The Santa Barbara Zoo’s new conservation hub is home to immersive experiences, combining hands-on education with entertainment. 

The zoo celebrated the opening of the Richard Block Conservation Hub on July 25.

Cast members went through 40 hours of training to guide guests through activities such as packing a backpack for a day in the field, checking Channel Island foxes for microchips, and examining California condor egg development.

“We are moving away from telling people about the work we do, and we’re moving more towards involving them and trying to invite them into the work we’re doing,” said JJ McLeod, the zoo’s director of education.

“We’re much more than a facility that showcases some of the most beautiful animals on the planet. We also have full-time conservation teams out in the field right now working on a lot of our local conservation efforts.”

Bringing Conservation to Life

McLeod told Noozhawk that the zoo focuses on the conservation of six species found in the area’s backyard ecosystem: California condor, Monarch butterfly, sea otter, Channel Island fox, California red-legged frog, and snowy plover.

The plan is for the hub to rotate through educational activities for two of the six species at a time every six or so months. The activities will change each day, so that guests have a new experience each time. 

Conservation hub “cast member” Annette McGuire told Noozhawk that the space will always be open to visitors during zoo hours, and there will be staff on hand to help visitors in their discovery. Their role isn’t simply to inform, but to engage guests in the activities by making them the hero of the situation, she said.

“Knowing facts is not the same as helping an actual person who works at the zoo,” McGuire said. 

By giving guests a chance to help out and by emphasizing the importance of that help, the zoo hopes to encourage a new generation of conservationists. 

“A lot of people have this notion that it’s people on big hikes going into the mountains and tracking, but all ages and all abilities can really help with conservation action,” McLeod said. 

“From watching livestream cameras and taking data … to robotics and creating different robots to turn eggs during incubation time, we really wanted to show that it’s a collective effort.”

“This hub is geared for every guest that comes in — guests of all abilities,” guest services specialist Tanner Linden said. “We want this to be an accessible, welcoming place for everybody.”

The Dedication Ceremony

The festivities on July 25 were not only for the grand opening of the conservation hub, but also a chance to dedicate the center to Santa Barbara Zoo CEO and local conservationist Richard Block. 

Block was shocked to see the sign unveiled with his name. Having been a big part of the development process, he didn’t anticipate this extra surprise, and tore up his pre-planned speech.

In his improvised remarks, Block called this opening a “celebration of what the zoo can bring to the community, and a celebration of the guests and how we can improve their experience.”

“This is the beginning of a really great adventure,” Block said.