Home >> IZE Resources >> 20th International Zoo and Aquarium Educators' (IZE) Conference

20th International Zoo and Aquarium Educators' Conference

Hosted by Disney's Animal Kingdom

The 20th IZE Conference will be hosted by Disney's Animal Kingdom and held at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA. The theme for the conference will be "Connecting Children to Nature." The conference will feature great exchanges with zoo educators from around the world, paper presentations, open-space sessions and more! Participants will also visit Busch Gardens, as one day of the conference will be hosted there. The welcome event will be the evening of Tuesday, September 28 and the closing dinner will be the evening of Saturday, October 2.

A daily tentative schedule has been planned, and is subject to change. As planning continues, the schedule will be updated.

Welcome Video

To learn more about Disney's Animal Kingdom, view the video from the 2008 conference in QuickTime format (.mov) or Windows Media Player format (.wmv)  The video may take a few minutes to load.

Conference Registration

Conference registration has closed.

Hotel and Airport Transportation Registration

All conference participants are encouraged to stay at the host hotel, Disney's Coronado Springs Resort. To place your hotel reservation, click here.

Be sure to register for Disney's Magical Express, which provides complimentary shuttle service from Orlando International Airport to Disney's Coronado Springs Resort. Register here.

Conference Presenters

The Conference theme will be “Connecting Children to Nature,” and all presentations should be on topics relating to the theme or that are relevant to conference participants in topics such as zoo/aquarium programs, in-situ education work, and evaluations. To learn more about presenting your topic, read our Instructions for Abstracts and Instructions to Presenters.

Please note the deadline to submit abstracts has passed.

Sponsored Delegate Information

After an intensive selection process, the final recipients for the IZE Grants have been chosen for the upcoming 2010 IZE conference.  These educators should feel very proud to have been chosen from a field of 26 well-qualified applicants.  We are looking forward to meeting them and hearing about their conservation education contributions at the 2010 Conference.  Congratulations to all!

1. Aidan Jullian Asekenye – Jane Goodall Institute, Uganda, Africa
2. Payal Molur Bhojwani – Go Wild Workshops, India
3. Diana Casalins – Baranquilla Zoo, Colombia, South America
4. Pierrot Kakule Mbonzo -  Lola Ya Bonobo Sanctuary, DRC, Africa
5. Joseph Karama – Dian Fossey Gorilla Foundation, Rwanda, Africa
6. Xu Ping – Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Sichuan, China
7. Mamatha Sathyanarayana - De Paul Residential School and College, Mysore, India
8. Norma Villarrubia – Puerto Rico Zoo, Puerto Rico
9. YiMei Wang - Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Sichuan, China
10. Meena Nareshwar – Centre for Environment Education, Ahmedabad, India

Silent Auction

IZE will be hosting a silent auction to raise funds for the IZE Grants program. Please consider donating an item and be sure to note this on the conference registration.

Conference Schedule

A tentative schedule has been planned, and is subject to change. As planning continues, the schedule will be updated.

Keynote Speakers

The IZE Conference will feature two keynote speakers, Larry Selzer, President and CEO of The Conservation Fund, and Dr. Beth Stevens, Senior Vice President of Environmental Affairs for The Walt Disney Company.

Larry Selzer, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Conservation Fund

Larry Selzer is president and CEO of The Conservation Fund, a top-ranked environmental nonprofit based in Washington, DC. The Conservation Fund is dedicated to protecting America’s land and water legacy. Working in communities nationwide, the Fund acquires land, finances conservation and trains leaders. Since 1985, the Fund and its partners have protected more than 6.4 million acres of wildlife habitat, working landscapes, community greenspace and historic sites.

Since 2001, when Selzer took the helm of The Conservation Fund, the organization’s impact has grown significantly. Pursuing a vision of wild havens, working lands and vibrant communities, Selzer and his staff forge partnerships with community, corporate and government leaders.

Selzer rose through the ranks of the Fund’s sustainable programs. His interest in conservation traces back to his early career, when he conducted ocean research in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Today, The Conservation Fund continues expanding its tools to achieve sustainable conservation, so that communities prosper both environmentally and economically. The Fund’s newer market ventures include mitigation banking and business investment. Small and savvy by design, the Fund directs 97% of spending to programs and just 1% to fundraising—generating top rankings from the American Institute of Philanthropy and Charity Navigator.

Recognizing an urgent need to reconnect children with nature, the Fund in 2007 forged a new alliance: the National Forum on Children and Nature. The Forum includes 50 of the nation’s most influential leaders, including governors, mayors, CEOs and public leaders. Together, these leaders support projects nationwide that reintroduce kids to the great outdoors, using education, media, the built environment and health.

Selzer serves on the boards of the American Bird Conservancy, The Outdoor Foundation, Sustainable Forestry Initiative and Wildlife Habitat Council.

Dr. Beth Stevens, Senior Vice President of Environmental Affairs for The Walt Disney Company

Dr. Stevens is senior vice president of Environmental Affairs for The Walt Disney Company. Beth leads the environmental efforts for the company and is responsible for developing and facilitating the company’s strategy, policy, and goals. Additionally, under her leadership, Disney has become a driving force for inspiring environmental stewardship in kids. Two recently launched programs include Disney Friends for Change: Project Green, a cross-media environmental movement for kids and Disney’s Planet Challenge (DPC), a national in-school environmental learning competition for 4th – 6th graders.

Beth joined Disney to help open Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. Her first role was as Conservation and Science Director, and then General Manager for Disney’s Animal Programs. In August of 2001, Beth was promoted to Vice President of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park and Disney’s Animal Programs division.

Beth received her bachelor’s degree in Zoology at Duke University and went on to study behavioral physiology as a German Academic Exchange student at the University of Tuebingen, West Germany. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Biology.

Beth served as President and Chair of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in 2006, past president 2007. She currently serves on the board of the International Rhino Foundation, as well as on the board for Trinity Preparatory School, Winter Park, FL.

Beth and her family live in Winter Garden, Florida. Her husband, Ted, is a research ecologist. They have two teenage sons, Brad and Alex.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns or special needs, please email
the IZE Conference Planning Committee at wdw.ize@disney.com.