ECHO Digital | Special Edition: Virtual Tour of Camp Cowabunga at Topeka Zoo & Conservation Center

09.28.21 | Taylor Clark | Landscape Architecture, Sustainable Design, Zoos + Aquariums

Key Features & Innovations:   Authenticity Matters  All phases of the project were informed and augmented by Gary Clarke’s adventures in Africa.  From Dung Beetle Square to WGASA Waterhole, every part of Camp Cowabunga has an authentic story.  Signage was produced, sounds recorded and artifacts sourced in Africa.  The Land Rover even came from a South African junkyard!      Designed for Animal Welfare  The animal habitats in Camp Cowabunga are...

GLMVZoos: Living Desert Zoo & Gardens’ Australian Adventures Receives AZA Exhibit Award 

09.23.21 | Taylor Clark | DEIJA, Sustainable Design, Zoos + Aquariums

ECHO Digital: No Two Venues Are The Same

09.17.21 | Taylor Clark | DEIJA, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, Sustainable Design, Zoos + Aquariums

  Get Creative with Revenue Generation  Carousels. Trains. Dynamic ticket pricing. We see the same revenue generation strategies across Zoos and Aquariums. While other industries may not have quite the same resources and opportunities, we know that desires and motivations are changing across audiences. For example, one study at sports stadiums shows that if 9 people are in line at a concession stand, the 10th person will not get in...

Innovation in Conservation

05.26.21 | Taylor Clark | Sustainable Design, Zoos + Aquariums

5 Key Points 1. Defining Conservation Conservation is an ambiguous word, with definitions varying across organizations. Though different, these definitions commonly consider conservation disparate from business operations and other activities. Kira suggests that this narrow definition wrongly undervalues the contributions of Zoos and Aquariums and perpetuates the mindset that Zoos are only engaged in conservation...