by Aimee Chlebnik - Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center
Interpreters are champions of the “big idea”. Part of our responsibility in the world of zoos and aquaria is to help our visitors understand how individual species fit into a larger puzzle. For the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, moving away from interpreting solely bears and wolves and toward interpreting our Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in its entirety has been a project several years in the making. This goal has been realized in part by the “sneak preview” opening of our new Golden Eagle Aviary.
In September, we opened the walkway to our new golden eagle aviary. This aviary features rocky cliffs, a waterfall, large trees, and two adult golden eagles. Both eagles are non-releasable birds, spending their lives in captivity after suffering injuries in the wild. It is difficult to pass by them and not be impressed by their size, strength, and regal appearance. In the short time the aviary has been open, I’ve already heard comments like, “Look how big she is!” when faced with the 11 pound female golden eagle, and “Eww…” when the eagles are fed dead rats and begin to gut them with their sharp beaks and talons. It amazes me how a simple experience with our new eagles, void of signage or formal programming, can still cause an innate emotional reaction in our visitors. In the spring, additional raptor exhibits will open, featuring falcons, bald eagles, and owls, providing more opportunities for the GWDC’s visitors to witness a raptor’s power and beauty at close range.
Like bears and wolves, golden eagles require large wild territories, and their species has been threatened in the United States by misunderstandings and conflict with human populations. And, like any top predator, they play a vital role in the health of the ecosystems they inhabit. With the opening of this new exhibit, we hope to eliminate common misunderstandings about raptors and illuminate the connections between these majestic birds and the rest of Yellowstone’s top predators. We hope to see you there!
by Laura Beers - Disney’s Animal Kingdom
I was touring Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park ® for the first time as a new Cast Member and I was part of an all day training class about the park and its history. It was during this class that I learned about our logo and why the silhouettes of four animals (lion, African elephant, sable antelope, and triceratops) as well as a mythical animal (dragon) are standing in front of our park icon, the Tree of Life. The logo represents how we classify the status of wildlife as either: threatened, endangered and extinct plus an extra classification, mythical animals or animals of legend. It wasn’t until a few years ago that we had much to do with the latter classification. That came when we added Expedition Everest, Legend of the Forbidden Mountain. Recently, I learned that we can expect more mythical animals to arrive soon!
Originally, Disney’s Animal Kingdom had plans to devote an entire section of the park to animals of legend and myth, but those plans were put on hold; and, there has always been a buzz amongst Cast Members that we might still try to see those plans through and bring the powerful stories of legend and myth to life. I can now say that the rumor is true! Last week, Disney announced that we have entered into a “creative partnership with James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment and Fox Filmed Entertainment to bring the epic fantasy world of AVATAR to life at our parks” and that Disney’s Animal Kingdom is planned as the site of the first AVATAR-themed land.
As you might imagine, this announcement has been exciting yet controversial. Many feel that it isn’t our business to bring Avatar to life. Mainly because Avatar isn’t a Disney film, it will take away from our strong conservation messages and our animal collection. However, this isn’t the first time that Disney has used a non-Disney film in our parks. One great example is Star Wars; one of the top grossing films in history that was produced by 20th Century Fox. Yet, we have an attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park ® called Star Tours, The Adventures Continues as well as Star Wars weekends in May and June that are popular with many of our Guests.
Others feel that Avatar is a perfect fit. Disney films, parks and resorts have always been about great storytelling and escaping from reality in to the wonderful world of Disney. Even though Avatar wasn’t my favorite film, I have faith in our company’s Imagineers and I know that they will do great things with it. We shall see…what are your thoughts?
If you are interested in reading more about the discussion, here are a few links for you to check out:
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/09/avatar-coming-to-disney-parks/
http://micechat.com/blogs/samland/3145-disneys-animal-kingdom-first-impressions-avatar-land.html
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Disney-to-build-Avatar-apf-2262034163.html?x=0&.v=7
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14998554
by Terry Joyce and Allison Dusenbury, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
Opening this past May at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, African Elephant Crossing is a $25 million, world-class exhibit and conservation center. Zoo guests are able to see the elephants like never before as they engage in a wide range of natural behaviors. This new exhibit offers exceptional viewing areas for Zoo visitors, including open-air viewing, a nose-to-trunk window, and a gated crossing where people can watch as the elephants pass by to migrate from one yard to the next. In addition to elephants, African Elephant Crossing houses naked mole rats, meerkats, an African rock python and a collection of exquisite birds such as green woodhoopoe, Lady Ross’s turaco and the Taveta golden weaver, to name a few.
