Thane Maynard, director of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, provides first-hand connections to the world of ecology and conservation by speaking with experts all around the world.
The Cincinnati Zoo’s Barrows Conservation Lecture Series speaker is a true titan in the world of animal conservation and zoos. Dr. William Conway served as director of the world-famous Bronx Zoo for 43 years, transforming it into one of the leaders of the use of naturalistic exhibitions. He has also led the Wildlife Conservation Society into one of the strongest conservation organizations in the country, operating 4 zoos and 1 aquarium in New York City. In advance of his Wednesday, April 17 talk at the Zoo, Dr. Conway joins Thane Maynard by phone on this week’s Field Notes.
The next Barrows Conservation Lecture Series speaker at the Cincinnati Zoo is John Kamanga, a Masai elder working to preserve the land of the South Rift Valley in Kenya. He’s on the phone from Kenya duringField Notes with Thane Maynard to discuss the various conservation projects he is involved with, as well as his April 11 visit to the Zoo. He is also the recipient of the 2013 Cincinnati Zoo Wildlife Conservation Award.
Alexandra Horowitz, author of the New York Times bestseller Inside of a Dog, has recently published a fascinating look at the world around us with the help of additional sets of eyes. On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes recounts 11 walks, mostly through her New York neighborhood, accompanied by a different expert: geologist, urban sociologist, sound designer, child, and others. She details what they see and what they hear, and how that’s different than what she sees and hears. She’s on the phone with Thane Maynard to talk about this fascinating experiment and ultimately what she learns from it. She also mentions a study of human-dog play that is accepting videos through Sunday night.
The first guest speaker for the Cincinnati Zoo’s Barrows Conservation Lecture Series is Dr. Colleen Begg, founder of the Niassa Lion Project in Mozambique. She and her husband are working diligently to protect lions from the hazards of hunters and loss of habitat. Dr. Begg is on the phone from Mozambique to talk with Thane Maynard about her efforts in advance of her appearance at the Zoo on Wednesday, March 27.
Jackson Landers, a hunter, writer and adventurer, recently spent a year and a half tracking down and eating invasive species from around the world. He’s written a book about what he ate and where called Eating Aliens and he talks about the reasons behind this adventure with Thane Maynard.
