CLR’s principals have traveled extensively to observe wild animals in their native habitats, often in the company of zoo leaders. Gary Lee, a keen observer of both animals and people, routinely creates illustrated journal keepsakes of these voyages, such as the example shown here from his 2000 safari in Botswana.
Newsworthy
Audubon Nature Institute Teams with Children’s Hospital
Adapted and excerpted from an article by Lani McWilliams in AZA Connect, July 2019 | Archived version
In March 2019, staff at Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans, La., met with CLR Design to dream of the next phase of Africa at Audubon Zoo. Not long into the meeting, the lead architect Mark Beauchamp interjected with, “We’ve heard from your CEO and several staff about the kids next door. We fully understand that we need to think about incorporating views for Children’s Hospital patients into any new giraffe habitat.”
As Audubon Zoo’s next-door neighbor in Uptown New Orleans, Children’s Hospital New Orleans is now a primary audience we consider in internal discussions ranging from inclusion, to guest experiences, to mission integration in visitation-driving initiatives, to habitat design. The vice presidents of development for both organizations speak frankly about goals, needs, cross-over, and opportunities to collaborate and leverage both our missions and brands.
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Omaha Zoo Grows Critically Endangered Frogs
Reposted from the Zoo’s website, July 23, 2019 | Archived Version
Earlier this month, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium was part of the fourth and most successful release of zoo-bred dusky gopher frogs to date. In collaboration with the Memphis Zoo, Detroit Zoo, Dallas Zoo and Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, the Zoo released 622 froglets of the critically endangered species into restored habitat in Mississippi on July 10 – 11. Of those released, 387 were bred in Omaha.
The release is part of an ongoing, large-scale effort to establish a new self-sustaining population of dusky gopher frogs. At one point, only about 75 adult dusky gopher frogs remained in the wild. Following this year’s release, 821 frogs can be found in the Mississippi habitat.
A recent study conducted by Dr. Betsy Roznik, a post-doctoral research fellow at the Memphis Zoo, shows, for each release since the onset of the program in 2017, about 75 percent of the froglets survived their first month of habitation and expressed natural behaviors. The froglets are tracked with the help of VI Alpha Tags, small fluorescent tags designed with an alphanumeric identification code, that are inserted into the froglets’ thighs.
The released froglets were produced through an in-vitro fertilization procedure and the collaborative efforts between the Zoo’s Amphibian Conservation Area and Reproductive Sciences Department, the Memphis Zoo and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The procedure is a 15-day process that spans four weeks and uses 62 adult frogs.
Dusky gopher frogs, also referred to as Mississippi gopher frogs, were identified as an endangered species in 2001 and are currently listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species. Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium has been working with the frogs through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Dusky Gopher Frog Species Survival Plan (SSP) since 2004. This is the fourth amphibian species to be released to its natural habitat from the Zoo’s Amphibian Conservation Area since its inception in 2007.
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium’s Amphibian Conservation Area was developed in 2007 as an ambitious project to continue to enhance the Zoo’s commitment to helping with the Global Amphibian Extinction Crisis. What began with two species and two isolation rooms has evolved into more than 20 species of endangered amphibians in a high quarantine area. This 4,200 square-foot off-exhibit space consists of 13 individual rooms, each with its own heating and cooling unit, as well as the capability to produce feeder insects in-house. Of the 17 endangered species in the Amphibian Conservation Area, four have been returned to the wild with 58,125 individual specimens represented.
Maryland Zoo Reveals Elephant, Giraffe, Lion Home Makeover
Excerpted from an original article by Elizabeth Janney, Patch Staff, June 21, 2019 | Archived Version
A herd of dignitaries and zoo personnel celebrated the completion of The Maryland Zoo’s largest renovation project in history. The lieutenant governor and Baltimore mayor were among those helping to cut the ribbon on the new elephant, giraffe and lion habitats that were part of a $20 million project to improve the African Journey section of the zoo.
Here is a recap of the updates in the areas housing each of these animals.
Size Of Elephant Habitat Nearly Tripled
There is an enrichment zone now for the elephants, where they can wallow in the mud, bathe or dust.
