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Baltimore, MD 21224
When I was a much younger man, my friends and I used to frequent the Good Love Bar in Canton neighborhood of Baltimore. This was early on in it's history before it suffered from a fire and before it became caught up in the bar/club/DJ scene. The place had a nice, hip vibe with great drinks and lots of dark nooks and crannies to get lost in. When I saw that a gastropub called Of Love and Regret had recently opened up in Canton, I thought it to be a nice little evolution from my younger days. Besides, considering my life was full of both love and regret, how could you resist visiting a place like named after your own story.
When you do enter, it's a whole new experience. There's exposed brick, long wooden communal tables, a huge bar top, a long row of beer taps and eclectic decorations. I want to say that the artwork looks Victorian but I don't really know what Victorian is supposed to look like so I'm just going to go with that it looks like what I picture Victorian artwork is supposed to look like. That sentence was probably funnier in my head, but I digress. Here's what I know, I was there for brunch so it was a little empty but I liked the vibe right away. The service staff was helpful and easy-going. They were knowledgeable, friendly, and I can definitely envision spending many long hours in this joint.
Blog post was back on track. You're probably thinking that you've eaten french dip in most diners and every dive bar alive, so that doesn't sound like interesting food. However, if you've been reading this space for a while, I've been looking for a good french dip sandwich for some time. Naturally, I ordered the french dip and I can't even remember the other offerings. My meal was rounded out with two of their home brewed beers and a Brandy & Honey Poached Pear.
The french dip was chopped up ribeye with what tasted like cheddar and white cheddar melted on top along with caramelized onions. All this was placed between two thick buttered slices of Texas toast. It wasn't the classic, crusty roll that I'm used to but it was also served with steak fries which made up for it. Oh, and let's not forget the au jus on the side which was just au jus which is exactly what it should be. Yes, I think you can safely classify this as an elevated french dip with the choice of meat (which was nicely medium rare), the two types of cheese and the onion treatment. However, it still had all the flavors of french dip that I had been craving for a long time.
For dessert, it was described to me that they had this peanut butter and jelly dessert with tahini butter, other things, and crack cocaine. It sounded fantastic. So fantastic that they ran out so I went with their Brandy & Honey Poached Pear. This was a poached pear with some caramel & chocolate ice cream on top which was, in turn, topped with almond toffee. Overall, I enjoyed the dessert and I think all the elements worked well together. I just got a bit thrown off by a couple of things. First, the caramel flavor was a bit overwhelming and tended to take over the whole dish on occasion. Second, I found the poached pear consistency to be not of my liking. I found myself wishing that they roasted it for just a bit (or roasted it a bit longer). The toffee bits, however, were a good revelation the dish was well balanced on the times you got to eat all the ingredients at once.


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Stop trying to get rid of the brothers before you know what is the key. WordPress Theme development VS Web development is there a difference or a difference? Let's talk about? Web development is to create such a website, in which there will be intelligence to make decisions according to …Read More »
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TSE, Inc. was founded in 1961 to provide day services for people with disabilities. "Family members were choosing to keep children at home and not place them in institutions. We were leaders at that time," Lynne Megan, President/CEO said. Today, TSE serves approximately 300 people, primarily in Ramsey County, and works with 80 employers who hire individuals to work independently or in enclaves run by TSE.
Employment Advisor Jeff Myhre came to TSE after working as a professional actor. Now he helps some exceptionally creative clients explore careers in art, dance and weaving.
TSE has always encouraged creativity. They have sold more than a thousand garden stones made by the people in their program, along with spin art greeting cards and fire starters. These "TSE Treasures" are available through the TSE website and at special events like the Friends School Garden Sale.
"We're much more accepting of diversity as a society and would like to see the growth of the art and the art culture. There are many, many possibilities. We will do our best to help emerge those possibilities," Megan said.
How did your work with artists come about?
Myhre: Part of what we do in job development is to ask people, "What are you most proud of? What's your greatest accomplishment?" When I started working with Lao Xiong, it was really obvious that art was his passion. He's so incredible. Lao didn't pick up a pencil until he was 19. He wrote poetry first. Then he started drawing flowers around the poems. That's how that whole thing started. He's now 33. I felt like he needed to have a gallery show.
How do you find opportunities in the arts for your clients?
