P-WAC at the Conservation Weekend
Second Occasion for P-WAC at the Conservation Weekend !
This year once again, The Friends of the Lyon Zoo Association, held a Conservation Weekend on June 13 and 14. On the program: meet with the public, educational activities, conference sessions, and particularly sharing of our projects among conservation groups.
Sonia, P-WAC volunteer recounts:
“This was the first time I participated in the conservation weekend and I was very happy to meet different assocations and to be able to communicate with them. It was extremely interesting to learn about the progress of the different projects at the time of the conference and I met passionate people, sincere and especially passionate. Unfortunately, while there was great weather, the public at the zoo did not attend the conservation sessions, while the next day, when it rained, P-WAC had a lot of great encounters.”
Véronique, P-WAC Vice Secretary:
“The welcome from Friends of the Lyon Zoo was very warm.
There could have been more signage about the event in the Park to direct and attract more people. Despite the damp weather in the morning, the few people who stopped by were motivated and showed great interest. The drier afternoon allowed us to welcome a few more people to the booth and I found people open to the discussions we had. Our project was really appreciated. The conversations with other associations in attendance were just as interesting since we did have a few things in common! And that was enjoyable: you feel less alone! Finally, having discovered an eco-friendly spread at one of the booths that was almost identical to the famous brand was a great discovery….a highly relevant find!”
You have by now realized that the bad weather limited the number of visitors, but the quality was certainly there! The P-WAC team was thrilled to meet up with members of the founding organization, as well as with similar conservation projects. Gibbons, hamsters, chimpanzees… a number species were represented.
Amandine, our founder, rediscovered Laura, a former volunteer with C.C.C.
“The public can’t always be receptive to our mission. For many, Africa … it’s far away, and chimpanzees are far from a priority. But this type of activity is necessary because, after all, there are always a few people to be reached. And that’s the most important thing: these people, once their awareness is raised, will be able to pass along the message and, in turn, raise the awareness of others. A pretty significant ricochet effect!! For my part, this event allowed me to present the progress P-WAC has made in the last year (in 2014, our booth was almost empty and we were unknown in the conservation world). This year, I was very touched by everyone’s encouragement about our Association’s progress. This allows us, who are always buried in the work of the mission, to get a fresh view from the outside. Very encouraging and motivating. Then, I have to admit, it’s also a way to catch up with old friends! Marilou, Robert, principle organizers and friends, who we thanked warmly! Then after a year of email exchanges, I had the pleasure to meet Laura and to chat with her, being equally passionate about chimpanzees.”
This weekend was also a chance to have some fun with children. Through games, coloring activities and origami, we were able to make them aware of the great ape cause. And while Stéphanie took care of them, the parents questioned us to learn more!
We also made a presentation on Sunday, in order to give an update on our project on the ground. This allowed us to give more information in pictures and also to learn about other projects !
Finally, a few images of the weekend.
Thanks to Marilou and Robert, thanks to the caregiver team at the Zoo who put this event together. Thanks to the volunteers of the other projects. Even if the other associations are well-known, it’s always great to put a face to the people who are part of them! Thanks to our team for participating this weekend, despite the slightly cold weather.