Fox News Digital spoke to researcher Jason Hayes at the Heritage Foundation about the far-left push within the environmental and wildlife conservation space.
FIRST ON FOX: As the Trump administration continues to crack down on far-left messaging and agenda items within the Smithsonian Institution, a Fox News Digital review found that the Smithsonian National Zoo has been adopting "woke" messaging and programming of its own over the past several years.
Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, which hosts roughly 2 million visitors each year at its Washington, D.C. national zoo and operates a global conservation research program spanning more than 40 countries, has placed an emphasis on issues like DEI and climate change, according to its own website.
"Gender equity, civil liberties and justice are necessary ingredients for peace and prosperity, but they also have a direct impact on resource use and climate change," a 2021 article on the organization’s website reads.
The article, written by seabird ecologist Autumn-Lynn Harrison and coral biologist Mary Hagedorn, makes the case that "one direct way we can bolster climate action is by addressing inequities in health and education across the globe."
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A Fox News Digital review found the National Zoo has promoted DEI, LGBTQ and environmental-justice initiatives. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images 😉
Searching "climate change" on the Zoo’s website yields almost 400 results, including articles warning about its impacts on vernal pools, salamanders, wildfires, coral nurseries, and a variety of other aspects of wildlife.
In addition to attempting to root out political messaging in the Smithsonian, which Fox News Digital has extensively reported on, the Trump administration has also placed a focus on rooting out DEI practices within the federal government, practices that appear to be a high priority for the Smithsonian Zoo.
"Diversity and inclusion are integral to all aspects of the Smithsonian Institution's operations and key components of the Smithsonian Strategic Plan," the 2023 Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report, which includes several pages specific to the Zoo’s DEI efforts, explains.
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The report outlines several DEI programs undertaken by the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute during that fiscal year, including diversity-focused internships, LGBTQ family programming at the Zoo featuring rainbow-themed animal enrichment, and efforts to promote inclusive language in the Zoo and aquarium profession.
"Americans visit zoos to learn about conservation efforts and admire animals, not to be shamed or feel guilt-ridden," Independent Women’s Forum Center for Energy and Conservation director Gabriella Hoffman told Fox News Digital. "Conservation has, sadly, been infiltrated by elements of DEI, ESG, and climate alarmism. This invites confusion and division into a space that should be science-first."
A 2021 Smithsonian Magazine article promoted how the National Zoo helped launch the Association of Minority Zoo and Aquarium Professionals, aimed at increasing racial and ethnic minority representation in Zoo and aquarium careers through networking, outreach, mentorship and professional development.
"As the curator of large carnivores at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and a black man in the zoo field, I have long been keenly aware of the dearth of black and brown faces in my chosen field," Smithsonian curator Craig Saffoe wrote in the article headlined: "Why a Group of Zoo and Aquarium Professionals Wants to Ensure the Future of Their Field Is More Inclusive."
