The key purposes of these community tickets for Tāmaki Makaurau communities are to 1) Give equitable opportunities for diverse and often underserved communities across Tāmaki Makaurau to access the Zoo for a visit, 2) Support whānau to spend time together to build social cohesion and relationships, 3) Nurture lifelong connections to nature, 4) Enhance the wellbeing of our communities, 5) Provide a space for respite and reparation after the direct and indirect effects of Covid-19.
These purposes acknowledge the effects of lockdown on communities in Tāmaki Makaurau and how important natural spaces (like the Zoo) are for social and mental well-being, reparation, and recovery. We are providing an accessible gateway to reconnect people with whānau, nature, and wildlife to enhance their well-being right here in Tāmaki Makaurau (all for free)! Communities can explore 16 hectares and discover over 144 different native and exotic species (around 1400 animals) set in beautifully designed habitats and botanical immersive tracks which invite us to all play a role as kaitiaki (guardians) for our taiao (natural environment). Community tickets are available and given as a priority to individuals and community groups in the below list: 1) Households on low-income / unemployed, 2) People with additional needs and/or disabilities, 3) Front-line essential workers, 4) such as healthcare workers and employees of essential services such as supermarkets, foodbank staff, and bus drivers, etc, 5) Low decile schools or ECE centers from low socio-economic communities.
Organizations that work with individuals that fit the above criteria The theoretical frameworks behind the project are: Five Pathways to Nature Connections, wellbeing frameworks – Five Ways to Wellbeing, and Te Whare Tapa Whā (Māori health model). In addition, we weaved indigenous thought and Te Ao Māori ( Māori worldview) throughout the project, community resources, and the way we connect and serve our diverse communities. This conservation social science component of this project is analyzing data from each of the applications to establish the key motivations and perceived benefits pre-visit. Then a post-visit survey is collecting quantitative and qualitative data on the well-being: psychological, social, and emotional. cultural benefits resulting from a visit to the zoo/participating in this programme. We are also exploring in what ways this project changes how our communities value nature, how it increases their motivation to take conservation action and their sense of belonging and connection to Auckland Zoo.
