The Zoological Lighting Institute
Supporting the Sciences of Light and Life through the Arts for Animal Welfare and Wildlife Conservation
SCIENCE
ZLI Framework
ARTS
PhotoDiversity Media
ANIMAL WELFARE
Light and the Five Domains
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
ZLI Campaigns
Light shapes life on Earth. From the migration of birds to the courtship signals of fireflies, living systems create and depend on natural patterns of brightness, darkness, and seasonal change. Physically speaking, we are all 'beings of light'.
The Zoological Lighting Institute (ZLI) advances research, storytelling, and practical solutions that protect animals and ecosystems affected by changing light environments. Through collaborations with scientists, artists, and conservation partners, ZLI works to improve animal welfare, strengthen biodiversity, and promote healthier relationships between human development and the natural world.
Our work connects science, engaging media, and animal welfare to wildlife conservation.
Global Campaigns to Stress SDG Value
ZLI’s Campaigns translate light science, animal welfare, and cultural engagement into practical conservation initiatives. These projects address key aspects of human welfare, recognizing the importance of light across Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and for human dignity.
Current Campaigns include:
- Accommodation – supporting wildlife-sensitive development and human coexistence
- Activation –supporting reproductive and sexual health
- Adaptation –countering bias and hate with evolutionary science
- Bearanoia – advancing neurogical health by managing anxieties through play
- Insect Apocalypse – protecting pollinators, food security, and agricultural continuity
- Monkey See – education, technology/training, and ecological responsibility
- Otohime's Time – recognizing the importance of natural light for whole life awareness / participation
- Save a Billion Birds – improving nature access while reducing bird collisions with buildings
- Synchronicity – researching biological timing for ecological viability
Together these campaigns promote wildlife conservation as an actionable response to biodiversity loss and climate change, connecting scientific research to practical environmental solutions.
Explore ZLI Campaigns
Discover ZLI’s campaign pages and partnership opportunities.
Doing the Work
Four Institutional Departments
advance research, inform decisions, implement best practices and produce media in support of the sciences of light and life
in line with ZLI Campaign mandates
Fund Research
Creates Solutions
Monitor Light
Engages Audiences
