This paper discusses the evolution of zoo exhibits from cages to naturalistic enclosures and the research of these exhibits. It focuses on an evaluation of the Gorillas of Cameroon exhibit located in the Ford African Rain Forest of Zoo Atlanta. This paper presents findings from the study that mainly focus on the visitor responses to the exhibit.
This paper the development and success of an ambitious plan launched by the Philadelphia Zoo in late 1970's and early 1980s to streamline operating procedures, repair and replace buildings and exhibits, and evaluate and upgrade visitor services. A key part of this service strategy was a visitor survey, which aimed to identify weaknesses and provide regular feedback for operating staff and management. A copy of this questionnaire is included in this paper.
In this paper, researchers from University of Michigan discuss a major problem facing zoo administrators in major urban metropolitan areas: the relevance and attraction of urban zoos to inner-city minority residents. They present an overview of the methodology and findings from a study that examined zoo visitation to the Detroit Zoo by white and minority residents of Detroit.
In this paper, Elin Kelsey describes the planning and design process for the new "Arctic Canada" exhibit at the Vancouver Aquarium. Kelsey discusses a number of parameters whose consideration will provide a more reliable basis for making hte kinds of decisions that exhibit planners must make.
This is a brief abstract of Donald Thompson's Master's Thesis at Jacksonville State University. Thompson studied over 5600 visitor groups at the Birmingham Zoo as they passed throu the entrance of the Predator House and studied visitor responses to interpretive signs of varied lengths, type sizes and proximities.
This is a brief abstract of Ted W. Finlay's Master's Thesis at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Finlay's research evaluated the effects of background settings on the perceptions of animals.
In this article, Albert Ndayitwayeko, AFGRAD Fellow at the University of Florida, and John J. Koran, Jr., Professor and Curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History, analyze the informal education field in the Republic of Burundi, a small country located in Central Africa. This discussion focuses on natural history museums and zoos, their exhibits and visitor behavior, which may serve as a valuable and less expensive adjunct to formal learning.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Albert NdayitwayekoJohn J. Koran, Jr.
In this article, Jacksonville State University's Stephen Bitgood discusses findings from a study that examined two aspects of the public image of visitor facilities: the expectations of what is likely to be found at different types of facilities; and, some general perceptions of these different types of visitor facilities. Facility types included science museums, history museums, historic sites, state parks, natural history museums, and art museums.
The National Zoological Park, a component of the Smithsonian Institution, proposes transforming three traditional zoo exhibit buildings into centers for informal science learning. Based on current knowledge about learning, the proposed project will feature interactive elements as well as the greater use of human interpreters to help visitors examine animals, handle objects and play games. The project is to be a collaborative effort by the National Zoological Park, the Dallas Zoo and Zoo Atlanta, with the National Zoo developing the materials and making and shipping copies to Dallas and Atlanta as centers for tryout and evaluation, with the results of the studies going to other zoos in way of encouraging them of the importance of interactive science education.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Judith WhiteJames MurphyDale MarcelliniJeffrey Swanagan
The National Aquarium in Baltimore will create 20 interactive interpretive exhibits relating to cetaceans as an integral part of a new Marine Mammal complex opening in 1989. Exhibits will complement cetacean behavior demonstrations conducted by mammologists in a 1300 seat marine amphitheater. Exhibit topics and content will be developed in response to survey and evaluation data on popular interests and misconceptions about marine mammals by a design team consisting of aquarium staff, educators, marine scientists, designers, and evaluators. The resulting interactive exhibits will be seen by one and a half million visitors a year in an exhibit area adjacent to the marine amphitheater where visitors will gather prior to and after scheduled demonstrations. NSF project support will be matched by an equal contribution from the National Aquarium.
The Brookfield Zoo, operated by the Chicago Zoological Society, will develop a participatory exhibition on avian anatomy, physiology, behavior and ecology, "Be a Bird", whose overall goal is to bring biology to life with participatory exhibits in a zoo setting. The Brookfield Zoo will design and construct a permanent exhibition that uses discovery learning concepts to improve visitor understanding of birds and to motivate visitors to observe avian behavior in their everyday lives. Accompanying evaluation activities will contribute to a better understanding of informal education methods in zoos.