AAZK at the Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens

American Association of Zoo Keepers

The American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK) is a membership association for animal care professionals. As a Non-profit 501c (3) organization one hundred percent of the funds raised goes towards conservation and the professional development of our keepers.

AAZK is dedicated to advancing animal care, promoting public awareness, enhancing professional development and contributing to local and global conservation through fundraising and stewardship. Our goal is to inspire and motivate through our roles as animal caregivers, educators and conservationists.

Jacksonville AAZK Chapter

Mission statement: To foster cooperation between animal care professionals to work together toward the common goal of raising awareness for and contributing to conservation projects, both locally and globally.

The Jacksonville chapter of AAZK was founded in 1988, and has since grown into a premier chapter in the field. We currently have over 30 members and are looking to expand our membership in the near future.

AAZK members are also members of our sister organization, the International Congress of Zookeepers (http://www.iczoo.org/). The ICZ is a worldwide network among zookeepers and other professionals in the field of wildlife care and conservation.

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JZGAAZK

2017 Jacksonville AAZK Officers

President – Janel Jankowski

Vice President – Pam Robie

Treasurer – Elana Kopel

Secretary – Amanda Lankenau

Conservation Officers - Kellie Glover, Tirzah Nichols

Conservation Projects (Links to projects included)

Hornbill Research Foundation http://www.sc.mahidol.ac.th/research/hornbill.htm

Friends of the Florida Panther Refuge http://floridapanther.org/

Bowling for Rhinos http://aazkbfr.org/

Giant Armadillo Project http://giantarmadillo.org.br/