Nature Center Zoos

Among zoo professionals, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has long been praised as a spectacular example of a zoo devoted to exploring the flora and fauna of its home region.  Many zoos have displays of native wildlife; these are actually often some of my favorite parts of zoos, since they tend to be unique and customized, whereas many zoo exhibits (rainforest buildings, African savannahs) can be a little cookie-cutter identical. 

Relatively few facilities are entirely devoted to native wildlife.  The last one that I can recall visiting was the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island.

The last large facility, I should say.  There are many, many facilities that just focus on native habitats.  They just tend to be much smaller... and we call them nature centers.

The standard nature center is a small building, often attached to a park or other recreational area, with an orientation desk, a few amenities, some classroom or activity space, and some exhibits.  Some of those exhibits may be non-living, such as taxidermy mounts and other biofacts, as well as artifacts and geological samples.  Others may be living, often in the form of a few small aquariums or terrariums with small local fish, amphibians, and reptiles.  There may be a ranger or two, or perhaps the facility will be manned by volunteers.

The nature center is rarely the focal point of a visit to a park.  Usually it's a springing-off point, a visitor center for guests who are about to set off for a day of hiking, cycling, or other outdoor activities.

I think that there is tremendous potential for zoos and aquariums to work with nature centers, in some cases taking on the role of them, in others supporting their work.  Zookeepers tend to have a lot more professional expertise with animal husbandry than park rangers do, so can partner with nature centers to help develop better habitats and care regimes for wildlife housed there; they could also share biofacts and educational materials, as well as help place non-releasable native wildlife that is brought to them.  Nature centers can help zoos by serving as outdoor classroom space where zoo-based education groups can come to experience natural habitats, as well as volunteer for projects such as habitat restoration, invasive species removal, and building and placing bird and bat houses.

Especially in urban areas, zoos - especially those that are adjacent or inside of city parks - could try to absorb some of the roles of the nature center, especially when it comes to interpretation and exploration of urban green spaces. Every zoo or aquarium should have at least some exhibits and educational material devoted to local habitats.

I wouldn't like to see zoos go too far down the rabbit hole of becoming nature centers entirely, though.  Focusing exclusively on native wildlife has some benefits for educational purposes, but it can be counterproductive for conservation purposes.  If ever zoos decided to have a paddock of orphaned white-tailed deer fawns, there might not be any room or resources for caring for endangered exotic ungulates. 

Besides, zoos and aquariums can only carry on their mission if they themselves are sustainable, which means attracting visitors.  In 1992, Camden, New Jersey opened what was proudly called the New Jersey State Aquarium at Camden, featuring the fish of New Jersey, most of which are dull brown or grey.  The Aquarium almost went bankrupt.  It underwent a massive renovation, reopening as the Adventure Aquarium.  Among other changes, management brought crocodiles, penguins, hippos, and many tropical, colorful fish to Camden.