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

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Giraffe Ranch: Luxury Model, Backyard Experience

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Giraffe Ranch: Luxury Model, Backyard Experience

Giraffe Ranch, a privately owned, family-run safari experience, located in rural Dade City, Florida benefits from the tourism market of Orlando. Drawing from decades of knowledge and experience in the zoo community, the owners created an intimate and beautiful experience focused on one-on-one interactions between the keepers, guests, and the animals. The high ticket price per person, however, sets expectations very high, and although the experience is lovely, feels like it misses the luxury price point. Focusing on improvements to the core of the facility could begin to address this issue.

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Seneca Park Zoo: An East Coast Charmer

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Seneca Park Zoo: An East Coast Charmer

County-owned, AZA accredited Seneca Park Zoo is a twenty-acre gem set into Olmsted-designed Seneca Park in Rochester, New York. Unlike many publicly owned small zoos, this one is unique for many reasons. The biggest, and most challenging, lies within the site itself—a long linear sliver of land following the edge of the park and not nearly wide enough for a loop path. This challenge manages to become an attribute in surprising ways.

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Abilene Zoo: On the Cusp of a Growth Spurt

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Abilene Zoo: On the Cusp of a Growth Spurt

Abilene Zoo in Texas is the only zoo in its region. It experiences incredible market penetration, but is still a small, municipal parks department zoo—20 acres and 250k visitors. With potential land to grow and new adjacent attractions opening soon, the zoo is poised to grow into a large facility.

We're a surprisingly social species.