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

natural history

Dinosaur Educates!?

Check out this video of an amazing idea for surprising guests at educational facilities (warning:  adult language in the comments section...it really freaked some folks out!). This "live" dinosaur walks amongst the shocked visitors at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, and could be considered an interesting version of an animal presentation at zoos! I'm always curious about how to make presentations and shows (not to mention videos) more intriguing, and less "showlike" -- walking into a theater to await a formal presentation just seems so anti-nature to me.  However, this isnt that far from what we do currently, with the most elaborate of edutainment (like at SeaWorld) with amazing costumes, scenery and sound.  This is actually much more simple--a person in a costume--albeit an immensely impressive costume.  But, its just a person in a costume, nonetheless.

Is this the real deal in edutainment?  Does this inspire or intrigue, or just startle and scare the little ones (and adults, alike!)?  Would it be as impressive if it were a different animal?  Could it serve as a presentation in and of itself, or simply as another tool in our kit?  Let me know what you think!

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