Site selection

I conducted my case study work at three field sites, each representing one case. I selected “maximum variant” cases, in which each case differs along a key variable theorized to play a particularly important role in process and outcomes (Flyvbjerg 2006). In my study, institutional mission/values represent the key variable. More specifically, these three particular organizations provide a meaningful comparison because they all have conservation and education goals, which effectively serve as the outcomes for my project (education is the treatment and conservation is the message), yet they also have additional, more specific institutional contexts that shape how they present educational messages. They are similar on other key metrics: they all offer direct experiences with charismatic megafauna, they all work under the broad mission of animal conservation, they are all in North Carolina, and they all offer reservations-only guided tours lasting 45 minutes to 2 hours. These similarities enable rich comparison across sites. I also limited my analysis to highly reputable organizations, as I did not want reputational issues to interfere with my analysis. Thus, each facility has an affiliation or accreditation that lends them considerable credibility: Carolina Tiger Rescue is a federally recognized wildlife sanctuary as defined by the Captive Wildlife Safety Act (CTR 2014), the North Carolina Aquarium is a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and the Duke Lemur Center is affiliated with Duke University.

These three cases also differ on several other characteristics (Table 2.1), but these characteristics correlate with institutional mission/values to the point that eliminating these differences would have proved impossible. For example, one is unlikely to find a large, state-run

lemur rescue. In fact, the animal species are so tightly intertwined with the mission, the animals are effectively part of the mission itself. In other words, these organizations are built around the societal framing and value of the animals they care for, and the framing of the animal plays an important role in the communication of values, beliefs, and norms in LAIEs.

Despite the differences in taxonomical groups at each facility, the animals share some key similarities. Most notably, each site has at least one flagship species, a species that is used as a symbol and motivator for conservation action (Caro et al. 2004). Flagships are selected for their charisma and societal relevance, and an analysis by Czech and colleagues (1998) showed that mammals, fish, and Testudines (turtles) enjoy high levels of political support and positive social construction. These flagship species are also considered to be important conservation targets in their own right. Tigers are listed endangered on the IUCN Red list, and three of the nine

subspecies have already gone extinct (IUCN 2014). Tigers carry both cultural and ecological value as an apex predator (GTI 2014). Tigers were declared to be the most well-loved animal on the planet in an informal yet wide-reaching poll (MEN 2004). Lemurs are considered to be the world’s most endangered primates (IUCN 2014), and as inhabitants of Madagascar (their only native range), they have evolved into dozens of species that fill numerous ecological niches and maintain vital ecosystem services on the island (Martin 1972). Sea turtles have ecological, cultural, and tourism value, and are considered to be an exceptionally charismatic and well-loved reptile (WWF 2014). Viewing aquatic animals can be a tranquil experience for guests, and visitors also connect to aquatic species as resources of great economic value (Sanchirico and Emerson 2002).

Table 2.1. Field sites

Carolina Tiger Rescue Duke Lemur Center NC Aquarium

Mission statement

“Saving and protecting wild cats in

captivity and in the wild”

“Promote research and understanding of prosimians and their natural habitat as a

means of advancing the frontiers of knowledge, to contribute to the educational development of future leaders in international scholarship and conservation and to enhance the human condition by stimulating

intellectual growth and sustaining global biodiversity”

“Inspiring appreciation and conservation of North Carolina’s Aquatic Environments” Manage- ment Independent non- profit

University affiliate State Type of

animals

Carnivores (domestic and exotic)

Lemurs (exotic) Marine (domestic)

Location Pittsboro, NC Durham, NC Pine Knoll Shores,

NC Educational

offerings

Guided programs only Guided programs only Guided programs and unstructured visits Megafauna

Charisma

High High High

Wild status of flagship animal (IUCN) Endangered, 3 of 9 Tiger subspecies extinct

World’s most endangered primates

4 of 7 of sea turtle species endangered or

2.2.2. Field sites Carolina Tiger Rescue

Carolina Tiger Rescue (CTR) was founded in the early 1980s as a breeding facility for rare carnivores (called Carnivore Preservation Trust). In 2001 they ceased their breeding programs in favor of wild cat rescue. Their mission is “saving and protecting wild cats in captivity and in the wild.” (CTR 2012). While their new name speaks to their tiger population, they house approximately 60-70 animals including tigers, lions, bobcats, leopards, ocelots, kinkajous, binturongs, cougars, servals, and caracals. They offer public tours run mostly on the weekends by volunteers and do not allow individuals to enter the sanctuary unaccompanied. Duke Lemur Center

Duke Lemur Center (DLC) was founded in 1966 as a collaboration between two

professors, one at Duke and one at Yale. DLC was originally a research facility and only recently has become more publicly visible. They house approximately 250 prosimian (pre-monkey) primates from 21 species, and DLC’s collection is the largest population of lemurs outside of Madagascar in the world. DLC’s mission is, “Promote research and understanding of prosimians and their natural habitat as a means of advancing the frontiers of knowledge, to contribute to the educational development of future leaders in international scholarship and conservation and to enhance the human condition by stimulating intellectual growth and sustaining global

biodiversity” (DLC 2012). DLC conducts research, breeds lemurs for conservation, offers guided education programs, and engages in in-situ conservation efforts in Madagascar.

North Carolina Aquarium

The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores (NCA) was founded in 1976 as a teacher resource center. Over time, they have shifted their attention to displaying animals for

public education, and in 2006 they opened a 90,000 square-foot facility that houses the largest tank in North Carolina at 306,000 gallons. They only keep NC-native species, and their galleries are organized by the theme of “mountains to sea.” Their mission is, “inspiring appreciation and conservation of North Carolina’s Aquatic Environments” (NCA 2012), and almost all of their work focuses on education. NCA’s main in-situ conservation activity efforts are a local sea turtle rescue-and-release program, but while the turtles are housed at NCA they are used in education programs. NCA is the only facility in my study that allows the public to visit without a guide, but they also offer specialty tours that take visitors behind the scenes; these require an additional fee and a guide, making them similar to the programs at CTR and DLC in structure.