The World’s Largest Natural Habitat Zoo

The World’s Largest Natural Habitat Zoo

Author: NC Museum of Natural Sciences October 6, 2020 Duration: 57:03

Meet Pat Simmons, Director & CEO of the North Carolina Zoological Park. “One of the things zoos do best,” she notes, “is reach out to large masses of people and give them that up-close personal experience with nature. A safe place where you can rely on experts to dispel fears and bring in joy. It’s incredibly important to the human soul.”


Patricia Simmons is the current Director & CEO of the North Carolina Zoo and past-President and Chief Executive Officer of the Akron Zoological Park, Akron Ohio. She was Chairwoman of the Board of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in 2012. Pat has over 30 years of experience in zoological management.

Pat is nationally and internationally recognized, receiving many awards and appointments including the Women’s History Project Woman of the Year for Imagination and the first non-profit executive to receive the Chairman’s Award from the Visitor and Convention Bureau. Most recently, Pat became one of 100 hand-selected CEO’s worldwide to be a Founding Fellow of the National Arts Strategies Chief Executive Program, a program designed to tackle global challenges for non-profit organizations.


Produced by the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Love Nature is built on a simple, powerful idea: our curiosity about the living world is a profound and shared starting point. This isn't a lecture series, but a series of conversations where that innate fascination leads the way. Each episode introduces you to a different voice-a scientist in the field, a researcher analyzing data, an artist interpreting patterns-who brings a unique perspective to our relationship with the environment. What unites them is a palpable passion, a personal story of connection that goes beyond academic interest. You'll hear the enthusiasm in their voices as they discuss not just what they study, but why it matters to them personally and what it reveals about our place in a complex, changing system. The discussions are lively and nuanced, often circling around a central theme of care and stewardship. By tuning into this podcast, you're invited into a space where expertise meets heartfelt advocacy, where learning about intricate ecosystems or animal behavior is intertwined with genuine hopes for their future. The goal is to leave each episode feeling that infectious spark of inspiration, equipped with a richer, more textured understanding of the natural forces around us and a clearer sense of how we, as inherently curious beings, can engage with them more thoughtfully. It’s about deepening that connection we all instinctively feel, one conversation at a time.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 32

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