Championing Conservation

LIFE UPDATE: MEET THE CURATOR

It’s hard to miss the activity going on at the Science Center behind the construction walls as NatureWorks evolves into Life, but what you may not know is that we are also preparing to expand our staff and animal collection! Opening an exhibit of this magnitude takes some highly specialized animal care experience. That’s why OSC has recently hired a new position to oversee the growing Life team! Meet Shannon Zimmerman, Curator of Conservation and Welfare.

Shannon joins the OSC team with over 22 years of experience in the zoological field. As Curator, her job is to provide leadership and direction for the animal welfare program and conservation efforts at the Science Center. She is also responsible for managing a team of professionals dedicated to ensuring the health of the collection, exhibit habitats, and species diversity. “Our team is dedicated to ensuring our animals receive the highest standards of care.” said Shannon. “We continually evaluate the care we provide for the physical, nutritional, and medical needs of our animals. But it’s even more rewarding to watch them interact with the different enrichment that we supply to stimulate them mentally, socially, and emotionally, too.”

In addition to the daily animal care, Shannon also works to develop partnerships with organizations that support and advance the museum’s mission and vision for conservation. “Our animal ambassadors inspire our guests to participate in conservation efforts - not only here at OSC, but beyond our walls, too. Knowing we can make a positive impact on wild places makes this the best job in the world!” To learn more, visit osc.org/life.

SCIENCE MATTERS

Climate change. Those two words can be divisive, but from a scientific perspective, it’s impossible to ignore the effects that humans are having on our planet. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will release their newest synthesized report in early 2023; their last report declared humans’ impact on the planet to be undeniable. anticipated opening of Life at the end of this year, makes now a perfect time for the Science Center to delve further into the issues of conservation, sustainability, and global warming. Just like our previous Science Matters campaigns, Vaccines Save Lives and Mythbusting Misinformation, this campaign will focus on education and science literacy.

We hope to help our community here in Central Florida and beyond to understand the scientific principles behind issues of conservation and sustainability, and we’re excited to provide trusted resources and hands-on activities to help us learn together! This year, much of both our daily and special programming will touch on this issue in some way, shape, or form. Our impact may be undeniable, but so is our tenacity and persistence. Let’s make a difference in our community together! To learn more, visit osc.org/science-matters.