zoOceanarium Group, a specialist in the new generation of aquarium and zoological facilities, has detailed its award-winning training program.
Implemented at The Green Planet in Dubai in 2016, the comprehensive program won zoOceanarium Group an IAAPA Brass Ring Award for Best Innovation in a Training Program. The program has since been adapted and implemented at various other institutions that the company operates including two aquariums in the US.
The Green Planet was the Middle East’s first bio-dome, recreating the captivating environment of a tropical rainforest with its rich biodiversity of more than 3,000 plants and animals. The bio-dome is home to a diverse mix of unique plants and animals.
From the leaf cutter ants that required a very narrow range of temperatures to farm their own food to sloths that required a very specific humidity to the cacao tree that required very specific soil chemistry, every species of plants and animals had very individualized and specialized requirements for staying healthy.
In addition to the obvious challenges related to recreating a tropical rainforest in one of the hottest deserts in the world, zoOceanarium Group also faced other not-so-obvious challenges. UAE, with a relatively young tourism sector, had limited opportunities for professional growth within the animal field.
As a result, hiring from within UAE experienced animal care experts and guest experience team members with any kind of animal background wasn’t really an option. The company had to develop a unique plan for recruiting staff to fill the various roles.
That plan resulted in the company having one of the most diverse workforces imaginable; with over 15 different nationalities on one team. Just to name a few; America, Pakistan, Nepal, Indonesia, South Africa, and India, all were represented along with many more countries.
With such a diverse staff, different nationalities, different ethnicities and most importantly, different native languages, zoOceanarium Group needed to ensure its training course content catered to differing learning styles and educational backgrounds, while also being approachable to non-native English speakers.
Making a difference
A six-week intensive program, The Rainforest Explorers Course, provided interactive opportunities for attendees to explore topics including an Introduction to the Rainforest, Conservation, Animal Biology Basics, the Plant & Animal Ecosystem, Plant Identification and Animal Identification.
On completing the training course, team members take a test and are required to achieve a score of at least 80% to graduate as an Adventurer.
“As team members became more confident with the animals and plants within the facility, The Rainforest Explorers Course continued to build on their learning through ongoing monthly sessions which were often conducted directly by our core animal care team,” says Erin Clark, director of animal projects.
“It was amazing to see how people with no previous animal or plant experience weren’t afraid to hold a snake, carefully manage the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach, or share stories about the Leaf Cutter Ants.”
“They made a difference every day to thousands of guests through inspiration and education about our planet and how we can make it a better tomorrow. With this skill, team members would move from being Adventurers to Explorers.”
Team members were further trained to professionally host guided tours and events, including nights at the rainforest, which provides children with an opportunity to camp in nature-inspired environments. These courses further moved team members from Explorer to Ranger status.
Across the Atlantic
The zoOceanarium Training Program has since been adjusted and implemented in other zoOceanarium Group-managed projects including St. Louis Aquarium in 2019 and Children’s Aquarium Dallas in 2021.
Designed to be an interpretive program with imagination, education, conservation and experiential learning at its core, the new-look program includes an introduction to oceans and rivers, animal biology basics, animal identification (saltwater to freshwater), conservation and ecosystems.
“With Conservation, Education and Imagination being the core of our training programs, we have had numerous team members with very little to no educational background, knowledge or experience with animals develop the skills to confidently introduce our guests to those within the institutions. Some have even gone on to sign up for a college degree in animal biology,” continues zoOceanarium Group.
“The program has opened doors of opportunities for team members to make careers for themselves in the aquariums, zoos and science centres from various industries and backgrounds.”
zoOceanarium Group has used their experience operating some world-class attractions to continue refining their award-winning training program so it now includes all areas of operations, from ticketing to marketing, to the photo department and anything else that would be involved with operating an aquarium, zoo, or educational science centre. They’ll be putting this training program to the test again as they open several new and exciting projects over the next couple of years.
Earlier this year in another blooloop article, zoOceanarium Group’s Tami Brown, discussed why it is important for team members to be engaged with the mission of attractions.
