Thinking outside the box

Creating immersive, fun and educational experiences for guests is Cristina Heredia’s passion as Zoo Miami’s exhibit manager with the Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces (PROS) Department. With a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Florida International University, she began her career at the zoo in 2000 as an Education Specialist working for the zoo’s supporting entity, Zoological Society of Florida. In 2003, she was promoted to Exhibits Specialist and in 2005, Heredia was hired as Zoo Miami’s (then Miami MetroZoo) Exhibits Manager. 

During her tenure, Heredia has curated several highly popular traveling exhibits, including Scoop on Poop, Reptiles: The Beautiful and the Deadly, Discovering Chimpanzees: The Remarkable Work of Jane Goodall and National Geographic’s Crittercam. She was also a key member of the team that designed the Conservation Acton Center, which opened in 2021 to showcase the vital conservation work of zoos. Recently, she curated Dinos Among Us, an immersive experience featuring twenty life-size animatronic dinosaurs that move and roar. This captivating exhibit, which opened on the weekend of February 22 to an impressive turnout of nearly 15,500 guests, will be at Zoo Miami until September 2025.

In addition to her work on traveling exhibits, Heredia has introduced a series of engaging and educational shows to the Amphitheater. From the thrilling Reptiles Unleased in 2018, showcasing exotic reptiles, to the high-energy Canine Champions for Conservation dog show in 2023, guests have delighted in these diverse and dynamic presentations. Aligned with the zoo’s conservation mission, Heredia also helped form a partnership with the Animal Services Department to host their mobile Hope Express unit at the zoo. This collaboration has resulted in over 85 dog adoptions since January 2024. 

Heredia prides herself on thinking outside the box to bring unique experiences to zoo guests to inspire them to learn about and conserve wildlife. Diana Vega, Zoo Miami’s Chief of Operations, describes Heredia as having “a passion and enthusiasm that’s contagious and gets others excited and thinking of ways to bring her vision to life.”

When not creating immersive experiences at the zoo, Heredia loves spending time with good friends and family, traveling, visiting renaissance festivals and museums, practicing archery, horseback riding and being a foodie.