Saving the Alaska SeaLife Center - FEBRUARY 2021 - PIVOT, PLAN, AND BE NIMBLE - Mary Ellen Collins
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FEBRUARY 2021
A publication of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Saving the Alaska
SeaLife Center
PIVOT, PLAN, AND BE NIMBLE INNOVATION IN A PANDEMIC RAISING FUNDS IN A PANDEMIC
February 2021
Features
20 28 36 40
Saving the Alaska Pivot, Plan, Innovation Raising Funds
SeaLife Center and Be Nimble in a Pandemic in a Pandemic
The Center has endeared When an Association of Zoos The Commercial Member The dire economic impact
itself to droves of people and Aquariums-accredited Engagement Council of the coronavirus pandemic
over the last 28 years with its facility is hit by a crisis, was created as a way for on Association of Zoos
4,000 resident animals and colleagues quickly step up Association of Zoos and and Aquarium-accredited
its dedication to cutting-edge to provide whatever they Aquariums commercial facilities—most were closed
marine biology research. need—manpower, supplies, members to bring innovation from mid-March for at least
But when COVID-19 started or space to house animals. and insight to the community three months—has forced
spreading in mid-March 2020, The pandemic is the first at large. In 2020, after two institutions’ staff to brainstorm
the seasonality, location, and time every member of our years of planning, the CMEC events that can raise money,
mostly indoor operations community, along with faced its first major challenge: engage community members,
made the situation quickly dire individuals and organizations COVID-19. and be conducted safely.
in terms of revenue. the world over, is facing the BY HILLARY RICHARD BY ALINA TUGEND
BY KATIE MORELL same challenge.
BY MARY ELLEN COLLINS
February 2021 | www.aza.org 1
28 www.aza.org | February 2021 © Henry Vilas Zoo
Creating a
PIVOT
Safe and
Secure Visitor
Experience
BY MARY ELLEN COLLINS
February 2021 | www.aza.org 29
hen an Association of Zoos unprecedented challenge of reopening
and Aquariums-accredited in a way that will protect the health experience their facilities. Thanks
facility is hit hard by a hurricane, of visitors, staff, and volunteers and to their efforts, thousands of visitors
earthquake, or fire, their zoo the animals in their collections. can be reassured that their local
and aquarium colleagues quickly “It’s a balancing act. I’ve never zoos and aquariums are offering fun
step up to provide whatever they seen anything like it,” said Glenn and entertainment with an emphasis
need—manpower, supplies, or space Dobrogosz, chief executive officer on health and safety.
to house animals. The pandemic is of the Greensboro Science Center
the first time every member of our in Greensboro, N.C. “We’re trying Communication is Key
community, along with individuals to remain optimistic. Nature’s been When they reopened, facilities
and organizations the world over, is through this for eons and when had to communicate frequently
facing the same crisis. nature is tested, it either wins or and visibly to make sure visitors
Zoo and aquarium leaders goes extinct. We have to win and understood and complied with a
spent the enforced closures last come out stronger. We had to make wide range of modifications. New
spring looking to the future and tough decisions, but everyone was signage was key everywhere with
reimagining every aspect of the behind us, and we are confident that the Seattle Aquarium* and many
way they do business. Knowing we made the right decisions.” other others opting for clever
that their facilities could offer the Like Dobrogosz, leaders in graphics to remind people about
public some much-need respite the AZA community focused on the six-foot rule, e.g., “stay a wolf eel
and entertainment, they faced the winning by creating new ways to distance apart.”
30 www.aza.org | February 2021
© Shedd Aquarium
© Shedd Aquarium
In order to accommodate visitors Crowd Control
who wanted to be prepared before Controlling the direction, pace,
they arrived, the Greensboro Science and number of visitors requires
Center’s team put Safety in Focus, different measures for different
their very detailed reopening plans, types of institutions. “We designed a
on their website. The document one-directional flow, and used straw
provides information on everything bales to keep people going in one
from sanitization protocols to traffic direction, to keep them backed up
around “at risk” animal exhibits. from animal exhibits like the great
Dobrogosz also placed a priority on apes, and to spread people out,” said
communicating with the community Bert Vescolani, president and chief
via letters to the editor and messages executive officer, Denver Zoo. “When
to members that emphasized the we heard that Waterworld was not
Center’s commitment to beating going to reopen, we said, ‘What if we
pandemic-related adversity and could borrow some of their lifeguard
ultimately thriving. chairs?’ It was a very clever tool that
February 2021 | www.aza.org 31
© Shedd Aquarium
gave our staff a birds’ eye view to for a family—with a cap of 10 people
monitor the flow of people.” in the group and one tour guide.
