2025 sees the first ever Nordic Zookeeper Summit, a new conference that gather Zoo professionals from Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden to network and learn! The conference is organized by Svenska Djurparksföreningen / The Swedish Association of Zoos and Aquaria (SDF / SAZA) and Korkeasaari Zoo in Helsinki is our 2025 host.
The conference is open to staff working at SAZA member Zoos as well as non-members. Make sure you register early as spaces are limited and expected to sell out.
Dates: 4-5 December 2025
Venue: Korkeasaari Zoo, Helsinki, Finland
Language: English
About the Programme
The theme for this years’ conference is behavioral management for animal welfare. Each day, our expert guest speakers will cover the topics of animal training and environmental enrichment. The program includes presentations in the Zoo, practical workshops and group discussions. There will be plenty of time to engage with speakers and fellow attendees and to ask questions.
Registration
The price of the conference includes the two-day conference, coffee breaks and lunch during both days. Travel, accommodation and evening meals are not included. Please note that accommodation must be booked separately.
Spaces are limited and expected to sell out.
Price: Staff from SAZA member Zoos: 1 500 SEK, Staff from non-member Zoos: 3 150 SEK
Payment: At this time, SAZA can only accept payment by invoice. Please provide the necessary details when registering.
Cancellation policy: All registrations for the Nordic Zookeeper Conference are binding and payment is made by invoice. Should you require to cancel your registration, please note:
• Up to 30 days before the event: Full refund.
• 7–29 days before the event: Refund minus a handling fee of 500 SEK.
• 6 days or less before the event: No refund will be given.
Substitutions: If you are unable to attend, you may transfer your registration to a colleague at no additional cost. Please inform us in writing with the new participant’s details as soon as possible: info@djurparksforeningen.se
Guest speakers
Dr. Kirstin Anderson Hansen
Dr. Kirstin Anderson Hansen
Kirstin began her career in animal training in 1989 at the University of California’s Long Marine Laboratory in Santa Cruz, where she continued as a trainer at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. In 1998, she moved to Denmark to help develop the animal training and research program at Fjord&Bælt. From 2003 – 2013, she was the assistant curator and later the zoological curator at Odense Zoo, where she co-founded the Animal Training and Behavior Courses for DAZA and EAZA. After completing her PhD in bioacoustics and behavior in 2017, she became head of training and research at University of Southern Denmark’s marine research institute/Fjord&Bælt. She is currently head of research and animal welfare at Odense Zoo.
Kirstin co-founded the Animal Training and Behavior Course and Animal Training Working Groups for the Danish Association for Zoos and Aquariums (DAZA) and the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA). She is currently a member of the research committee and California sea lion species committee for the EAZA.
Mark Kingston Jones & Chris Hales
Mark Kingston Jones
Mark has been involved in the animal welfare field since 2004. He is the Co-Founder of ‘Team Building with BITE’, and Workshop Coordinator and Level 1 Instructor for international charity ‘The Shape of Enrichment, Inc.’. In addition to running 34 of his own Student Environmental Enrichment Courses, in the UK, he has been an instructor on 27 SHAPE workshops and 9 others, in the UK, USA, Indonesia, South Africa, Romania, Russia, Lithuania, Uganda, Vietnam, Singapore, Armenia, India and Croatia.
After completing his BSc in Psychology from the University of Stirling, he began his career at Blair Drummond Safari Park, Scotland. He then moved to Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks, Kent, where previous to becoming self-employed in 2014, he worked as ‘Head of Education and Research’. In addition to organizing talks, workshops and conferences he has organized over 280 team building enrichment events, as well as working with keepers to design and implement enrichment ideas. Mark is on the Regional SHAPE-UK & Ireland committee, an Enrichment Advisor for the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) Animal Behaviour and Training Working Group, an American Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) Enrichment Instructor, and an Advisor (formally Trustee) for Lakeview Monkey Sanctuary. He has been an author/co-author on 14 publications and presented 72 talks and workshops at conferences, both nationally and internationally.
Chris Hales
Chris is a level 2 Instructor for SHAPE, having run 33 Student Environmental Enrichment Courses in the UK, and 9 SHAPE keeper workshops in Brazil, India, the USA and UK. He worked as a wild animal keeper, filling numerous roles including departmental head and deputy head, between 1998-2020. He has specialised in carnivores and hoofstock, but has experience across a wide range of taxa. Chris specialises in designing, developing, and constructing complex but user friendly enrichment devices, taking the practical viewpoint that to be functional they must also work for the keepers operating them to advance animal care, this includes 10 unique climbing frames for goats. Through contacted builds, he has designed and built 5 full enclosures from scratch, and furnished an additional 10. His passion is sharing these designs and skills both online and through practical conference presentations, as well as the various workshops and team builds he teaches. He has presented talks and posters at several national and international conferences, winning titles for best presentation at two of these conferences, along with being an invited speaker at the Brazilian Regional Environmental Enrichment Conference. He has been a co-author on 4 published papers and over the last few years has been heavily involved in team training, co-founding Team Building with BITE and running over 300 events.
