First Friday Webinar Series
The First Friday webinar series ran monthly from 2018-early 2023 and focused on how to strategically, safely, and cost-effectively get more involved in conservation engagement, policy, and advocacy. The webinars were developed for those working at visitor-serving organizations who interact with guests, community partners, public officials, and supporters and were made possible thanks in large part to the generous support of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
With our organizational pivot starting in 2023, we are no longer conducting these webinars. We now focus on youth advocacy and leadership training programs and maximizing collective impact with World Ocean Day events in June and continuing engagement opportunities throughout the year. If you have any questions or suggestions for how we can help you, let us know!
2023 Webinars
- Webinar 45/March 3: Learning Outcomes from Advocacy Training for Youth Leaders at Zoos, Aquariums, and Museums
- Sam Gibb, Senior Program Manager, The Ocean Project | World Ocean Day
- Laura Johnson, Youth Initiative Supervisor, The Ocean Project | World Ocean Day
- Webinar 44/February 10: Get ready for Party for the Planet & World Ocean Day 2023!
- Heidi Faris, Connecting to Nature Coordinator, Association of Zoos and Aquariums
- Sam Gibb, Senior Program Manager, The Ocean Project | World Ocean Day
- Webinar 43/January 6: The Year Ahead in Ocean Conservation
- Sarah Guy, Director of Strategy and Outreach, Ocean Defense Initiative
- Amy Kenney, Executive Director, National Ocean Protection Coalition
- With Douglas Meyer, Strategic Advisor for Public Engagement at The Ocean Project
2022 Webinars
- Webinar 42/November 11: Prioritizing AND Posting: What to Highlight on Social Media and When
- Marisa Bernal, Social Media Strategist at New England Aquarium
- Shervin Hess, Wildlife Advocacy Program Manager at the Oregon Zoo
- With Kate Sutter, Community Engagement Manager at The Ocean Project/World Ocean Day
- And Baylee Ritter, Youth Advisor at The Ocean Project hosting
- Webinar 41/September 9: Choosing Your Own Adventure in 30x30
- Dani Hogan, Director of Mission Integration at the Philadelphia Zoo
- Dr. Erin Meyer, Director of Conservation Programs & Partnerships at Seattle Aquarium
- With Douglas Meyer, Strategic Advisor for Public Engagement at The Ocean Project
- Webinar 40/July 2: Recent Successes and Expanding Opportunities around 30x30
- Erin Eastwood, Program Director at the National Ocean Protection Coalition
- Dani Hogan, Director of Mission Integration at the Philadelphia Zoo
- Kim McIntyre, Director of the Aquarium Conservation Partnership
- With Douglas Meyer, Strategic Advisor for Public Engagement at The Ocean Project
- Webinar 39/May 6: #Trending: Social Media for Advancing Action around World Ocean Day
- Paige Hale, Senior Manager of Communications, Georgia Aquarium
- Ken Peterson, Senior Communications Strategist, Monterey Bay Aquarium
- Kate Sutter, Community Engagement Manager, The Ocean Project & World Ocean Day
- With Baylee Ritter, Strategic Advisor, Youth Initiative, The Ocean Project, facilitating the discussion
- Webinar 38/March 4: Get Ready for Party for the Planet and World Ocean Day 2022.
- Heidi Faris, Connecting to Nature Coordinator at the Association of Zoos & Aquariums
- Sam Gibb, Manager at World Ocean Day
- Webinar 37/January 7: 30×30 Global and National Progress Update
- Enric Sala, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence
- Craig Hoover, Executive Vice President of the Association of Zoos and Aquarium
2021 Webinars
- Webinar 36/December 3: How to leverage your commitment and encourage support for “America the Beautiful” and 30x30
- Douglas Meyer, Strategic Advisor for Public Engagement at The Ocean Project hosted this session featuring Q&A with: Erin Eastwood, Program Director at the National Ocean Protection Coalition; Kim McIntyre, Executive Director at Aquarium Conservation Partnership; and Taylor Englesman, Content and Evaluation Specialist at the New England Aquarium.
- Webinar 35/October 1: How zoos and aquariums can support teen self-care and success
- Baylee Ritter, Youth Advisor for The Ocean Project, hosted this session that featured special guests, Sathvik Nallagatla, Brookfield Zoo; Sylvia Wysor, Roger Williams Park Zoo; and Kaylee Whitley, North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.
- Webinar 34/September 3: Previewing Public Engagement & Conservation Sessions at the AZA Annual Conference
- Featuring Cheryl Andrews, Director of Conferences at AZA, with a conference overview, followed by several session organizers for a discussion of some of the most important topics impacting efforts aimed at advancing conservation.
