University of Chester academic recognised for conservation education work
Una Meehan received a national Chester Zoo award after years of collaboration on teacher training, school projects and conservation education.
By Chester Standard
A University of Chester academic who has worked with Chester Zoo for more than a decade has received a national award recognising her contribution to conservation education.
Una Meehan, Deputy Head of Childhood, Education and Professional Development at the university, was named winner of the Significant Contribution to Conservation Education Award at Chester Zoo’s National Conservation Education Awards 2026.
The award recognised her long-standing work connecting education, conservation and the arts, including projects involving school pupils, trainee teachers and conservation professionals.
Meehan has collaborated with Chester Zoo for around 14 years. That work has included summer school projects for pupils and supporting trainee teachers to incorporate conservation themes into classroom teaching through creative subjects.
More recently, she worked with the zoo on the University of Chester’s Postgraduate Certificate in Conservation and Sustainability Education.
The qualification, developed and delivered in collaboration with Chester Zoo, is aimed at educators, conservation professionals and people working in sustainability. It explores how conservation and environmental issues can be taught in settings ranging from schools and community organisations to zoos and museums.
The university describes it as one of the first dedicated postgraduate qualifications for conservation educators. The 60-credit PGCert can be completed as a full qualification or through individual modules, with the next intake scheduled to begin in January 2027.
Meehan is also the university’s Knowledge Exchange Champion and is undertaking a PhD examining nature connectedness and the role the arts can play in conservation education.
She said receiving the award had come as a surprise and reflected on how her understanding of conservation had developed through working alongside Chester Zoo.
She said the collaboration had shown her that environmental challenges could draw on knowledge and experience from different disciplines, rather than being treated solely as issues for conservation specialists.
Paul Bissell, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of Chester, said the institution recognised the importance of conservation and welcomed the development of the postgraduate programme.
He said the course had been made possible through Meehan’s work with partner organisations and described Chester Zoo’s recognition of her wider conservation education work as deserved.
Chester Zoo said Meehan was selected for her long-term commitment to conservation education and her work to improve outcomes for young people and the environment.
The zoo’s awards programme also recognised schools, educators and projects working to involve young people in conservation and sustainability education.