In addition to being a model for elephant care, African Elephant Crossing demonstrates the Zoo’s commitment to becoming a leader in sustainability. African Elephant Crossing is on track to be the first major outdoor animal exhibit to be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. LEED certification is administered by the U.S. Green Building Council, a membership organization that gives construction companies and architects a quantifiable set of parameters for their projects that are recognized industry-wide as best practices in energy use, environmental impact, use of local resources, reduction of greenhouse gases and sustainability. Some of the key attributes of the exhibit contributing to the LEED certification are:
- More than 90 percent of the construction waste was recycled and diverted from a landfill.
- About a third of the materials used to build the exhibit came from recycled materials.
- The exhibit’s state-of-the-art water filtration system will cut water usage by 72 percent over the former exhibit, from 26.3 million gallons per year to 7.5 million.
- Innovative air systems reclaim over 75 percent of the heat from exhaust air.
- The educational exhibits inform visitors about conservation, sustainability practices and how decisions they make at home can make a difference.
The exhibit’s purpose is to ignite a passion for elephants and other African wildlife and wild places through encouraging understanding of the elephants’ habitat and cultural surroundings, their plight in the wild, and the need for action that will contribute to the conservation of elephants in the wild.
Those that complete programs either at the new exhibit or in a virtual environment are expected to take home the main message that “majestic, amazing and in need of our help, African elephants coexist with people and other living things in a delicate balance for survival. “ The outcome of any program should be that the participant intends to or does take action for African elephants and others that share their environment.
Specifically, the African Elephant Crossing programs focus on two key behaviors we encourage our visitors to participate in: 1) Consuming responsibly when actions affect wildlife and wild places, and 2) Donating personal resources to conservation organizations. Therefore, each of the programs will have cognitive, affective and behavioral objectives that will lead to one or both of these key behaviors. No less important, though, are the programs’ connections with the State of Ohio and national trends in science education. To guarantee that each of these objectives is met, Zoo staff work with a professional education advisory committee, as well as education evaluators from Kent State University, The Ohio State University and the Institute for Learning Innovation in the development and evaluation phases.
Interpretation builds the bridge between exhibit elements within African Elephant Crossing and our guests. Staff and volunteer led interpretative interactions are therefore a cornerstone of African Elephant Crossing. Staff and volunteers are the voices of the exhibit, sharing the stories to connect with guests and encourage stewardship. Staff members have the ability to be anywhere the elephants are located and can utilize a microphone system along the outer path of African Elephant Crossing to talk to larger groups or during a crossing. Conservation Education staff has developed several conversational interpretation “programs” for use when posting. Topics covered include natural history, culture, sustainability and more.
To learn more, please see www.clemetzoo.com or www.africanelephantcrossing.com.
For questions about Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s African Elephant Crossing exhibit, please contact Allison Dusenbury at aed@clevelandmetroparks.com or Terry Joyce, ZWPA Secretary/Treasurer at taj@clevelandmetroparks.com .
by Aimee Chlebnik, Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center
The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, MT will now offer complimentary admission to any current NAI member. We’ve long offered free admission to professional animal keepers, and would now like to extend that invitation to professional interpreters as well. Just show your membership card or current membership pin to our admissions staff to receive your free admission, good for two consecutive days. Hope to see you here!
With less than a month to go, the NAI National Workshop is just around the corner! With so many incredible sessions and speakers to “put there just a spark”, you are sure to catch fire with inspiration! The Zoos, Wildlife Parks & Aquaria section is pleased to announce a $300 scholarship for the NAI National Workshop Heartland Homecoming November 8 – 12, 2011 . Applicants must be a member of Zoos, Wildlife Parks & Aquaria and must be able to attend the workshop. Application is easy, click here for a info. Hurry! Application deadline is October 31.