Accommodation (optional)
There are numerous hotels nearby, however SAZA have arranged a discounted rate for participants at Scandic Hakianiemi. Use booking code CGRO at Scandic Hotels to receive a reduced rate when paying at the time of booking.
• Guests may choose their preferred room type.
• Cancellation policy varies depending on the chosen reservation type.
• A valid credit card is required to confirm the booking.
• Rooms are subject to availability – please book at least 10 days prior to arrival.
• Scandic Friends’ loyalty members should check for additional offers.
Travel information
Getting to Helsinki
Finnair, SAS and Norwegian all offer direct flights to Helsinki airport (HEL) from cities such as Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo, Billund and Gothenburg. Viking Line operates a regular ferry between Stockholm and Helsinki.
Getting from the airport to the city
By train
Helsinki Airport's train station is located under the terminal. There is a direct elevator and escalator connection from the departures and arrivals hall to the train station. Local I and P trains operate to and from Helsinki Airport. A train ride to Helsinki City Centre takes about 30 minutes. Local train tickets can be purchased from HSL's mobile app, or from the ticket machine at the train platform. Timetables, tickets and fares for local trains can be found on: https://www.hsl.fi/en
You can travel easily from Helsinki Airport to all around Finland with only one train ticket. It’s convenient to change from the local I and P trains to long distance trains at Tikkurila and Pasila train stations.
By bus
Helsinki Airport's bus station is located outside the Arrivals hall.
Bus route 600 operates between Helsinki Airport and Helsinki City Centre. The travel time is about 40 minutes. Tickets can be purchased online on HSL's mobile app, or at the bus station's ticket machine. Read more about tickets and fares from: https://www.hsl.fi/en
There are various bus connections between Helsinki Airport and Turku, Tampere and other cities in Finland. Read more about the schedules and fares from: https://www.matkahuolto.fi/en
By taxi
When you arrive at Helsinki Airport by taxi, the car will drop you off right in front of the terminal. If you leave the airport by taxi, you will find the taxi station outside the Arrivals hall. There are four taxi lanes, and you can choose which lane and which taxi company you want to use. The taxi companies that have an agreement with the airport company Finavia operate from the lanes. These are FixuTaxi, Taksi Helsinki. Menevä-taksi and Lähitaksi. The fares for taxis are indicated on the taxi station.
Pre-booked taxis are waiting for passengers at the pick-up area on the first floor of the P2 parking hall.
Information about our host
Korkeasaari Zoo was established in 1889 as a teaching and educational facility to provide an uplifting pastime in a public park. Today, Korkeasaari Zoo’s mission is to inspire visitors and protect endangered animals and their habitats. As a non-profit foundation, the zoo actively contributes to conservation both on-site and in the wild through research, breeding programs, wildlife rescue, and international collaboration. Korkeasaari is home to several European studbooks and exhibits and supports species like the European forest reindeer, Bearded vulture and Amur leopard.
At its core, Korkeasaari Zoo is steered by values such as animal welfare, sustainability, customer orientation, transparency, equity and economic efficiency.
Please visit Korkeasaari Zoo website to learn more before your visit.
Information about Helsinki
Helsinki, the capital of Finland, is a vibrant Nordic city that offers a unique atmosphere in December. The city is beautifully decorated with Christmas lights, creating a warm atmosphere. Visitors can explore the famous Helsinki Christmas Market in Senate Square, where wooden stalls sell local crafts, seasonal treats, and hot mulled wine. The city’s design district and boutique shops are perfect for finding unique gifts. For those who enjoy outdoor activities, December provides the chance to go ice skating in the center of town or experience Finnish sauna culture, often combined with a refreshing dip in icy water. A visit to the Helsinki Cathedral or the modern Oodi Library offers both culture and relaxation. If you are lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights on clear nights.
Information about SAZA (The Swedish Association of Zoos and Aquaria)
The Swedish Association of Zoos and Aquaria (Svenska Djurparksföreningen, SDF) is a national network of zoos, animal care educational institutions, Tropical houses and aquariums with members in Sweden, Norway and Finland. The association provides a platform for collaboration and promotes knowledge exchange among its members through working groups, conferences, and shared projects. Its goal is to support professional standards in Swedish zoos and facilitate cooperation on topics that affect animals, staff, and visitors alike. SAZA also serves as a contact point for authorities, the media, and international organizations such as WAZA and IUCN.
For more information and questions please contact: info@djurparksforeningen.se
