time telling members about their overseas activities rather than what's happening in the zoo itself?
 
SMR said:
Do you find it to be growing a trend for zoo newsletters to spend more time telling members about their overseas activities rather than what's happening in the zoo itself?
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It seems that way. Lincoln Park Zoo has a large science and conservation department supporting projects in Tanzania, Gombe and other areas in Africa. They are separately funded. The zoo's members newsletter was replaced with a glossy quarterly magazine. The photographs are stunning but most of the articles are about their overseas projects. That's why I like the National Zoo's newsletter. They have a newsletter and a magazine and their newsletter has news and information about their collection and activities at their zoo. It's very informative and I usually save them for future reference.
 
Been a member of AZA for over ten years, and just joined AAZK a little over a year ago. The way I see it, this helps to support many zoos at once rather than just my two locals (Pt. Defiance and Woodland Park).

Besides that, between the member bennies of both organizations, I get either free or steeply-discounted admission to most zoos in the US as long as I maintain my membership.

I tend to think of said membership as a 'universal pass.' ;-)

Happy travels.
 
I spoke a little too soon about the Lincoln Park Zoo's membership mag! The new issue just arrived and most of it covers the history of the zoo with one article about conservation efforts overseas.
 
@Zoogeek - It is interesting that the only out-of-town zoo you are a member of is one that already has free admission for everyone!

I am a member of both zoos in Tucson because I want to support my locals (Reid Park Zoo and Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum). Reid Park Zoo is also part of the reciprocal membership program, so I use that card often on vacation.

I am a member of Exotic Feline Breeding Compound (aka Feline Conservation Center) because I love cats and they are small and need the money.

I am a member of Zoological Society of San Diego because it gets me into both San Diego Zoo and San Diego Wild Animal Park and I go out there at least once a year, but usually twice a year. If you visit either or both parks for a combined total of 3 days or more you are already saving money. Plus they have a really nice monthly magazine.
 
zoogeek said:
That's why I like the National Zoo's newsletter. They have a newsletter and a magazine and their newsletter has news and information about their collection and activities at their zoo. It's very informative and I usually save them for future reference.
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That's what I like to see in a zoo newsletter. Chester went through a period when staff changes were listed but no animal news was published. I'm sure I'm not the only person who thinks it unimportant to know that a shop assistant has left the zoo and a painter and a typist have arrived.
 
@Arizona Docent, I never looked at it that way before! I am a member of 2 of the last 3 free zoos in the US: National Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo and St. Louis Zoo. I should join SLZ! I became a member of the National Zoo because of their problems with the director who shall remain unnamed as a way to show support.

I am thinking of joining San Diego. I thought the AZA membership was a good idea until I saw San Diego is not on their list of reciprocal zoos.

@bongorob, when I was a docent, our docent notes were full of the comings and goings of many zoo staff whom we never met & who never visited the docent office. It was kind of wasted space, I thought. I'd rather read about the animals.
 
SMR said:
Do you find it to be growing a trend for zoo newsletters to spend more time telling members about their overseas activities rather than what's happening in the zoo itself?
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I am not a member of any specific zoos' membership societies nowadays, so don't get newsletters, but from reading the many websites it does seem this is an increasing trend and is probably mirrored in the more detailed information in the newsletters too.

Places like Jersey, Howletts, ZSL etc are all to be applauded for their overseas conservation work but I've noticed how news about this increasingly takes precedence over their animal collection news. While very relevant to their 'in situ' work, I do think news about the collections themselves should still come first.
 
I'm a member of ZSL and the WWT at the moment, as well as a couple of London museums and societies.
 
A Colchester Zoo member. Have been for a few years now. They do produce good magazines.:)

I agree with what people have said earlier that they should talk about their overseas but their collection is more important.
 
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