States cash boost for new wildlife park visitor centre
Friday 19th March 2010, 2:58PM GMT.
The plans for the new visitor centre
THE Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust is to build a new visitor centre and café as part of a major redevelopment project after receiving a £1.5 million grant from the States.
The new centre will be twice the size of the current premises and will also feature a café which can be used by people who have not paid to enter the wildlife park.
However, the cash – from a States fund launched last year to create and safeguard jobs during the recession – will only be released if Durrell can raise the remaining £1.5 million needed to fund the project.
The trust has now launched a campaign to raise funds for the project and a number of other upgrades to the wildlife site. It has already raised about £260,000.
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Great news – please lets hope they don’t use the current caterers for the new cafe.
Some optimistic news at last.
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An economic stimulus that is good for use all; locals, visitors and global ecology. Who dare object?
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I’m sure it is still March? Haven’t missed a few days have I? The States backing a proven project, with a good international reputation?
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Eh, what happened to the 14 staff, Durrell made redundant??!
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Waste of money throwing cash on a last century enterprise. As ever Jersey gets it wrong again!
Fancy doing this when 14 staff were made redundant,and the place cant even get people through the door to fund it as it is.
The states are having there “British Leyland” moment.This venue is overpriced,out of date and as dead as ditch water!
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Well said GTR… its a zoo, with overpriced entry charges therefore no customers. In addition the poor animals they are supposed to be saving can never return to their natural environment because it no longer exists.
So we will now be able to get an expensive cup of tea without having to view the inhabitants… marvellous!
As for job creation…? what about the 14 they discarded like yesterdays newspaper..?
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Seems crazy, but when you think 250,000 was paid to suspended police officers, not to mention money paid to their boss or the suspended hospital consultant, at least there will be something concrete.It is just another BLACK HOLE were funds seem to disappear to in Jersey
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What a blxxdy nerve!!! – we are expected to help raise the other 1.5 million, don’t come to my door, you’ll be told your fortune backwards!!!
Why spend money on a dodo!!!
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‘In addition the poor animals they are supposed to be saving can never return to their natural environment because it no longer exists.’
This speaks of a degree of environmental degradation that is threatening the ecosystems on which we rely.
Bees are absolutely essential.
We could do without bankers. lawyers or Porsches.
Life on earth as we know it would collapse within a decade without bees.
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I think we can agree that a conservation site is more than an ‘enterprise’- Perhaps we should spend the money on something more exciting like a bloody bronze tree. From the lowly biology student to likes of sir David Attenborough himself praise institution such as Durrel as it is contributing to more that just the islands economic state. the more ethics that we subscribe to our concieted capitalist world the better. Otherwise next thing we’ll be turning the National History Museum into a damn ice-rink.
I, for one, will be doing everything I can to help Durrel raise this money as I think that the closing of Durrell Zoo will be one of our island most regretful loses.
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I would further like to echo some of the more sound words of support for Durrell Conservation zoo. As an institution it is world renowned for its sterling work in conservation and ecological research. The fact that some very short sighted and apparently ignorant people, (I would think the latest government bank bail outs as an example of throwing money at lost cause would be more apt, British Leyland has been dead for a long time my friend) feel that it is merely an over priced tourist attraction to just be axed as an overweight under-performing business is something I find very disturbing and a sign of the times. The contributions of Durrell and other such institutions to global conservation projects and their the way in which conservation is practiced cannot be underestimated. The apathetic view that there is not point in trying to conserve and protect endangered species as their homes are already destroyed is frankly laughable but also one of the most depressing statements in response to what is a commendable move by the states to support such a globally respected institution. I feel that those people that see Durrell as out dated or a just worthless tourist attraction would do well to do a bit more research before sandbagging the efforts of many people trying to work towards the greater good. I wish Durrell all the best and look forward to visiting again in the near future. This type of institution is a rarity in a world driven by economic incentive and I will personally be doing all I can to see that Durrell continues it’s commendable and selfless work towards conservation and the over all well being of all it comes into contact with.
Faithfully,
A.R.Lawson
Centre for Conservation and Ecology, Cornwall, UK
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#10 Brilliant comment.
#8 Pip, sensible and correct as usual!
Personally I’ve wondered for a while now why haven’t moved the existing cafe (please don’t change it) into an area where it can be used by both visitors and non-visitors to the conservation site (without allowing people to sneak into the animal areas for free). Since Durrell gets 50% of profits it would be a win-win.
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I agree that the zoo needs to update also that they would get more customers through the door if they charged a little less,
The new restaurant should be run by different people, as it is the most expensive and mean cup of tea of all the attractions, (those that are left!)
