FRANKFURT. Zoos offer people the opportunity to experience animals and engage with the natural world. Alongside recreation, they also play important roles in species conservation and scientific research. Education is another core mission of modern zoos, with many programs designed to foster a stronger sense of connection to nature. But how effective are these initiatives? And which visitors benefit most from guided tours, workshops or multi-day educational programs? These questions were the focus of a study conducted by researchers in biology education at Goethe University Frankfurt. Working with 20 zoological institutions in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Portugal, the team led by Professor Paul Dierkes investigated how participation in zoo education programs influences people’s sense of connection to nature. “We wanted to find out whether zoo education programs can genuinely strengthen people’s connection to nature and how participants’ starting points shape this process,” says Dierkes, who holds the Opel-Zoo Endowed Professorship in Zoo Animal Biology and heads the Department of Life Sciences Education at Goethe University.

To measure these effects, participants completed questionnaires immediately before and after taking part in an educational program. In addition to assessing their connection to nature, the researchers examined a range of other factors, including participants’ age and gender, how often they visited zoos, the duration of the program, whether it included direct contact with animals, and whether topics such as nature and species conservation were covered. The team then analyzed how these variables related both to participants’ initial connection to nature and to changes following the program.

Overall, participation in zoo education programs led to a short-term increase in people’s sense of connection to nature. The effect was particularly pronounced among participants who initially described themselves as having only a moderate connection to the natural world. “Our findings show that zoo education programs are especially effective at reaching people who previously felt less connected to nature,” says Dr. Matthias Kleespies, co-author of the study. “From the perspective of environmental education, this is particularly significant because these programs are designed with precisely this audience in mind.” The strongest effects among participants with low or moderate levels of connection to nature were observed when programs included direct encounters with animals, addressed topics such as biodiversity and species conservation, or took place over a longer period.

For participants who already reported a strong connection to nature, the measurable changes were smaller. However, the researchers stress that this should not be interpreted as evidence that zoo education is less valuable for this group. The measurement scale used in the study has an upper limit. “Participants who already score very highly at the outset simply have less room for further measurable improvement,” Dierkes explains. “Even so, these programs can still reinforce and deepen existing attitudes.” The researchers also identified differences associated with other participant characteristics. Frequent zoo visitors experienced greater increases in their connection to nature than those who visited only occasionally. Age also mattered: children with initially low or moderate levels of connection to nature showed particularly strong gains. Gender likewise appeared to play a role, with women showing slightly larger increases than men.

The findings, the researchers say, offer valuable guidance for the future development of zoo education programs. In particular, they argue that greater attention should be paid to the perspectives and experiences participants bring with them. “Whether someone already feels closely connected to nature or barely sees themselves as part of it can influence how effective an educational program will be,” says Matthias Kleespies. “That is something that should be considered when evaluating programs, conducting research and designing future educational activities.”

The study focuses on the immediate effects of participation. Whether these increases in people’s connection to nature persist over the longer term remains an open question for future research. Nevertheless, the authors see the findings as compelling evidence of the value of professional education programs in zoos. “Zoos reach an exceptionally broad and diverse audience,” says Viktoria Feucht, lead author of the study. “That makes them uniquely well placed to strengthen people’s connection to nature across many different groups of visitors.”