February 1st, 1997 - December 31st, 2000 | PROJECT
The Wildlife Conservation Society will develop "Congo Gorilla Forest." This will be a 6.5 acre outdoor exhibit that will provide visitors with a realistic trip through a living Congo Ecosystem, ending in an arms-length observation of a colony of 30 Lowland Gorillas living in a natural setting. The science presented in this exhibit is based on much of the seminal research that has been carried out on the Congo Forest environment by scientists at the Zoo. During their trip visitors will be able to explore and develop their own insights into this dynamic ecosystem and at the end will be drawn into difficult conservation issues. The exhibit will include the Rain Forest Trail, Living Treasures of the Congo Gallery, Conservation Showcase and Theater, Great Apes Gallery, and the Conservation Choices Pavilion. In addition there will be a menu of complementary formal education materials to include parent workshops, teacher training activities, and instructional materials. Linkages have been made with the New York Urban Systemic Initiative and the formal education programs will complement the goals of this systemic initiative. Given the Zoo's location in the Bronx, given the Zoo's reputation as a leader in wildlife conservation, and given the Zoo's renewed commitment to quality visitor experience and learning activities, this exhibit will break new ground in the exhibition of animals and informal learning activities of visitors. It will have an impact on zoos throughout the world. They anticipate 750,000 visitors annually for the Congo Gorilla Forest.
Project Website(s)
(no project website provided)
Team Members
John Gwynne, Principal Investigator, Wildlife Conservation SocietyAnnette Berkovits, Co-Principal Investigator, Wildlife Conservation Society
Funders
Funding Source: NSF
Funding Program: ISE/AISL
Award Number: 9614738
Funding Amount: 2487169
Tags
Audience: Educators | Teachers | General Public | Museum | ISE Professionals | Parents | Caregivers
Discipline: Ecology | forestry | agriculture | History | policy | law | Life science
Resource Type: Project Descriptions
Environment Type: Aquarium and Zoo Exhibits | Exhibitions | Museum and Science Center Programs | Professional Development | Conferences | Networks | Professional Development and Workshops | Public Programs