Laurie leaves ISIS

Laurie leaves ISIS

I was sad to learn that Laurie Bingaman Lackey will be parting company with ISIS. Anyone, anywhere in the zoos around the world which is party to the International Species Inventory System will be familiar with Laurie. Her tireless work keeping our records in order, answering correspondence has been greatly appreciated by me. Many will also be familiar with her from the training programmes she has run. I know that all will join with me in wishing her well for the future.

The ISIS global conservation effort takes a dramatic step forward

The ISIS global conservation effort takes a dramatic step forward

Prominent zoos and aquariums worldwide lead efforts

to preserve wildlife through cooperation

Eagan, Minnesota (April 2, 2012) – Today, 88 zoos and aquariums in 19 countries are live on the latest version of the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS) application. This web-based, global database gives these institutions – and eventually almost 800 more ISIS members – access to basic biologic, collection management, husbandry, and health and disease information on wild animals in human care. This comprehensive knowledgebase, built over the last 40 years, will be used to enhance local care and international conservation efforts.

ISIS – the International Species Information System – is a technology-based, conservation-focused organization that leverages available technology to help zoological organizations achieve sustainability and preservation goals. Today, 830 institutions in 83 countries are a part of ISIS. And the network is constantly growing.

“ISIS is one of the few non-profits in the world that develops software. We have chosen to do it for one simple reason: it’s the best tool we could create to help our members preserve endangered and threatened animal species worldwide,” said Roger Stonecipher, ISIS CEO. “For almost 40 years, ISIS systems have evolved through the direct input of our members.”

“ISIS represents an unprecedented effort to unite the global wildlife conservation community,” said David Field, Zoological Director of the Zoological Society of London and ISIS Board Chair. “Brought together by common goals and needs, many ISIS members are among the world’s leaders in protecting and nurturing animals in human care, and in our natural environment.”

Zoos and aquariums have become leaders in the effort to breed endangered animals, and to educate an estimated 700 million visitors each year about the magnificent and fragile interrelationships between humans, wildlife and environments. Through zoos and aquariums, some species have already been rescued from extinction, including the European bison (Bison bonasus), Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) and Przewalski's wild horse (Equus przewalski).

Many zoological organizations join ISIS so that they can observe best practices and data standards for their animal information. As part of a global consortium, the following organizations are forging a new path in collaborating and sharing information on more than 2.6 million animals – many endangered or threatened species.

The ZIMS application is not the first software created for this purpose. Since 1974, ISIS has created various software packages. ISIS software has long been recognized as the world-standard best practice for zoological record-keeping by international regulatory bodies like CITES. The latest ZIMS application is an evolution of previous ISIS software; it is comprehensive, integrated, real-time and created specifically for our members’ uses.

These institutions will begin using the ZIMS 2012 application on April 2:

Australia

Alice Springs Desert Park

Pet Porpoise Pool



Brazil

Fundacao Parque Zoologico de Sao Paulo



Canada

Assiniboine Park Zoo

Calgary Zoo, Botanical Gardens & Prehistoric Park

Greater Vancouver Zoo

Parc Aquarium du Quebec



Croatia

Zoo Osijek



Denmark

Danmarks Akvarium

Givskud Zoo

Guldborgsund Zoo

Kattegatcentret

Odense Zoologiske Have

Terrarium Vissenbjerg



England

Bristol, Clifton and West of England Zoological Society

Cotswold Wildlife Park

Twycross Zoo

Wildlife Heritage Foundation



France

Natur'Zoo de Mervent

Parc Animalier des Pyrenees

Zoo la Boissière du Doré

Zoo Parc de Beauval

ZooPark de Cheptainville





Germany

Tiergarten Bernburg

Zoologischer Garten Leipzig



Ireland

Zoological Society of Ireland-Dublin



Italy

Parco Faunistico Le Cornelle S.R.L.

Parco Zoo Di Falconara

Parco Zoo Punta Verde



New Zealand

Wellington Zoo Trust



Norway

Kristiansand Dyrepark ASA

Stiftelsen Atlanterhavsparken



Portugal

Monte Selvagen - Reserva Animal

Oceanario de Lisboa

ZooMarine Mundo Aquatico
Scotland

Blairdrummond Safari Park

Edinburgh Zoo

Highland Wildlife Park



South Africa

Bloemfontein Zoological Gardens

Lory Park Zoo and Owl Sanctuary



Spain

Centro De Interpretaciton De Avifauna

MundoMar



Sweden

Skanes Djurpark



Switzerland

Zoo Zürich



United States of America

Albuquerque Biological Park

Aquarium of Niagara Falls

Bergen County Zoological Park

Binder Park Zoo

Bramble Park Zoo

BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo

Brights Zoo

Cameron Park Zoo

Charles Paddock Zoo

Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

Fort Wayne Children's Zoological Gardens

Great Plains Zoo

Hutchinson Zoo

International Animal Exchange, Inc.

