For immediate release
Contact: Gina Stiles, 904-757-4463, ext. 210 (w); 904-655-3632 (c)

Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens’ Employee
Wins Top National Award

Jacksonville, Florida – December 12, 2007 – Officials at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens were notified December 6, 2007, that Alan F. Rost, Biological Programs Registrar for the Zoo, won the Zoological Registrars Association’s (ZRA) Silver Star Award at its 2007 Annual Conference held in Orlando, Florida.  The award was presented in recognition of the honoree’s overall service and status as one of the few remaining founding members (1984) still active in the Association.  Rost, who has been employed by the Jacksonville Zoo since 1989, was also recently elected vice-president of the Association.

“The President of the ZRA, Rae Lynn Haliday, wrote that they recognized Alan for his contributions, leadership and unwavering commitment to the Association,” said Executive Director of Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, Dennis Pate.  “All of us are very proud of Alan and echo the Association’s accolades for the work that he’s done here at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens,” Pate concluded. 

Registrars in zoos and aquariums perform a very important function that serves as the fundamental building block of our species survival conservation programs throughout the country.  They record and track all of the animals that appear in our collections, contribute data to studbook keepers for endangered species programs and perform other related duties.  Through their own diligence, detective work and rigorous standards, they ensure that the information collected, saved and shared is of the highest quality. 

For over 90 years, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has been dedicated to inspiring the discovery and appreciation of wildlife through innovative experience in a caring environment.  Starting in 1914 with an animal collection that consisted of one red deer fawn, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has grown to house more than 1,500 rare and exotic animals and over 1,000 plant species. The Zoo is a non-profit organization and is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Located on Jacksonville’s north side a quarter mile off I-95, the Zoo is open year-round, 7 days a week, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. For more information on the Zoo, log on to jacksonvillezoo.org.  

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