The OKC Zoo and Botanical Garden sends this information as posted below:
Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden Conservation Scientist, Dr. Emily Geest has been named a United Nations Association (UNA)-United States of America Global Goal Ambassador for SDG Life on Land. The Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, are part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by all the United Nations member states in 2015. There are 17 SDGs, with ambassadors selected for each one to serve as part of a working-group cohort.
“It’s an amazing cohort of individuals from all backgrounds focusing on each of these sustainable development goals. Life on Land, or SDG 15, is terrestrial conservation-focused, but working within this cohort, we’re all sharing information about our areas of expertise and finding connections,” Dr. Geest said. “We’re finding ways that terrestrial conservation impacts poverty, hunger, ecology, education, and more.”
Geest’s area of expertise is insect conservation and ecology and she’s found connections through the UNA-USA program to people who come from completely different backgrounds and mindsets. While she’s able to elevate and share information and concerns from local partners to a global audience, she’s also bringing back an understanding of the global agency that local conservationists can use to have a bigger impact.
“Researchers are always looking for a deeper understanding of nuanced problems,” added Geest. “What I’m learning is that the same is true in a macro sense, as well. If we want to solve big problems in any field, we have to see how those problems and solutions connect to other issues.”
She’s found that some of the initiatives taken by local conservation groups can have a global impact, including re-use and recycle programs, mitigating light pollution, and more.
“Dr. Geest truly embodies the Zoo’s mission to connect people to wildlife and wild places, inspiring them to take conservation action,” said OKC Zoo Executive Director and CEO, Dr. Dwight Lawson. “We are immensely proud to see the same fire and determination she uses when studying monarch butterflies and other pollinators being applied to large-scale conservation goals around the world.”
“The United Nations is a massive international organization addressing issues all over the world,” Geest said. “It’s amazing to think my input could have an impact on global initiatives.”
Since joining the OKC Zoo, Geest has spearheaded a number of research projects, including monarch butterfly tagging—with a record number of 350 tagged in 2025. Geest traveled deep into rural Oklahoma in search of rare milkweed plants, which are vital for butterfly populations. Her team gathered seedpods from critically imperiled milkweed varieties and brought them to the OKC Zoo’s horticulture team to raise as part of a headstart program, to bolster the plants in the wild. She also heads up insect surveys of fireflies, dragonflies, and bees at the Zoo and across the state. The information she gathers is used in a variety of ways—confirming the presence of different species of insects, studying the effects of light pollution, sharing data with other research scientists, and more.
Established in 1902, the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden inspires more than a million visitors annually to take action to conserve wildlife and wild places. From education programs to scientific research, the OKC Zoo is working to save species regionally and worldwide. The OKC Zoo is located at the crossroads of I-44 and I-35 and a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the American Alliance of Museums, and Oklahoma City’s Adventure District.
During the OKC Zoo’s Winter Hours, Monday, December 1 through Wednesday, February 4, 2026, park hours will be open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday/Sunday with last entry at 4 p.m. The park will be closed to guests during the day on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Purchase Zoo admission in advance at okczoo.org/tickets to avoid the entry lines. For more Zoo information, connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Linktree, TikTok, and by visiting our blog stories.
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