ohiodaniross

Zoos and OMA

Did you know I live in a museum?

Recently I was talking to a friend about OMA.  My friend expressed surprise that a zoo would be a member of a museums association.  For a lot of people when they think of museums, zoos are not the first thing to come to mind.  But really, we share a lot in common.  Whether we are a traditional or non-traditional museum, we all play an important role.  So I did a quick Google search of the word museum and found this definition under dictionary.com – “a building or place where works of art, scientific specimens or other objects of permanent value are kept and displayed.”

While I don’t know that “objects” is the proper term for our animals, the creatures housed in zoos/aquariums are most certainly of permanent value.  And I personally would make a case for their scientific and artistic value, but that is a discussion for another day.

Like other types of museums, zoos can have a big impact on their communities.  According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), accredited zoos throughout North America reach over 175 million visitors per year.  And they educate approximately 12 million students every year.  Most zoos are mission-based, non-profit institutions focusing on wildlife conservation, environmental or science education and family fun.  We work not only to change attitudes about wildlife and wild places, but we also aspire to changing people’s behavior so they will help with our conservation efforts.

OMA institutions can inspire and provoke us to care about the world around us.  Just this past week, I visited the Air Force Museum in Dayton and was stirred by the stories of sacrifice and heroism from those who have served in the military and fought for our country.   I have been moved by a beautiful work of art and also by watching a young elephant interact with his mother.  Museums come in a wide variety, but every one of us has an important story to tell.  So whether you are traveling over the holidays or hosting out of town guests, I encourage you to visit the local art museum, science center, historical site and of course zoo/aquarium!

It’s Thanksgiving!

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is this week!  With that in mind, I would like to list my top ten reasons as to why I am thankful for museums and the Ohio Museums Association.

Happy Thanksgiving from OMA!

10.  Through OMA I have met some amazing people.  They even let me use their ideas to incorporate into our programming.

9.  When I have friends or family visiting, museums give me the chance to brag and show them why Ohio is great.

8.  Museums help us to think about the world through perspectives different from our own.

7.  Our heritage comes to life at museums.

6.  They help us think creatively towards our future.

5.  They are staffed by professionals who are willing to partner and advocate for each other.  (This is a shameless plug for OMA – Advocacy for Museums matters!)

4.  Museums open your mind – you can visualize history, experience science, appreciate art, brush against nature and much more –  not just read it out of a textbook or watch it on TV.

3.  They offer educational experiences when it’s too hot, rainy, cold or otherwise gross outside!  (We do live in Ohio.)

2.  They just have cool stuff!

1.  The Number one reason why I am thankful for museums is that they bring people together – whether as a center of learning, advocates for important issues or just as people who share a common enthusiasm.

Why are you grateful for museums?