- August - no monthly webinar with "August recess"
- Webinar #33/July 2: Recent Successes and Expanding Opportunities around 30×30
- Featuring Erin Eastwood, Program Director at the National Ocean Protection Coalition; Dani Hogan, Director of Mission Integration at the Philadelphia Zoo, ; Kim McIntyre, Director of the Aquarium Conservation Partnership; and Bill Mott, Director, The Ocean Project | World Ocean Day
- June - no monthly webinar with all hands on deck for World Ocean Day month and the conservation action focus on 30x30
- Webinar #32/ May 7: #Trending: Social Media for Effective Youth Engagement in Conservation
- Featuring Hailey Bortel, Digital Marketing Manager at Seattle Aquarium; Shannon Kemp, Communications Specialist Social Media at NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores; Kate Sutter, the new social media coordinator at The Ocean Project/World Ocean Day; and Baylee Ritter, Strategic Advisor, Youth Initiative at The Ocean Project
- Webinar #31/ April 2: Getting Fishy With It!
- Featuring Jo Knight, Communications Advisor to the Marine Fish Conservation Network, and Melanie Kudra, Education Engagement Specialist at the Texas State Aquarium
- Webinar #30/ March 5: Planning for World Ocean Day and Party for the Planet!
- Featuring Emma Shahabi, World Ocean Day Coordinator at The Ocean Project, Kelly Kryc, Director of Ocean Policy at the New England Aquarium, and Amy Rutherford, Director of Professional Development and Education at AZA
- Webinar #29/ February 5: A Promising Framework and Roadmap for Audience Conservation Engagement
- Featuring Emily Routman, of Emily Routman Associates, who will provide an overview of the framework and roadmap, and Kirstie Ruppert, Social Scientist at San Diego Zoo Global, who will discuss the application of this approach to a recent visitor engagement effort in support of the Endangered Species Act
- Webinar #28/ January 8: The Conservation Calendar in 2021
- Featuring Sarah Guy, Director of Strategy and Outreach, Ocean Defense Initiative and Justin Kenney, Senior Advisor for Ocean and Climate, United Nations Foundation
2020 Webinars
- Webinar #27/ December 4: A Global Perspective on Effective Ocean Messaging to Advance Ocean Conservation
- Featuring Sophie Hulme, co-founder of Communications Inc, and coordinator of the OneOcean Flotilla, an unbranded effort to help unify ocean messaging to achieve impact
- Webinar #26/November 6: They're Tired of Zoom Too: Making and Sustaining Meaningful (Virtual) Connections for Conservation With Young People During a Global Pandemic!
- Featuring Baylee Ritter, Host of The Ocean Project's youth webinar series; Rise Up!
- Webinar #25/October 2: Advancing Understanding of Effective Conservation Engagement
- Featuring Joy Kubarek of Inform Evaluation and Research, Amy Niedbalski of the St Louis Zoo, and Jackie Ogden of Zoo Advisors
- Webinar #24/September 4: Emerging Opportunities to Advance 30x30
- Featuring Greg Zimmerman, Senior Fellow and Communications Director with the Wyss Campaign for Nature
- Webinar #23/August 7: Enhancing Effectiveness of Public Engagement
- Featuring Heartwired to Love the Ocean. The latest on their research, including results from their recent round of grants and guidance for aquarium and zoo professionals who want to continue to enhance the effectiveness of their public engagement programs and campaigns.
- Friday June 5 webinar cancelled in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and the fight for social justice nationally and globally.
- Webinar #22/May 22: World Oceans Day 2020: Opportunities to Celebrate our Ocean
- Webinar #21/May 8: How COVID-19 is Impacting Intentions to Attend Zoos and Aquariums – And What Will Make Visitors Feel Comfortable Visiting Again
- Click here for an IMPACTS COVID-19 Webinar Reference Sheet with links to articles on the data discussed in the webinar. IMPACTS is continually collecting data on intentions to visit cultural entities, the types of organizations that may experience greater demand, what people say will make them feel safe visiting again – and many other metrics. During this presentation, IMPACTS shared timely and pressing data to aid in informing strategic direction to maximize engagement upon reopening. IMPACTS is a global leader in predictive market intelligence and related technologies and informed The Ocean Project’s opinion and market research over many years.