The elephant habitat totals more than 91,000 square feet now: The outdoor habitat grew from 30,000 to 77,330 square feet. Indoor holding space expanded from 9,900 to 14,300 square feet.
Giraffe Passageway Installed
The giraffe area also grew, going from 23,900 to 36,200 square feet, according to The Maryland Zoo.
Renovations in the giraffe area called for re-grading so the yard was level throughout rather than sloping. Officials said the change was made for animal health and safety reasons.
There’s also a viewing wall that allows visitors to watch the giraffe as they move around.
In addition, a newly installed trail leads from the Giraffe House to the Upper Savanna part of the elephant habitat, according to zoo officials.
“This will not only give the giraffe additional room to roam, but to eventually share the Upper Savanna with elephants as they would in the wild,” President/CEO of The Maryland Zoo Don Hutchinson said in a statement.
Lion Habitat Opens Up
The lion habitat, parts of which opened earlier in the spring, now has a more fluid feel. Stainless steel mesh and glass replaced poles to create a barrier along the African Overlook path, a newly created walkway for visitors, with lions on one side and giraffe on the other.
There’s also a raised area in the center where lions can lounge.
Visitors can watch lions in the midst of positive reinforcement training sessions via a window that was made possible by the Committee for Kamenetz and Jill Kamenetz in honor of her children, Karson and Dylan Kamenetz.
PSU Summer Camp
On July 25, 2019, CLR Senior Associate Jeff Sawyer hosted students from the Penn State Architecture and Landscape Architecture Design Experience Camp (DXC). Now in its third year, the DXC provides an active, engaging environment in which young designers in the Philadelphia area can explore key concepts, technologies, and practices through hands-on learning experiences related to the professional fields of architecture, landscape architecture, and graphic design. Jeff discussed with the students the evolution of zoo design, its diverse and unique challenges, and demonstrated specific design solutions and materials. CLR is proud to support and assist the designers of tomorrow.
Oregon Zoo & Partners Send 1,600 Endangered Butterflies into the Wild
Reposted from the Zoo’s website, July 18, 2019 | Archived Version
Summer is in full swing, and some of the Oregon Zoo’s tiniest residents are headed for the mountains of Oregon’s coastal range.
Throughout the month of July, zoo butterfly conservationists and colleagues from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo will release more than 1,600 Oregon silverspot caterpillars at five sites throughout the temperate coastal mountains in an effort to stabilize declining populations of this threatened species.
The caterpillars began their journey as part of the zoo’s imperiled butterfly recovery program. Each summer, a small number of female silverspots are collected by field biologists and brought to the zoo lay eggs. The eggs hatch into tiny larvae (caterpillars), which are kept safe during their winter dormancy.
In the spring, they wake up to a leafy meal and grow quickly. When the weather grows warmer, the zoo and its conservation partners transport the caterpillars to field sites to bolster the remaining populations.
The release sites are chosen carefully based on the presence of a rare flower — the early blue violet. Early blue violets are the main food source for the silverspot caterpillars as they mature into adult butterflies, and the Oregon coastal range is one of the few remaining areas where early blue violets grow in large enough quantities to sustain a butterfly population.
Listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act, the Oregon silverspot was once common in coastal grasslands from Northern California up into British Columbia. Today, due to habitat loss and the disappearance of its host plant, just four isolated populations remain: three in Oregon and one in California.
“If it weren’t for this recovery effort, it’s likely that three of the remaining silverspot populations would now be extinct,” said Travis Koons, who oversees the Oregon Zoo’s butterfly conservation lab.
Funding for the Saddle Mountain reintroduction project was provided by the USFWS Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund. Additional support is provided by Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, the National Park Service, the North Coast Land Conservancy Trust, Oregon Parks and Recreation, Washington State University, Oregon DOT, Pacific University, The Nature Conservancy, Center for Natural Lands Management and Pelican Brewery.
The Oregon Zoo is a charter member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Butterfly Conservation Initiative, a collaborative effort among nearly 50 zoos and aquariums. To learn more about the Oregon Zoo’s effort to save Oregon silverspots and other imperiled Northwest species, visit oregonzoo.org/recovery.