Germany: Annual Meeting of the MV Federal State Zoo Association - Focus on Sustainability
Eisbärennachwuchs Kaja und Skadi im Zoo Rostock
© Joachim Kloock
The annual meeting of the Zoo Association of Germany’s federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV) is taking place today at Rostock Zoo. Founded in 2001, the “Landeszooverband MV“, which counts twenty institutions as its members, represents the interests of zoos and aquariums in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Participants in today‘s meeting include representatives of the Ministries of Climate Protection, Energy and Education, the State Office for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Geology MV, as well as environmental and zoo educators from MV and incumbent mayor of Rostock, Dr. Chris von Wrycz Rekowski.
“For three years, we have been in a permanent crisis mode, which threatens the existence of smaller facilities in particular,“ says association chairman and managing director of Zoo Schwerin, Dr. Tim Schikora. Nevertheless, he says, it is especially important now to keep an eye on the future and commit to climate protection. “We have to work in a more energy- and resource-saving way, in a more future-oriented way overall,“ Schikora comments. Also the head of department for climate protection, nature conservation and forests in the Ministry of the Environment MV, Jörn Mothes, emphasizes on the importance of the role of zoos as ambassadors for climate protection,“ Zoos can illustrate in a visual and comprehensible way what climate change is doing to the habitats of animals, how drought and water shortage affect them, for example. They encounter a curious, open-minded audience among their guests. This is a great opportunity to vividly put together and present topics on the basis of scientific facts.“ Quite explicitly, Mothes emphasizes, “We are facing the challenge of getting by without polluting emissions from 2040 on: You, me, all of us.“
The zoos will support MV in achieving this goal by, for example, using alternative energy sources, avoiding waste, reusing rainwater and supporting regional supply cycles. In this way, they also aim at setting a positive example for their visitors and thus act as ambassadors. In addition to climate protection, other topics at the annual meeting include: trade of protected species, the development of domestic and farm animal breeds, and the work of the In Natura nature school in Wismar. (eap)
