Event name: Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute
Event time and place:5/4, Washington, DC
In the Amazonia exhibit, the exhibit was humid, and the species on display were diverse. Species on display and in a water tank near the entrance were freshwater stingrays, arowanas, oscar, and shovelnose catfish. Information listed for these was on a block of display that had different information depending on the species. The stingrays had two different information blocks, one that warned about illegal ornamental fish trading that includes the stingrays, and another block that was on the variety of species. The arowana display delved into how the species protects its eggs while incubating. The Oscar display described the appearance of the species and its role as a predator. The shovelnose catfish display explained the shovelnose's migration pattern during the breeding season. Some went beyond text on a panel display, like sculptures of dolphins and an interactive model of electric eels, which simulated electricity traveling through the body of the animal when touched. The electric eel display was informative for stimulating further interest in younger kids and even those older. The education level of the hall was aimed at elementary/middle school education, as the displays were easy to understand and simple. The electric eel display was always occupied since it stood out, and it was mainly kids who were excited and interested in the contraption. Other than the fun little interactive stuff, I would say most people were more interested in the animals than reading the information plaques, maybe a glance at them at most. For the Reptile House, some species on display were the shingleback skink, ridgetail monitors, and snouted cobras. For these species, the information plaque on display all at least a picture of the animal, its habitat, range of the species, and a little blurb about the specific species, like their defense mechanisms or their way of life. Some displays went beyond the information, like an interactive display with buttons that showed whether an amphibian and a chytrid in that environment of continuously rising temperatures. A diagram of a human body with its organs side by side with a reptile with its organs, showcasing the similarities between the anatomy of these organisms. These were informative since they helped build connections between biological concepts and showed more complicated sides of biology. The education level of the Reptile House felt a bit more intense, so around middle/high school education, since more complicated concepts like anatomy and physiology were shown. People were looking at the information plaque, glanced pretty quickly, but more were engaged in the displays that were interactive and were on a bigger display.
At the Amazonia, there was a big screen showing a video about a team of people helping birds with conservation and protection, which helps with the public understanding of the amount of effort people put into animal conservation. Another way the zoo provided education on animals is the usage of a coral skeleton at the end of the Amazonia, which helps warn against ocean acidification and raises awareness for people on what’s going on in the ocean.
The Amazonia is a great exhibit that helps emulate the environment of the organisms that live there, which contains many things, including open areas for birds to roam, a humid environment, and plants in fish tanks that help emulate an outdoor environment. In the panda exhibit, the inclusion of trees and rocks brings in more complexity to the environment, which helps stimulate the actual, more complex environment the panda originally belongs to.