Chester Zoo visitors invited to join international research
Visitors to Chester Zoo are being invited to take part in a global research project exploring how time spent at zoos affects people’s mood, wellbeing and connection to nature.
Scientists at the zoo are leading the study in partnership with researchers from Nottingham Trent University.
Over the coming weeks, ticket holders will receive email invitations asking them to take part in the survey. Members and day visitors can also join the study by scanning QR codes displayed around the zoo.
Participants will be entered into a draw to win an animal adoption as a thank you for contributing to the research.
The study has been designed by Bridget Johnson, a conservation scientist at Chester Zoo and PhD candidate at Nottingham Trent University.
She said the project aims to better understand the impact that zoo visits have on people.
“The people who take part are helping us understand what role zoos play in people’s connection to nature and their own wellbeing,” she said.
“There is clear evidence that spending time in green and blue spaces like gardens and waterscapes is beneficial to human wellbeing, but there is very little research specifically into zoos where these factors come together in a unique way.”
The research will compare how people feel before and after their visit, providing scientists with a clearer picture of how zoo environments may influence wellbeing and attitudes towards nature.
The findings could also help zoos better understand how their spaces benefit society.
Ms Johnson said the research could also provide valuable evidence about the wider importance of zoos.
“I’ve worked in zoos a long time and I see the value of what they do, but the Covid pandemic shone a light on how little political acknowledgement there is of their importance to people and conservation,” she said.
The project is already running in several countries, including the UK, Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands, and researchers hope to gather responses from visitors around the world.
Professor Samantha Ward, from Nottingham Trent University’s School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, said the research could highlight the broader benefits of zoos.
“Zoo animal welfare science has improved how we care for animals in zoos,” she said.
“Now we need human data to show how zoos can also benefit society for health and wellbeing and offer more than just a day out.”
The launch of the survey also coincides with several wellbeing-focused activities already offered at the zoo.
These include guided “wild walks”, buggy fitness sessions for parents, educational animal talks and community programmes such as Zoo Tots and the Memory Café.
Researchers hope the study will help demonstrate how zoos can support both conservation and public wellbeing.
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