Chester Zoo’s experts honoured at prestigious industry awards
Chester Zoo’s keepers, scientists, educators, and scholars have received well-deserved recognition at this year’s BIAZA (British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquaria) awards.
The zoo’s commitment to conservation, innovation, and education was celebrated as several projects and initiatives took home accolades.
The Zoo Sphere of Influence, a groundbreaking model developed by Chester Zoo researchers, won the BIAZA Research Award. This innovative tool helps measure how zoos contribute to society and shape future conservation efforts.
Dr. Sarah Spooner, a former Chester Zoo Conservation Fellow who worked alongside the zoo’s scientists on the project, said: “We were delighted to win the BIAZA Research Award for our project the ‘Zoo Sphere of Influence’, a novel self-assessment tool which enables zoos and aquariums globally to highlight their impact and plan their future efforts around societal and conservation objectives.”
In addition to the research award, several of the zoo's initiatives were commended as runners-up. These included the Malagasy Stock-proof Hedges Project, aimed at protecting rare littoral forests, and a project investigating the use of eco-friendly heat pumps to maintain optimal temperatures for rhinos and other species. The annual School Takeover Day, the design of the snow leopard habitats, and Chester Zoo’s apprenticeship programme also received recognition.
We are really proud of our Apprenticeship programme at the zoo. We started in 2022, and it has gone from strength to strength. The aim was to widen different pathways into the zoo sector and have apprentices trained by our specialists here at Chester Zoo. We look forward to more cohorts joining us in the future.
Liz Webb, Conservation Training Academy Manager
The annual event is one of our favourite days of the year, it’s amazing to hear from such inspiring young people, passionate about biodiversity and sustainability issues.
Sean Dick, Senior Conservation Education Manager
I’m incredibly grateful to have been recognised as the runner-up for the Rising Star award! It’s really uplifting to know that my work is appreciated by my colleagues here at Chester and across the wider BIAZA community.
Dr. Rebecca Lewis, Conservation Scientist in Population Biology
Scholars and researchers also made waves at the BIAZA conference. Gethin Hughes, currently on voluntary placement in the zoo’s Behaviour and Welfare team, received an award for his work studying the sleeping patterns of Asian elephants during out-of-hours zoo events. Grace Wisden was commended for her research into how acacia and Neumann rats interact within mixed-species exhibits.
Kelly Hitchcock, a conservation scholar at Chester Zoo, won Best Poster for her research on public engagement in animal-friendly gardening practices following a citizen science hedgehog count. Olivia Murrell received a commendation for her work on Nepenthes, a species of carnivorous plant.
Keeper Zoë Sweetman, Team Manager for Parrots and Penguins, also earned recognition for her talk on the unique call made by female cassowaries, flightless birds native to Australasia.
