Eagan, Minnesota (May 1, 2012) – Dr. Jörg Junhold will open the International Species Information System’s (ISIS) Users’ Conference 24 September in Innsbruck, Austria. As a former ISIS Board member, Dr. Junhold, Manager and Director of Zoo Leipzig in Germany and World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) President, will speak about the importance of zoos and aquariums in meeting preservation objectives for wildlife populations.
“Today responsible zoos have a much more holistic view of their work,” says Dr. Junhold.” They aim to contribute to species and habitat conservation on different levels and to support public education on environmental issues. The ISIS community and knowledgebase will play an increasingly important role in assuring that we have the knowledge to make a positive impact in wildlife population sustainability.”
The main focus of the ISIS Users’ Conference is to offer ISIS members training on basic records keeping through use of ISIS software. In addition, ISIS is excited to preview upcoming developments in ISIS products and services – and to interact with our member base to get their feedback and ideas on the direction for ISIS products and services.
“Conference attendees will be the first to see the new developments we have planned for the ZIMS application*,” said ISIS CIO Doug Verduzco. “We will also hold feedback sessions to allow our members to provide input into decisions about our products and services going forward. We have always focused on community development, and the ISIS Users’ Conference gives us the opportunity to come face-to-face to discuss the future direction of ISIS to support our members’ needs.”
About Dr. Jörg Junhold
In 1997, Dr. Jörg Junhold was appointed Manager and Director of Zoo Leipzig. Ever since he has taken up the position, the veterinary and marketing specialist is liaising with partners from the areas of politics, research and economy over the implementation of the plan of “Zoo of the Future.” This plan, originally presented back in 2000, is a successful mix of species-appropriate husbandry, species conservation and education with exceptional experiences for visitors.
About ISIS
ISIS is a non-profit organization of more than 800 zoological institutions in 83 countries. ISIS hosts an international knowledgebase of information used by its members to care for animals in human care, and offers its members software, access to information and online networking tools to assist in using best practices in the care of their animal populations and to further conservation goals.
The ISIS global database contains information on 2.6 million animals (almost 15,000 taxa/10,000 species) and is constantly growing. ISIS members use these tools and information to:
• manage their inventory;
• control the genetic and demographic makeup of their animal collection;
• find appropriate new animals for their collections, and identify institutions seeking animals;
• discover facilities with experience in breeding and raising certain offspring;
• create reports for governments and other official accrediting bodies;
• and to perform other business-critical tasks.