Education and Biodiversity as the following: Zoos; Botanical gardens; Aquariums; Museums; and National parks Depending on their size, these places of science might also incorporate research, collections, conservation, or other functions important to biodiversity Signage and docent-led and audio tours provide additional information to visitors Classes, lectures, and workshops (including those for teachers) are also often provided to extend the learning experience Increasingly, materials and web sites incorporate aspects of a visit, bringing resources to audiences at a distance to make some part of the visitor experience remotely available Informal education also includes more intensive immersion experiences such as where it is incorporated into visits to natural preserves such as parks (including those within national park systems) and forests, or that provided through ecotourism Interpretive programs using volunteers, staff, and written and video materials provide enhanced learning experiences by bringing the science, the issues, and the concerns into sharp focus as a part of the overall environmental experience Programs such as Earthwatch have biodiversity-focused visits that involve the participant in the research as data collector Other informal learning opportunities are available through television and IMAX programs, web sites, and books Youth-serving groups provide a broad range of activities and experiences that can support education around concepts of biodiversity (see Box 3) Many may involve long-term projects of environmental monitoring, animal and plant breeding, habitat restoration, and other activities undertaken individually or in groups 137 Exciting new online resources have been developed that serve both the formal and informal education communities around biodiversity education Zoos and Other Places of Science Animal parks were established by and for rulers Maier and Page, in their volume Zoo: The Modern Ark (Maier et al., 1990), describe how animals were kept by royalty for entertainment and as a show of wealth The third dynasty ruler of the Sumerian city of Ur had a park that dated around 2300 BC A millennium later as civilization spread in the Near East and Asia, rulers and pharaohs exchanged ‘‘exotic’’ animals for their zoos Emperor Wu Wang of the Chou dynasty laid out a zoological garden called the Park of Intelligence Animal collections were found around the globe in early civilizations such as in Egypt some 3500 years ago Alexander the Great, perhaps influenced by Aristotle’s private menagerie, installed what was perhaps the first public zoo in Alexandria, Egypt With the coming of the Dark Ages of Europe, monasteries became the keepers of menageries and game parks When Cortes arrived in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, he found a large zoo behind Emperor Montezuma’s palace Zoos in India were established by Akbar toward the end of the 16th century He, like the Aztecs, employed people specially trained to care for and medically tend to animals The zoo at Vienna was reinvigorated by Maria Theresa and her husband as the Imperial Menagerie at Schoănbrun for the Box Selected youth serving groups providing informal science/environmental education American Camping Association (ACA) Founded in 1910 ACA provides an accrediting mechanism for camps Of the more than 2400 accredited camps listed, 284 provided nature/environmental study as part of the camp experience Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Enrollment: 5.6 million Program: Incorporated in 1910 BSA provides programs for boys that include outdoor skills, nature study, and conservation activities through an elaborated badge structure and group activities BSA is a charter member of the World Scout Conference World Scout Conference includes 145 member associations representing more than 25 million scouts Boys and Girls Clubs of America Enrollment: million youth; served in 1006 local organizations Program: Activities include outdoor and environment education (The Ultimate Journey) Camp Fire Boys and Girls Enrollment: 750,000 young people (birth–age 21) Program: Camping and environmental education programs offering children an appreciation and commitment to the natural environment Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) Enrollment: 3.5 million Program: Activities include out-of-doors, nature study Badge structure that includes environmental issues GSUSA is a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts undertakes world projects including building world citizenship Environment is one of the themes of this program Girls Incorporated Enrollment: 900,000 girls (ages 6–18) at more than 1000 sites nationwide Program: Activities include experiences in mathematics and science education through Operation SMART National 4-H Clubs Enrollment: 6.5 million in more than 90,000 clubs Program: Part of the U.S Department of Agriculture’s Cooperative Extension Service established in 1914 Project areas include agricultural and natural sciences, and technology; 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