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10 ARL – in response to your eloquent mailing, I would simply state what you see on the outside is not what is on the inside -nuff said!!!
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A. R. Lawson, I was lucky enough when young to know some of the snior staff at the Zoo, as the Island will always call it. I was also lucky enough at school to be introduced to Gerald Durrell’s books. Subsequently going into agriculture and horses, the legacy of ‘what effect will you have on the countryside (Enviroment, wasn’t a word much used then) has stayed with me. As for updating the place, well Gerald Durrel made it quite clear in his books, the animal’s came first! The vistor’s were there to learn from them. I hope that’s the way it may continue.
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#13 I go to the zoo most in the winter and note that the cafe is open throughout winter, all while the zoo isn’t pulling in any visitors. That must be a lot of overheads with very little income to meet them. Then there is 50% net profit going to Durrell. I regularly eat in town at places far less affected by Jersey’s lack of tourism, and comparing like for like I don’t see any difference in pricing, I guess they must really be ripping their customers off?
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Pip Clement agree 100% about bees. Just for any greedy capitalists who don’t give a damn about anything but themselves.
It is alleged in some quarters that Einstein once said that without bees man himself would be extinct within a four years! Put that in a Marti and mull over it. Others say it is an urban myth.
Even if he didn’t say it the demise of the honey bee and other bees will have a profound impact on civilisation as we know it. Probably still won’t have much impact though until it happens – as per normal with mankind.
Three links for people to look at if they are interested in learning more:-
http://globalclimatechange.wordpress.com/2007/04/20/einstein-on-bees/
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/2782
http://www.snopes.com/quotes/einstein/bees.asp
Having looked at them is anyone really bothered about these frightening implications?
Or is it a case of dummies towards extinction?
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Adrian,
Bees are the least of you’re worries. Lose sleep over UG99 instead. And read “The Death of Grass” by John Christopher: good post-apocalyptic stuff. Just your cup of tea!
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Yes this is good for tourism, problem is we have no tourism anymore, watch the Dept come out and say numbers are going to be up this year, only then to find out at the end of the year they were wrong and the numbers were down. This has been going on for the past five years. I agree more is needed in the island to get people to come and see our beutiful island, yet again its all down to price, Keep price high and numbers will drop. We saw this when Durrel had there open day, more people visited on that one day than in four months of of normal buisness. because it was free.
If this goes ahead the price at the door will go up for fact, the cafeteria prices are discusting and i refuse to pay what there asking,its daylight robbery not conservation.
What we need is something new! Remeber the good old days of Belle Vue park, Fort Regent, Fantastic tropical gardens. These were all big hits with tourists back in the day and they closed them down! why! Sort Fort Regent out.
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What needs to be remembered is that the Cafe is franchised by the same people who run La Fregate. The lease was handed over some years ago and has several years to run. Durrell itself has little or no control over the operation- and receives 50% of the net profit of the cafe.
The reason it is open in the winter is not a decision made by Durrell but by the Cafe operators
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Why do we have very little tourism anymore?
This is down to the high cost of getting here and the high cost of everything over here now.
I wonder who is responsible for that?
The states should be helping Durrell a lot more IMHO. All it would take is a few highly paid jobs to go and this money could pay for the keep of a lot of animals every year.
Why not make admission free and have a charity box to get some money back via donations?
Or what about a rich person paying for Durrell? Think of the Kudos a person would get for doing this.
Or what about businesses advertising their wares on the side of cages or having banners in say the orang utang and gorilla enclosures. The gorillas and orang utans could make shelters with them.
Just a few ideas for people to mull over.
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The people who run the Zoo have little financial savvy putting up the family fee to £120….crashing through the psychologicaly resistant £100 pound mark,in a time of recession when luxury items get the chop, but then why would they need to be commercially aware when bailed out by us…nonsense..like the rubbish catering that was provided,if you had an ounce of care for the retention of repeat custom,you would have addressed that long since..for it is without equal in awfulness…but hey ho ..we give you the dosh…why…?
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The zoo is certainly worth saving. It’s primary purpose is to preserve wildlife. The main workers who actually look after the animals dont get paid any where near what the pen pushers do – im sure! Entry to the zoo is expensive and enough to put many off. Maybe a lower cost would be good as it would encourage MORE people. Also its not a matter of just the entrance fee, most will want refreshment and if they havent taken along thier own picnic will have to purchase from the overpriced cafe and the food is not very tasty. This adds to the thinking that the zoo is bad value.
But as always in Jersey those in power will make the wrong decisions….
Dont get me started on the incinarator, the esplanade quarter, planning……
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#20 I would be very surprised if it wasn’t a condition of the lease, it certainly is with tourist places back home.
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