Myhre: I used to be an actor, and I had the bright idea to meet with my theatrical agent, Jeanette Poole. I met with her and said, "I have all these talented people. Can you steer me in a direction to help these people find gigs?" One of the people that I was talking about is an incredible dancer. Not too long after we talked, we brought him to Jeannette's office. He got up and danced around, and Jeannette signed him. We took him on one audition — it was cool. George Roberts, who runs Homewood Studios, is Jeanette's brother. That's how Lao's show came about.
Was Lao Xiong's gallery show a success?
Myhre: He sold 13 or 14 pieces. On the way home, he said out loud, "I wonder what's next for me?" That really spoke volumes about Lao perhaps taking his place as an artist.
What's next?
Myhre: We recently got a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board to partner with the Weaver's Guild. They are going to be teaching people saori weaving. It's weaving that has no right or wrong. We had a short demonstration session — it really opened people up to being creative and productive.
Do you worry about how your clients will handle the rejection that comes with artistic careers?
Megan: We give people a lot of support. That's part of our job. It's actually one of the beauties of people with disabilities — their ability to go with the flow is amazing. Their highs are high but their lows aren't as low. Their acceptance is really good. It's what I learn from people on a daily basis.


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City Tries to Tax Churches; Atheists Say it's a Good Start
By Blair Scott
Several churches have filed a lawsuit against the city of Mission, Kansas. They are suing the city because a new fee, the "transportation utility fee" or "driveway tax," is being equally imposed on the churches as it is on everyone else in the city. The churches are making the argument that the fee is actually a tax and that they are not supposed to pay taxes under the IRS' 501(c)3 rules.
The irony in all of this is that the churches are suddenly in favor of the separation of church and state! Alliance Defense Fund lawyer Erik Stanley said, "It makes no sense to tax churches and to limit their ability to provide their services, and it does damage to the constitutional separation between church and state."
This is the same ADL who prominently on their Religious Freedom section of their Web Page declare, "The ACLU's attacks on religious freedom are more serious and widespread than you may think. In courtrooms and schoolrooms, offices and shops, public buildings and even churches… those who believe in God are increasingly threatened, punished, and silenced." This is the same ADL that has defended church-state violations in the past all in the name of "Religious Freedom."
So once again, we see a Christian organization defend the separation of church and state only when it suits them. The great thing about this is that Mr. Stanley acknowledges his selectiveness, "[The separation of church and state] is generally not an argument we would make, but there should be separation here."
So there are actually two issues here: 1) is the "transportation utility fee" a tax, and 2) is taxing churches a violation of the separation of church and state?
The City of Mission argues that this is a fee and not a tax. Mayor Laura McConwell said, "It was just a fair way to spread the cost among those who are generating the traffic to help pay for the roads that you need to bring people in either for your business or for the churches or to people's homes."
The fee is based on figures from the Institute of Transportation Engineers, which calculates the number of trips a business, residence, or organization generates on the road. In other words, a church is likely to generate 5.8 vehicle trips per week for every seat in a pew. So the city takes that number and assigns a dollar amount and then extrapolates that out based on the number of members of a church or organization, average number of customers visiting a business, number of residents in a house, etc.
These fees are nothing new actually. Fees have been issued to residents, businesses, and organizations by cities in the past, such as sewage fees, fire protection fees, flooding control fees, etc. Churches in the past have not historically balked at these fees, and Robert Tuttle, a constitutional lawyer specializing in church-state issues at the George Washington University Law School suggests that this has more to do with church member donations being down because of the current economic downturn and that these fees are actually hitting the church wallets harder than they usually would.
Fees are a normal way for a city to supplement tax revenue. Fees are not taxes. If a citizen and business have to pay the fee and also feel the pinch in their wallet, churches should not be exempt.
Let's pretend for a second that the fee actually is a tax. Is taxing the churches an actual violation of the separation of church and state? No. I would actually argue that not taxing the churches is a violation of the separation of church and state. What exempts them from taxation is not the Constitution, but the IRS' 501(c)3 rules.
Tax-exempt status to churches and philanthropic organizations were first written into law by Congress from 1913 to 1918. It wasn't until 1954 with the Revenue Act of 1954 that the current 501(c)3 tax code as we know it today came into existence.
There are two views on the Revenue Act of 1954 and why it was implemented. The Act was primarily pushed by Senator Lyndon B. Johnson. There are some Christians who believe that Johnson was not a friend of the church and was using the 501(c)3 to politically silence the churches. While I can understand why some Christians would feel this way, I could not find any evidence to substantiate the claim that Johnson pushed this legislation in order to politically silence churches.