- Webinar #20/May 1: Protecting 30% of our blue planet by 2030, Part 2
- Featuring Michael Degnan, Deputy Director, Campaign for Nature; Kelly Kryc, Director of Conservation Policy and Leadership, New England Aquarium
- Webinar #19/April 3: Protecting 30% of our blue planet by 2030, Part 1
- Featuring Miriam Goldstein, Director, Ocean Policy, Center for American Progress
- Webinar #18/March 6: Ensuring science-based fisheries policies
- Featuring Douglas Meyer, Strategic Advisor to The Ocean Project and Kim McIntyre, Director, Aquarium Conservation Partnership
- Webinar #17/February 7: Hollywood has Awards Season and Zoos and Aquariums have Event Season: Party for the Planet and Make Every Day Earth Day and/or World Oceans Day
- Featuring Rob Vernon, Senior Vice President, Communications & Marketing; Katie Wood, Conservation and Biodiversity Manager, Earth Day Network; Jeff Demain, World Oceans Day Manager
- Webinar #16/January 10, 2020: Engaging & Elevating the Impact of Climate Change by Making 2020 the Super Year of the Ocean
- Featuring Justin Kenney, Senior Advisor to the U.N. Foundation for Climate, Energy and Environment; with Tom Adams, Policy Advisor for The Ocean Project
2019 Webinars
- Webinar #15/December 6: 2020 Preview: Conservation Engagement and Action Programs, Activities, and Policy Opportunities
- Featuring Jennifer Keaton, Vice President for Legislative Affairs, AZA, Kim McIntyre Director of Aquarium Conservation Partnership, Bill Mott, Executive Director of The Ocean Project
- Webinar #14/November 1: Starting Early — The Importance of Cultivating State and Local Officials Early in Their Careers
- Featuring Maggie Ostdahl, Conservation Policy Manager, National Aquarium
- Webinar #13/October 4: The 116th Congress Approaches its “Half Time”
- Featuring Colin Sheldon Assistant Director of Federal Affairs, WCS and Tom Adams, Strategy Advisor, The Ocean Project
- Webinar #12/August 2: AZA Conference Engagement Workshop & Panels Preview
- Featuring Stephanie Joseph, Curator of Educator, NY Aquarium/WCS and Rob Vernon, Senior VP, Communications & Marketing
- Webinar #11/July 12: Improving Management & Conservation of Forage Fish
- Featuring Charlotte Runzel, Policy Associate, National Audubon Society and Tom Adams, Strategic Advisor to The Ocean Project
- Webinar #10/June 14: Want to bring the visiting public into public policy? Here’s your chance!
- Showcasing the results from a recent survey about zoo and aquarium interest in engaging visitors on public policy issues
- Webinar #9/May 3: AZA Advocacy Day Briefing and Strategic Messaging Tips to Advance Conservation
- Featuring Jennifer Keaton, VP for Congressional Affairs at AZA and Josh Mogerman, National Media Director, Natural Resources Defense Council
- Webinar #8/April 5: Youth Activism for Conservation: Empowering young people to become ocean champions
- Featuring Rachael Coccia, Director of Youth Initiatives, The Ocean Project; Rachael Bell-Irving, Digital Outreach Coordinator, Online Programs at Ocean Wise, and Danni Washington, Co-Founder of Big Blue and You and Co-Founder of Sea Youth Rise Up
- Webinar #7/March 1: World Oceans Day 2019: Engaging your visitors in conservation action
- Featuring Samantha Mackiewicz, World Oceans Day Director, The Ocean Project and Baylee Ritter, Program Associate, The Ocean Project
- Webinar #6/February 1: Beyond Congress: Executive Branch Processes that Can Advance Conservation for the Ocean, Fish and Other Wildlife
- Featuring Kris Sarri, President and CEO, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and Kerston Swartz, Public Affairs and Advocacy Manager, Woodland Park Zoo
- Webinar #5/January 11: No Time to Engage Like the Present
- Featuring Amy Kenney, Executive Director, National Ocean Protection Coalition and Rich Block, CEO, Santa Barbara Zoo and Chair, AZA Government Affairs Committee
2018 Webinars
- Webinar #4/December 7: Looking Ahead to the new Congress and Opportunities for Zoos, Aquariums, and Museums
- Featuring Jean Flemma, Ocean Defense Initiative and Colin Sheldon, Assistant Director of Federal Affairs, Wildlife Conservation Society
- Webinar #3/June 15: Fishing for Public Engagement: Results of Three Pilot Projects in Public Engagement
- Featuring Kelly Matis and Katie Cubina, Mystic Aquarium; Melanie Baker, Seattle Aquarium and Melanie Kudra, Texas State Aquarium
- Webinar #2/May 4: Using Your Existing Resources to Have Your Voice Heard
- Featuring Katie Cubina, Senior Vice President, Mystic Aquarium and Mark Antoniewicz, Director of Communications, Hip Hop Caucus
- Webinar #1/April 13: The Policy Arena and Your Untapped Advocacy Potential
- Featuring Andrea Densham, Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy, Shedd Aquarium and Matt Mullin, Marine Fish Conservation Network