Mark Penning is vice president of animals, science and environment at Disney Experiences, the theme parks division of the Walt Disney Company. Penning began his career as a veterinarian specialising in birds and reptiles. His experience includes developing bird and reptile parks, and leading research organisations that have contributed to oceanographic data and the preservation of the marine environment.
A recent example of his team’s work is Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, where he has ensured that “everybody involved is thinking about nature, wildlife, and habitats and making sure our impact is, to the greatest extent possible, a positive one”. Disney Cruise Line has aimed to minimise the environmental impact of the design and construction of Disney Lookout Cay, in line with its commitment to preserving the Bahamas’ natural beauty. The cruise line has developed and will operate the island destination sustainably in accordance with the Walt Disney Company’s 2030 environmental goals.
“One of our key decision points was bringing on board Bahamian scientists,” MArk Penning told blooloop. “They understood the landscape, the habitats and the animals, as well as people’s attitudes and how people think about that nature. We gained remarkable insights from them.”
Various long-term conservation initiatives are being delivered at Disney Lookout Cay. These include the first-ever tagging and tracking data project for land crabs in the Bahamas. Disney has also developed a new coral rehabilitation programme in partnership with the Perry Institute’s Reef Rescue Network Program. This is in addition to its ongoing coral monitoring programme, which works to mitigate the widespread effects of stony coral tissue loss disease.
“That’s one of those global issues. It’s so much bigger than Disney or the Bahamas. Stony coral tissue loss disease is caused by a combination of things. Possibly the warming of the oceans and persistent changes in temperature, but also agrochemicals and a lot of factors that are causing these corals to die off,” he told blooloop.