John Ball Zoological Garden

Lee Richardson Zoo


Lemur Conservation Foundation's Myakka City Lemur Reserve


Lincoln Childrens’ Zoo

Lion Country Safari Inc

Mesker Park Zoo

Monterey Bay Aquarium

North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores

Oglebay's Good Children's Zoo

Oregon Coast Aquarium
Peoria Zoo

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden

Roosevelt Park Zoo

Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park

Ross Park Zoo

Sacramento Zoo

Salisbury Zoological Park

Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens

Santa Fe Teaching Zoo

St. Augustine Alligator Farm

Tautphaus Park Zoo

Tennessee Aquarium

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens

The Living Seas

Topeka Zoological Park

Utah's Hogle Zoo

Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center

Western North Carolina Nature Center

Zoo Boise

***

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ISIS Users' Conference - Join the migration

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/farflungphotos/2531438211/

ISIS Users' Conference - Join the migration 

ISIS Users' Conference

11 - 12 September

Atlanta, Georgia

ISIS will bring zoo, aquarium and other wildlife conservation advocates from around the world together for a two-day wildlife records-keeping event

Beginning this year, ISIS will hold annual ISIS Users’ Conferences. This year, the event will be September 11-12 in Atlanta, Georgia USA, just prior to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Annual Conference in the same location.

“We are getting very excited about this event,” said ISIS Conference Organizer Michele Peters. “This is the first time we will bring this many of our members from around the world together face-to-face! We already have participants from more than 10 countries signed up -- and we are working on some really fun experiences for our participants.”

ISIS – an organization of more than 800 members from more than 80countries – hosts an international knowledgebase of information used by its members to care for animals in human care. ISIS offers its members software, access to information and online networking tools to assist its members in using best practices in the care of their animal populations and to further conservation goals.

This year, Dr. Jeffrey Bonner, AZA Board of Directors Chair and Dana Brown President and CEO of the Saint Louis Zoo, will headline the event. The main focus of the event will be to offer ISIS members training on ISIS software and basic records keeping. In addition, ISIS is excited to preview upcoming developments in ISIS products and services –and to interact with our member base to get their feedback and ideas on the direction for ISIS products.

“Conference attendees will be the first to see the new developments we have planned for ZIMS* and other networking tools,” said Ms. Peters. “We will also hold feedback sessions to allow our members to provide input into decisions about our products and services going forward. We have always focused on community development, but this is the first time a group of this size will come face-to-face to discuss the future direction of ISIS to support our member’s needs.”

To support the event, AZA is offering ISIS Users’ Conference attendees a 20% discount on AZA annual conference registration. (See more…)

Early bird registration ends July 11 ($100 savings). For more information on logistics, agendas and to register, go to: www.isis.org/Pages/UsersConference2011.aspx

***

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Monumental Change in Professional Animal Care and Management

ISIS hopes to revolutionize worldwide animal conservation efforts with the introduction of a Web-based animal knowledge management tool

Global effort begins at leading zoological institutions

EAGAN, Minnesota USA (April 5, 2010) -- Today, ISIS introduces the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS) application; the first online, global animal management tool. The initial visible use of the ZIMS application will be the engine that feeds much of the information behind a new Web site at http://www.isis.org/


The ZIMS application has been in the making for years. The zoological community began discussing the need for a real-time pooled animal knowledgebase 10 years ago. After years of dedication and untold hours, the ISIS community has delivered the ZIMS application – the first real-time database of animal knowledge.

"I am extremely proud of our team, and our community," said Roger Stonecipher, ISIS CEO. "All of the individuals who had a part in making this system a reality deserve to celebrate today. We are on our way to truly making a difference in conservation of animal species."

Zoos, aquariums and other conservation organizations worldwide will use the ZIMS application to track pertinent information needed by their animal-care staff, including collection management, husbandry, and health and disease history. This effort begins today at 18 leading zoos and aquariums, which ISIS chose to be forerunners in using this system. These early adopters are:

Adelaide/Monarto Zoo (Australia)

Auckland Zoological Park (New Zealand)
Bristol, Clifton, & West of England Zoological Society (United Kingdom)
Bronx Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Society (United States)
Calgary Zoo, Garden & Prehistoric Park (Canada)
Copenhagen Zoo (Denmark)
Disney/The Living Seas (United States)
Givskud Zoo (Denmark)
Monterey Bay Aquarium (United States)
Riverbanks Zoo (United States)
Seattle Aquarium (United States)
Sedgwick County Zoo (United States)
Smithsonian National Zoological Park (United States)
South Carolina Aquarium (United States)
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens (United States)
Woodland Park Zoological Gardens (United States)
Zoological Society of San Diego (United States)
Zoologischer Garten Leipzig (Germany)

These early adopters were selected from more than 800 ISIS member organizations based on a variety of factors, including support for the conception of a worldwide knowledge-sharing database, the observation of excellent data standards and best practices for animal management within their organizations, and strong leadership support.


These institutions have had an influential role in the ZIMS design and functionality, and a leadership role in the ISIS community. Beginning today, these institutions will start actively integrating the ZIMS model across their institutions, and providing feedback to ISIS for continual development of the software.

The ZIMS application will feed the ISIS central database, which currently includes information on more than 2 million animals – more than 10,000 species. ISIS members contribute information on their animal collections to this repository, and benefit from this pooled knowledgebase. As the more than 800 institutions that belong to ISIS begin to expand their use of electronic records through the ZIMS application, this knowledgebase will greatly expand.

This collective knowledge will lead to enhanced animal conservation efforts worldwide. Many of the animals represented in the ISIS database are symbols for their species. Today, less than four percent of the Earth’s land surface is protected from development. Natural wildlife habitats are quickly disappearing or becoming untenable. Having basic biologic and health data on these species will benefit conservation efforts worldwide.

About ISIS


ISIS is a membership organization that develops technical solutions to facilitate international collaboration in the collection and sharing of knowledge on animals and their environments for zoos, aquariums and related conservation organizations. ISIS encourages cooperative development of software to meet members’ needs at a reasonable cost. For more information, see http://www.isis.org/