Zoo Biology 28:357–360 (2009) EDITORIAL Why Focus on Zoo and Aquarium Education? Jackie Ogden 1Ã and Joe E. Heimlich 2,3 1 Animal Programs and Environmental Initiatives, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Orlando, Florida 2 Ohio State University Extension, OSUExtension@COSI, Columbus, Ohio 3 Institute for Learning Innovation, Edgewater, Maryland The modern zoo or aquarium is a purposeful collection of animals used to further the cause of conservation through systematic education and research [Rabb, 2004]. Although not the case in the early history of zoos, the fourfold goals of contemporary, responsible, zoos and aquariums of conservation, research, educa- tion, and recreation [Churchman, 1987] do drive these institutions to present conservation education in a way that inspires the recreational visitor to act in a desired, environmentally responsible manner [Brewer, 2001]. It has only been in the last few decades that education has become critical to how zoos and aquariums perceive their role in society. It is only in the recent years that zoos are beginning to embrace their role as ‘‘perhaps the most qualified of all potential conservation organizations to develop and succeed in the promotion of conservation as a top human priority’’ [Fraser and Wharton, 2007, p 50]. This relative youth of conservation education in zoos and aquariums has a corollary in the relative lack of research on education and its outcomes in zoos and aquariums, at least until the recent past. Until very recently, evaluation and educational research in zoos and aquariums has focused primarily on increasing the cognitive knowledge of visitors, with a lesser focus on changes in attitudes and behavior. As an example, Mony [2007] summarizes this historical research that suggests, to increase recall, a variety of methods are effective, including building Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/zoo.20271 Ã Correspondence to: Jackie Ogden, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, P.O. Box 10000, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830. E-mail: Jackie.Ogden@disney.com r r 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.