For the Endangered Wolf Center People walk down a two-lane road to
in Eureka, Mo., executive director the enclosures, and there’s plenty of
Mark Cross said, “The majority of the room to social distance.”
time our guests are outside, which Some institutions, including the
has been a tremendous advantage for Seattle Aquarium in Seattle, Wash.,
us. When we reopened in June, we and the National Aquarium in
eliminated all public tours and large Baltimore, Md., set their attendance
tours of up to 30 people. We started level below that required by their
offering only private tours—typically respective governors out of an
32 www.aza.org | February 2021
© Shedd Aquarium
for visitors to experience the Zoo, it Bob Davidson, president and chief
also facilitated programming in their executive officer, Seattle Aquarium,
abundance of caution Wildlife Museum. “and this touchless system has been
for the safety of their “We had planned on hosting a very helpful. We went from less than
guests, staff, and volunteers. temporary exhibit, Return of the three percent online sales to 100
Seattle was allowed to open Dinosaurs, in our gallery space, and percent online.”
at 25 percent, and opted to stay it was initially to be here from May Shedd Aquarium Chief
at 15 percent; and National kept through Labor Day,” said Interim Executive Officer, Bridget Coughlin,
attendance 25 percent instead of the Director, Kathy Tolbert. “We worked reports that visitors can now
allowable 50 percent. with the vendor and pushed the go through the entire facility
opening to 4 July and we moved it all without touching anything. “[We
Hands Off outside. That allowed families to enjoy have] touchless ticket with phone
Like most institutions, Rolling Hills the dinosaurs in an open air space with scanning; bathroom doors all have
Zoo in Selena, Kan., closed their plenty of room to social distance.” a foot pull installed at the base so
animal feeding experiences and Timed ticketing has also been you pull open the door with the sole
significantly increased the cleaning a successful strategy for many of your shoe; and hand sanitation
and sanitizing of every touch point in institutions, as has reliance on stations are foot pump activated.”
the institution, from strollers to soda apps for maps and food ordering. She adds that an important change
machines to high touch windows in “As part of the planning for our people can’t see involved changing
the animal exhibits. Their open, fairly expansion, we had already planned the air system filter from a MERV
rural location not only made it easier to institute timed ticketing,” said 11 to a MERV 13 and conforming
February 2021 | www.aza.org 33
© Seattle Aquarium
to the COVID-19 reopening
standards issued by the American
Society of Heating, Refrigerating,
and Air Conditioning Engineers.
Mask Up
Many staff are still working at home,
but those on site must be masked
whenever they’re not in their own
offices. Visitors across the board
are also required to be masked, and
most institutions report little, if any
resistance from their guests. “We
told the staff they were empowered
and expected to remind people to
© Seattle Aquarium
wear masks, and keep them up,”
said John Racanelli, president and
chief executive officer, National
Aquarium. “We all do it. We’ll do
whatever we need to do up to and
including escorting someone out. I
*Seattle Aquarium and Woodland Park Zoo opened in the summer can count on the fingers of one
and closed again in November because of a governor’s mandate. hand the number of problems
we’ve had.”
34 www.aza.org | February 2021
before returning to their jobs. “They
were also supported by the creation
of an Incident Command System
run by the director of facilities.
They would meet every day to make
decisions about issues that arose,”
said Davidson.
Redeploying staff has been a
common strategy to keep people
working while also having enough
people available to enforce safety
restrictions. Woodland Park Zoo
allowed any furloughed staff
member to take on the new role of
social distance attendant, and also
hired new staff to fill some of those
positions. At the National Aquarium,
70 non-operational staff who were
working their regular jobs at home
© Endangered Wolf Center
came onsite to do three or four guest
services shifts per week.
As we enter another year under
COVID-related restrictions and
accommodations, good news about
vaccines gives us a reason to be
hopeful. The lessons we learned in
2020 have proven AZA member
institutions’ ability to remain
At the Endangered Wolf Center, obstacle for some members of our flexible while successfully tackling
Cross said, “Everyone is required to disability community. With help and unexpected challenges. Racanelli
wear a mask, but we let people have a consultation from partners in the echoes other leaders when he credits
brief mask break during the portion local disability rights community, the efforts of his staff for making
of the walk that’s on a paved road, we were able to add reserved weekly sure the doors could open again.
especially during the hot weather. hours to accommodate those with “We had to embrace a new
Everyone’s been very respectful. disabilities that prevent them from normal because change is persistent,
Only one group balked and once we wearing a mask.” They plan to offer perpetual, and exponential,” said
had a conversation with them, they longer accommodation hours on a Racanelli. “By embracing the idea
decided to reschedule.” quarterly basis in 2021. that this is the new normal, our staff
Michele Smith, chief financial brought together a phenomenal plan
officer, Woodland Park Zoo* Staff Support for us to become a space that was
reports that her the team followed Leaders agree that providing staff safe, fulfilling, and a beacon of hope.
a one strike rule for mask violators. with the support they needed to We envision change will continue
“We didn’t want guests policing operate in a new environment was forever and we’re going to keep
other guests, and that had happened. a critical aspect of their reopening adapting forever.”
If we asked someone to put a mask plans. “We created a digital
on and they didn’t comply, we communication tool for staff to *Seattle Aquarium and Woodland
asked them to leave and come back log social distance and compliance Park Zoo opened in the summer and
when they can comply to the rules. issues so we could address them closed again in November because of
While this decision was made to internally,” said Vescolani. a governor’s mandate.
minimize risk and add extra safety The Seattle Aquarium required
for staff, guests, and animals, we every staff member to go through Mary Ellen Collins is a writer
found it was an insurmountable customer service and safety training based in St. Petersburg, Fla.
February 2021 | www.aza.org 35You can also read
