Christian Dienemann has worked as an educator at Tiergarten Nürnberg (Nuremberg Zoo) for over a decade. Covering 170 acres, it is one of the largest European zoos and is visited by over a million people each year.
Before joining Tiergarten Nürnberg, Dienemann also spent a decade educating and inspiring visitors at Cologne Zoo. He has guided thousands of visitors during his last ten years at Tiergarten Nürnberg.
“Christian easily connects with the young and the old with his positive and friendly manner,” said one nominator. “Also, often in a joky mode, he never fails to explain the challenges in nature conservation. He manages to make complicated issues understandable, even to small children.
Since 2020, Dienemann has also been the chair of the Association of German-speaking Zoo Educators (Verband deutschsprachiger Zoopädagogen, or VZP) and is engaged in the EAZA Conservation Education Committee. VZP, founded in 1995 in Berlin, brings together colleagues from German-speaking zoos and represents their common interests.
VZP campaigns for implementing zoo education departments in all zoos in cooperation with the VdZ (Association of Zoological Gardens). To ensure educational work at the zoo as a place of learning, the association is committed to anchoring zoo education in guidelines, curricula and training regulations.
Tiergarten Nürnberg has been home to a zoo education centre since 1986. The centre aims to promote the zoo as an outside-the-classroom experience and fulfil its educational objectives. Thanks to Dienemann and his colleagues, students of all ages can use the zoo as a “green classroom.”
“Christian Dienemann can bring together various types of people and have a great discussion – always having the visitors in mind and how we can all help give them a great day at the zoo and make them enthusiastic about animals, nature and conservation,” is what one nominator had to say about his influence.