Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden

The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden will evaluate and expand the Coexistence Impact Fellowship program. This initiative addresses a critical need to build capacity for conservation leaders rooted in their local communities while also activating zoo staff around the organization’s mission. First, Fellows will develop technical abilities with training in core skills needed for interdisciplinary conservation research, such as leadership communications, project design, data analysis, and community engagement. Through this training, they will create clearer pathways to achieving conservation impact in their regions, ultimately leading to greater ecological stability and community resilience. Second, this model for proactive collaboration and resource-sharing will benefit other zoos, aquariums, and museums by providing a tested and scalable framework that can be adopted across the sector. The project’s findings will be shared broadly through publications and conference presentations.