Barry Noble Wakeman (1939-September 21, 2004) was an American naturalist and educator.

Born in Glenridge, New Jersey, he became interested in nature as a child, having explored the woods near his home. He received a B.S. in biology from Colegate University and a M.S. in botany from Indiana University. He served in the Peace Corps in Uganda.

After working as a curator at the Oklahoma City Zoo he came to the Cincinnati Zoo in 1968. That year he was part of an expedition to Antarctica, where he visited the South Pole and brought penguins to Cincinnati. At the Cincinnati Zoo he worked to teach children about nature, establishing the Junior Zoologist Club for twelve-to-sixteen year olds in 1968. This became a model for other zoos. He became the Cincinnati Zoo's director of education in 1974 and retired in 1995. But after leaving the zoo he was still busy, serving as director of the Nature Academy, another program for young people, and at the Highland Nature Santuary in Bainbridge, Ohio.

He died at his home in Pierce Township, Clermont County, Ohio.

References

• Rebecca Goodman. "Barry N. Wakeman was zoo denizen." The Cincinnati Enquirer. September 30, 2004. C12.