Profession, Articles, On a Personal Note
Stacey Ludlum
Growing Small: An Alternate Definition of ...

My company is just me. And that’s by design. I do not intend to hire employees and I purposefully keep my fees and client volume low. I view it as a complete success, but given the common perception of “business success,” I often wonder if others would agree… In this article, I outline my business strategy of Growing Small as an alternate measure of success.

Growing Small: An Alternate Definition of Success
Articles, On a Personal Note, Profession
Stacey Ludlum
Tips for Working with Introverted Consultants

Believe it or not, many consultants, including yours truly, are actually introverts! Learn the best practices for working with introverts by reading Felis Consulting’s somewhat self-effacing and certainly vulnerable ‘Top Tips for Working with Introverted Consultants.’

Tips for Working with Introverted Consultants
How-Tos, Master plans, Profession
Stacey Ludlum
Master Planning 101

As a designer dedicated to the long-term planning of zoos and aquariums, I’ve had to explain the process of master planning many times, and although every zoo and aquarium is different, the best master plans (i.e. those which have been implemented) always follow a similar structure. In this post, we address the most commonly asked questions to help you understand what master planning is, when is the right time to start, and who should be involved.

Master Planning 101
Case Studies, Reviews, Travel
Stacey Ludlum
Columbian Park Zoo: Gold-Standard Small ...

The city of Lafayette, Indiana has one of the oldest—and best—small zoos in the country. Recent renovations, thoughtful and modern designs, and focusing on providing for their local guests as top priority are a few reasons they are successful.

Columbian Park Zoo: Gold-Standard Small Municipal Zoo
Profession, News
Stacey Ludlum
Addressing DEAI in Zoos and Aquariums

Zoos and aquariums have a long way to go related to being community assets that are truly reflective of their surrounding communities. Recent discussions in the AZA suggest that instead waiting for ‘best practice’ solutions, that individual organizations must start somewhere acknowledging that our strategies will evolve as we all learn the most productive ways to approach DEAI.

Addressing DEAI in Zoos and Aquariums

Valencia

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BioParc Valencia Opens

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I have to admit that I'm a little behind on this one, but the new zoo in Valencia, Spain, called the BioParc, is now open. In fact, it opened early this spring, but thanks to an "also behind the times" mention in American Airlines' inflight magazine, I'm bringing it to you now.

Apparently, only phase one has been opened. This phase is focused entirely on Africa. Subsequent phases will include Southeast Asia and the Tropics (which, to me is one in the same, so I'm confused!). The park prides itself on the use of landscape immersion techniques, blurring the line of the animals' boundaries. One guest describes his experience eloquently here, including what sounds to be a pretty incredible walk-amongst-the-lemurs exhibit.

The park is approximately 25 acres (not sure if that is the final size or what is currently open), ticket price is 20 euros, and the collection is over 4000 animals strong. The ZooBeat forum outlines the current species on hand.

Unfortunately, the official website is in Espanol, and I know only a few words unlikely to be found on the site. Perhaps someone could help me out with some translation?

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