When most Calgarians think of the city’s museums, it’s unlikely that the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo comes to mind when compared to institutions like the Glenbow, National Music Centre, or The Military Museums.
But this February the organization obtained the highest level of accreditation offered by the Alberta Museums Association (AMA) as a Recognized Museum Program (RMP), after a little over two years of work.
The accreditation reflects the zoo’s efforts to follow best museum practices and to meet and exceed the AMA’s museum criteria.
“It’s quite a comprehensive application where they look through everything from our organizational vision and mission or financial planning, you know, the role of our board, so everything from a whole organizational level, as well as looking into the specifics on our collections,” said Laura Glick, Manager for Conservation Education at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo.
“So they’re looking at everything from how we manage that inventory, how we track the documentation related to those individual items, and do we have preservation and emergency plan in terms of needing to move that collection or preserve it. They look at examples of the research that our organization is involved with, how we create signage, and the different messages we’re using in our exhibits and different planning that we put into exhibits.”
Overall, Glick said that the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo has more than 4,000 different biological artifacts—also known as biofacts—that serve as teaching tools for day visitors or those in registered programs like school groups.
Process a pair of years in the making
She said that the zoo had obtained a conditional rating last year, and had worked towards completing the full accreditation for this year. As an organization, the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is also an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Glick said that the road to accreditation was a learning experience for the zoo, and will likely represent a mind-shift for visitors who learn about the accreditation.
“People sometimes get thrown off by the word museum, and it’s even been a learning journey for myself to really change the mindset of what does a museum meet? What does that look like?” Glick said.
“I think people will definitely think of the zoo for education and enjoyment, but knowing exactly how much work goes into that collection management—and just like on our animal care side of things—we want to meet and exceed those best standards and those industry best practices.”
She said that the work to become accredited has also connected zoo staff to the wider museum world and new ways of presenting and educating the public.
“It connects us with a network of like-minded individuals, both at the provincial level and then by proxy through the national level of people that are figuring out different ways to use science, communication, conservation education,” said Glick.
“Not only to engage and undertake that research, but then to share that with the general public, share that through programming, and share that through different resources, such as the biofacts.”
