138 Education and Biodiversity convenience and entertainment of the nobility The zoo remains today as likely the oldest in continuous operation, dating from the 1750s Democratization of Europe and establishment of urban centers that accompanied industrialization led to the modern zoo as a repository of exotic specimens of life that were to be studied as a way of understanding the flora and fauna of the world Public monies (rather than private patrons or royal largesse) were available to begin systematic scholarly study Maier and Page date the modern zoo to 1826 when the Zoological Society of London founded the zoological gardens at Regent’s Park for the purpose of understanding the natural history of the animals inhabiting the reaches of the British Empire Since zoos as public institutions had to raise funds and attract money (independent of their research and conservation goals), they had to become popular attractions Zoo organizers also had to learn to manage space and figure out and meet animals’ requirements, such as for social interaction Zoos’ role in conservation became educational as they raised visitor awareness about endangered species and loss of habitat Where larger zoos also developed significant breeding herds, they established breeding farms In San Diego, for example, this ‘‘wild animal park’’ has become an additional attraction The National Zoological Park (National Zoo), associated with the Smithsonian Institution, established a ‘‘biopark,’’ Amazonia, to emphasize the relationships among soil, plant, invertebrate, and other animal forms and the need to preserve the habitats of the world Zoos, aquariums, and game parks are being seen as tools to affect public attitudes regarding the variety of life on earth As these places of science intentionally blend education and entertainment they are increasingly adding materials from museum collections and incorporating interactive exhibits from science–technology centers to reinforce conservation messages, concern about loss of species numbers and diversity, and loss of habitat Botanical Gardens According to BGCI, the global network devoted to the conservation of threatened plant species, more than 200 million persons visited botanical gardens around the world In addition to visits and guided tours, gardens offered continuing education for adults, workshops and hands-on experiences for children and families, and professional education courses and seminars for K–12 teachers The New York Botanical Garden and Missouri Botanical Garden are examples of two gardens offering graduate studies programs, usually in collaboration with universities in their area • • • Exhibition The 11,000-square-foot Hall of Biodiversity is a permanent exhibit of AMNH which opened in 1998 The exhibit uses collections, interactive technologies, and an immersive environmental replica of a portion of the rain forest of the Central African Republic – complete with sound, smell, movement, and running water – to provide a unique visitor experience Graduate and continuing education The Center for Biodiversity and Conservation collaborates within and outside the museum in the development of courses and programs AMNH is home to the oldest and largest doctoral and postdoctoral training program of any scientific museum in the world, collaborating with Yale, Columbia, Cornell, and City University of New York Education The National Center for Science Literacy, Education and Technology, supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and a number of private foundations, has developed a number of projects related to the theme of biodiversity, including Biodiversity Counts: A Student Inventory Project, a program for middle school students across the US to inventory plant and animal life in their communities and to share their findings through publications and on-line field journals Biodiversity Experiences and Resources Overview For most adults, biodiversity education will take place in the informal sector as they read books; visit zoos, museums, and national parks; listen to lectures; and watch programs on the increasing number of science- and nature-based cable channels, public television, or the increased coverage of science on the news or news magazines Others will visit the World Wide Web, where an increasing number of excellent sites developed by universities, museums, federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations provide high-quality information Several examples of resources for biodiversity education available to the adult public follow Earthwatch Earthwatch Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1971 that supports scientific field research worldwide Volunteers participate in actual field research, assisting scientists in gathering data Since its beginning it has deployed over 85,000 volunteers into the field to work with 1000 scientists Since 1995 Earthwatch’s Capacity Development Program has trained over 1000 scientists including around species identification and other conservation issues The Earthwatch web site lists active projects that volunteers can join in a number of topical areas including endangered species Museums National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) Through collections, education programs, exhibitions, and graduate-level research, museums have been very active in promoting biodiversity in both the formal and informal sectors The American Museum of Natural History in New York (AMNH) provides an interesting example of an institution with current involvement in all these areas: The NBII attempts to organize the disparate sources of information available through agencies, departments, museums, and other organizations, providing a source of links to sites A ‘‘Biodiversity, Systematics and Collections’’ section connects to other web sites, many of which have education or ‘‘for kids’’ sections Many federal agencies such as the U.S Geological