AZFA Annual Conference Wrap Up

I want to start by thanking Cincinnati Zoo and Botanic Gardens for being such wonderful hosts and coordinating an incredible conference. Each conference is unique and I feel like every year it gets better and better. 

Thank you to the conference planning committee and everyone who helped, even in the smallest ways it made a difference! 

Our most active attendees on the conference app were Trey from Audubon Aquarium, Sam from Cincinnati Zoo, and Michael from Oregon Zoo! I hope everyone made a few connections and had an opportunity to exchange information. The app will be accessible for 90 days. If you need to find a contact after that you can check our website, under Resources, we have a member directory. Or you can reach out to me via email at Nikki.Dzialowy@NWTrek.org and I am happy to help connect you. 

I want to share some data from the conference. The Whova app is a critical part of our conference and it's wonderful to see the engagement go up each year. 

2027 Annual Conference

We have already begun planning the 2027 conference.  This will be a joint conference with AZH, The Association of Zoological Horticulture. We're expecting to try some new things and looking forward to networking with some new faces! Keep following the Outlet and our upcoming virtual meetings for more information. 

If you're interested in sponsoring the conference, Exhibitor and Sponsor registration is already live. Booth choices are first come, first served. Get in quick if you want the best spot in the showroom! 

Building Safer Spaces:

How Local Students Helped Improve Zoo Keeper Safety at Utah’s Hogle Zoo

By Tara Reynolds | Career and Technical Education Program Manager | Utah’s Hogle Zoo

When it comes to maintaining aging zoo facilities, finding solutions that improve safety while working within existing infrastructure can be a challenge. At Utah’s Hogle Zoo, an innovative partnership between zoo staff and local high school students demonstrated how Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs can provide practical solutions to real operational needs.

Like many zoological facilities, Utah’s Hogle Zoo operates a combination of newer exhibits and older infrastructure that must continually be evaluated and adapted to meet evolving operational and safety needs. Within the zoo’s Asian Highlands large cat facilities, staff identified an opportunity to improve keeper safety by modifying existing infrastructure to accommodate a two-lock, two-key safety system. This system provides an additional layer of protection by requiring two separate locks and keys as part of the process for securing animal spaces and managing access.

However, the existing exhibit infrastructure was not originally designed to accommodate this type of safety system. Rather than pursuing extensive modifications to the facility, the zoo team developed a concept for custom metal bars that could be integrated into the existing structure, making the two-lock, two-key system possible. The design featured ½ inch bars made out of cold-rolled steel that

followed a precisely measured series of bends, offsets and an upper loop to accommodate the existing structures. Since the building had been expanded upon multiple times over the years, three different size variations were needed. (Graphic 1. Design by Dan Smith)

Utah’s Hogle Zoo's CTE Partnership Program connects local high school classrooms with meaningful projects that support zoo operations, animal care, conservation, and education. Rather than creating hypothetical classroom assignments, the program identifies real needs throughout the zoo and works with educators to transform them into hands-on learning opportunities, making the program a natural fit for this project.

Having identified a solution, the next challenge was finding a way to fabricate these specialized components.

The zoo’s education team reached out to Roy High School, a local high school with a metalworking CTE program, to explore whether the custom safety bars could be manufactured by students as part of their coursework. The school enthusiastically agreed and a partnership began.

The collaboration followed a process similar to a professional fabrication project. Using the zoo team's initial design and specifications, students began by manufacturing a demonstration piece. This prototype allowed zoo staff to evaluate the proposed design against the existing infrastructure and determine whether adjustments were necessary before moving into full production. After reviewing the demonstration piece, zoo staff provided feedback and requested modifications to better meet the facility's operational needs. Students then incorporated that feedback into their work, refining the design before manufacturing the final metal bars.

This back-and-forth process was an important component of the partnership. Students experienced firsthand that successful fabrication involves more than producing a piece to match a drawing. It requires communication, problem-solving, attention to specifications, and the ability to adapt a design based on feedback from the end user.

After producing 55 custom bars across the three size variations, the school had provided the zoo with the physical infrastructure needed to successfully implement the two-lock, two-key system within the entire Asian Highlands facility. For the zoo, the finished project provided a targeted infrastructure improvement that supported keeper safety without requiring a complete redesign of the older exhibit, at a fraction of the cost it would’ve been to manufacture the bars through a traditional fabrication business.

For the students, the project provided valuable experience in technical fabrication, prototype development, quality improvement, and working with a professional client. Perhaps most importantly, it demonstrated how the skills they are learning in school can apply to a future career.

Zoo maintenance and facilities teams are frequently tasked with finding creative ways to maintain and improve infrastructure while balancing budgets, staffing, and the unique requirements of animal facilities. Partnerships with local CTE programs offer another resource worth exploring. High school programs specializing in welding, metalworking, woodworking, construction, engineering, and other technical trades often have access to equipment, instructors, and students eager to apply their skills to meaningful projects.

At Utah’s Hogle Zoo, the Asian Highlands safety bar project represents one example of how these partnerships can extend beyond traditional education programming and contribute directly to zoo operations. By connecting real operational needs with technical education, zoos can help develop the next generation of skilled trades professionals while finding innovative ways to improve the facilities we maintain today.

Alex Hunter, Director of Life Support Systems, Aquarium at the Boardwalk

Brandon Baker, Director of Sales, Ryan Herco Flow Solutions

Brendan Kenavey, Director of Facilities, Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium

Bryce Korf, Seasonal Exhibits Manager, Topeka Zoo & Conservation Center

Chacee Whittington, Regional Sales Manager, Tusk Industrial - Fybroc, Dean, Sethco

Clayton Lance, Field Operations Manager, Complete Meter Service

Daniel Wrobleski, Director of Business Development, MDM Inc.

Dawson DeShazo, Facilities Director, Topeka Zoo & Conservation Center

Donivan Harkness, Grounds Manager, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

Ian Davis, Field Marketing Manager, FMX

Jeff Loughrey, National Account Manager - Government, The Home Depot

Jeremy Farmwald, Maintenance Supervisor, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

Jerry Howes, Owner's Rep PM, Howes & Company