Episode 163: Former Smithsonian National Zoo Director John Berry on leading the Honolulu Zoo

On this week’s episode of the One O‘ahu Podcast, John Berry, new zoo director for the Honolulu Zoo joins host Brandi Higa to talk about taking on this new leadership position, what’s prepared him for this role, and the importance of protecting Hawai‘i’s native species.

Aloha, John Berry!

The City and County of Honolulu has welcomed one of the nation’s most accomplished conservation and public service leaders as the new Director of the Honolulu Zoo. John Berry, whose distinguished career spans leadership roles in wildlife conservation, government, diplomacy, and nonprofit management, most recently served as President of the American Australian Association and previously held senior federal positions, including U.S. Ambassador to Australia and Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

For the zoo community, Berry is perhaps best known for his successful tenure as Director of the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C., one of the nation’s premier zoo institutions.

Berry also brings a longstanding connection to Hawaiʻi. During his service with the U.S. Department of the Interior, he helped lead the Native Hawaiian Reconciliation process, giving him a deep appreciation for Hawaiʻi’s unique cultural and environmental stewardship responsibilities.

Protecting Hawai‘i’s Native Species

Protecting native Hawaiian species and educating the community about the importance of environmental stewardship remains part of the mission at the Honolulu Zoo. On this week’s episode of the One O ‘ahu Podcast, Zoo Director John Berry discusses ongoing work to protect the ‘anianiau, the Hawaiian honeycreeper, and the kāhuli, Hawai‘i’s native tree snails, while drawing on the success of other programs in the past.

“We were involved in the Nene recovery,” explained Director Berry. “Which was a successful recovery. We’ve been able to release so many back into the wild with our partner organizations that the Nene has been downgraded from the endangered species list.”

To find out more about the conservation programs at the Honolulu Zoo or to plan your next visit, please visit https://www.honoluluzoo.org/