Blog: Interview with Kirsten Warren new director of Knowsley Safari

What motivates someone to run a safari park? Get to know Kirsten Warren, Safari Director, Knowsley Safari….

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to be director of Knowsley Safari?

For the last decade I worked for the National Trust as General Manager for portfolios of the charity’s properties, both historic buildings and land. This included some notable regional landmarks, such as the Dunham Massey estate. Prior to that I ran visitor operations at museums and heritage sites in London, so it was a fitting progression for me to bring my expertise to Knowsley Safari, which is punching above its weight as a regional visitor attraction.

I’m really enjoying immersing myself in the world of zoos and safaris. We’re fortunate to be able to combine a successful commercial visitor business alongside conservation and education projects. We help protect threatened species around the world, as well as supporting communities, both local and further afield.

What made you want to lead Knowsley Safari?

Over my career I have realised that there are three things that make me enthusiastic about going to work. The first is the chance to do my bit to prevent further decline of local and global habitats and the species within those habitats. The second is creating high quality visitor experiences that the organisation I work for can be proud of. The third is a desire that I have long held to contribute to the preservation of historic estates because I feel that they have intrinsic historical, cultural, landscape and even biodiversity importance for the UK. This role gives me the opportunity to indulge all three of those areas of interest.

I am rapidly discovering that zoo professionals are amongst the most energetic and passionate people you can find, which makes it a joy to be around the team here - and you really can’t ask more than ending a day feeling more upbeat than you started it.

How would you describe your leadership style? 

As something of a generalist, I recognise that it’s not me but the team that carries the deep knowledge and experience, and I value that hugely. The worst thing a manager can do is think they can do everyone else’s jobs, but I do like to be curious about my team’s worlds and to challenge and support to enable them to be the best they can be. I try to set clear direction, but then get out of the way so that they have the freedom to use their talents to bring our aims to life. Admittedly I will interject to nudge projects along and ensure that priorities stay front and centre, but as far as I can I try to be an enabler. I often say that my job is primarily to watch all the plates, spot the ones that are just starting to wobble and do what I need to in order to keep them spinning. 

What excites you about leading Knowsley?

I’m only three months into this role so I am not yet over the thrill of seeing animals on my daily walkabout and learning more about them. More generally, I am very driven by the notion of making where I work the best it can be with the resources available; that can be everything from large-scale projects, to developing localised community and research programmes, as well as the important day-to-day interventions we can implement to make the lives of our animals, staff and guests better.

I am also looking forward to learning more about the partnerships with various wildlife trusts and organisations; previously I tended to think of zoo and safari work as focussed on animals or rainforests or savanna plains, so to find that we’re an active partner in a native red squirrel conservation project was both surprising and gratifying.

What does the future hold for the safari park? 

Knowsley Safari has just celebrated its 50^th anniversary and is hugely loved by generations who have grown up making memories here. A key aim for me is to ensure that we keep providing an experience that makes people want to come back time and again, and then to bring their children and their grandchildren for another 50 years. The team here is bubbling with ideas about how to do that so all I need to do is channel that energy. We will be focusing on animal welfare and visitor experience, as well as finding new ways to engage with communities further afield. We’ll also be continuing involvement in significant conservation projects, where we can really make a difference, both here and around the world. 

What do you see as the role for a modern safari park?

From my early ‘deep pond-dip’ into the world of zoos and safaris, it has quickly become clear, and indeed is no surprise, that discussion about our responsibility to effect positive change in the context of climate change and the resulting impact on animals and habitats (both domestic and overseas) is front and centre in the industry at the moment, and rightly so. David Attenborough’s often quoted observation is ever-present in my mind: ‘nobody will protect what they don’t care about and nobody will care about what they haven’t experienced’. This resonates with me because it has both people and experience at the heart of the sentiment. It’s said that people don’t remember what you said to them but they do remember how you made them feel, and our success as both businesses and change agents for the natural world rely on us being able to create experiences that leave our visitors with strong positive feelings.

Additionally, health and wellbeing have never been more important than in the post-Covid world, and I think we have a role in that arena too; safaris, zoos and aquariums can provide a huge amount of support in terms of beauty, wonder and connection. Even if visitors don’t immediately change their habits or buying behaviours after their visit, having them leave us feeling better in themselves than when they arrived should be considered a success in its own right - and may be enough to prompt a spark of curiosity. If we really get it right, a visit may even encourage them to climb the next rung on the engagement ladder.

A success for any zoo or safari is a success for the industry – and the planet - which makes us colleagues, not competition and I love that. 

By Kirsten Warren,

Director of Safari, Knowsley Safari

www.knowsleysafariexperience.co.uk