Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
in autumn. Our wetlands exhibits attract large numbers of migrating water-
fowl. They are attracted to the water, and also to the on-demand feeders
that offer duck food to our exhibit animals. One of our ponds, close to
Rock Creek, attracted a muskrat, which we encouraged to become resident
by providing it with a nice den and a supplementary diet. Attracting mam-
mals is a more complex matter, but houses for bats and flying squirrels are
a good possibility. Frogs and newts can be seeded into our ponds. Immi-
grants can be a mixed blessing, since they are not quarantined and they may
introduce pests and diseases.
8
THE EDUCATIONAL EXPLOITATION OF BIOPARK NATURAL
HISTORY
Many a zoo fails to use the educational assets of the park in which its build-
ings are set. Such assets are largely independent of the zoo's horticultural
style, which may range from “imperial” formal (as in the great Tiergarten
Schonbrunn of Vienna) to the very different formalism of some Japanese
zoos. In contrast to such stylistic approaches are the relative informality of
the otherwise disciplined gardens of most US zoos, the tropical splendors
of the Colombo Zoo in Sri Lanka, and the great impeccable gardens and
real forests of the Singapore Zoo. Despite the spectrum of so many styles,
species of plants, and climates, with the consequent differences in wild ani-
mals that they attract, large and small, all zoos have a great potential to be
used to tell great biological stories. Even those zoos that are islands within
cities can tell stories of urban natural history.The gardens are a good start-
ing point from which to begin the evolution from zoo to biopark, since
they are the least expensive places to change. (Built exhibits are difficult to
change quickly.)
Species richness is useful in natural history education. At the National
Zoo, we have developed two series of graphic panels under the themes
“Science in the Park” and “Backyard Biology.” These deal, respectively,
with research carried out by Smitsonian researchers and with plants and
animals in the park. “Science in the Park” is only indirectly related to nat-
ural history, although studies of the squirrel population conducted by one
of the Department of Zoological Research scientists will eventually be
highlighted. Other planned “Science in the Park” signs cover a wide range
of biological topics, including lactation in humans and other mammals, a
subject that we feel will be of great interest to visiting mothers.