In fact, Johnson pushed the Act through by arguing for the second view: that this was favoritism toward churches and gave them an exemption from taxation.
This is why many in the secular community feel that the 501(c)3 exemption should be removed from churches and they should pay their fair share of taxes. I'll leave that argument for another time.
One thing is for sure, if the city of Cranford, New Jersey (where the headquarters of American Atheists is located) where to initiate such fees, we would do our part to help the city as long as the city made no exemptions for houses of worship: because that would be a violation of the separation of church and state.


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What good is prayer? Does it have place in our lives today? What do we really mean by prayer? These are interesting questions.
Of course prayer is not the province solely of Christians, though I suspect that that's they way many of them see it. But Muslims pray, just as devoutly. Many other religions have either prayers or the equivalent of prayer.
In fact prayer or its recognizable equivalent has a cherished place in all societies on the globe and at almost all times in history. Prayer was around long before the Church.
It is a universal human yearning to reach out and be listened to by forces which are bigger, wiser, more knowing and guiding our lives. This is especially true at times of great duress. But is by no means confined to these events.
Only modern sophisticated man has talked himself out this time-honoured method of summoning up the deep moving forces of life when they are needed most.
The Essence of Prayer
Taken on the world stage, prayer-equivalent has always enjoyed huge respect and popularity. The minor drop off of prayer in the West caused by the Church's troubles holding its flock together has little relevance to the vast majority of persons who make up the human race. Prayer is with us, alive and well. Always was and (probably) always will be.
Part of the purpose of this website is to seek new meanings for prayer; to find out what the real essence of prayer is; and isolate it from the distractions and trimmings of religious cant and hypocrisy. I believe if we can succeed in doing this, then prayer will have a renewed vigour and appeal.
This does not mean that religion is unimportant. It does mean that prayer is, and should be, independent of any particular credo or formalized structure, such as churches and temples.
Prayer fulfils a certain requirement and it is hard to see how it could be replaced, speaking as a doctor and psychologist. Continue reading


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DC Left with Hoping to Spoil Marathon's Run
It'll be interesting to see how United responds to the crushing loss they suffered in Columbus coming so soon after being robbed down in Mexico. They might well take all that anger out on Marathon, or they might wilt like a team with nothing to play for. Which is of course, what they are.
Marathon will undoubtedly be coming in the more desperate team as they need a win to keep pace with Cruz Azul, who are three points ahead, and move ahead of Saprissa with whom they are tied at seven points apiece heading into this match. However, the Mexicans have only one match left in Saprissa, while Marathon hosts Saprissa next week as well as plays DC tomorrow. So, both Saprissa and Marathon actually have the inside track on qualifying with more games left, and Marathon has a much better tie breaking situation than Cruz Azul.
Still, you would hope DC will show enough pride and character to go out with a win at home. At least a little something for the fans to take away from this year and this tournament in particular. DC has never been so humiliated internationally than it has been late in this season. After a glorious, but futile win over Pachuca in April, who'd have thought it possible it would come down to scrapping for nothing but pride by October? You'd hope they'd want to go with at least one win in this inaugural event to salvage some dignity.
Tough to say who plays for DC too. For certain Wells will be in the nets, as every other goalie we have is suspended, as is Craig Thompson. It's also very unlikely Namoff or Moreno plays either as they are not fully healthy and there's no reason to risk them further. I think it's also unlikely there will be too many other starters either. Not only have the reserves played exceptionally well and deserve to see this thing out, but the veterans and mercenaries we have as starters may well not be as enthusiastic as they should be given the way this season ended.
And it will take a monumental effort to beat Marathon too. They have easily been the class of this group. They are undefeated at home beating both DC and Cruz Azul, they also tied Cruz Azul in Mexico city (with all their players on the field at the end, I might add bitterly), and barely lost to Saprissa in Costa Rica due to a last minute goal in a match they led most of the way.
They are one of the fastest teams we've ever seen and they haven't slowed up a bit. They're still going to cause match up problems for DC as their attack is varied and punishes mistakes unmercifully. Their defense is also the best in the group with only three total goals scored against, none at home, a mere three given up in Mexico and in Costa Rica. So, no matter how inspired DC is to go out on a winning note, this team will not be easy to beat by any stretch of the imagination, unless maybe they overlook DC entirely, which is certainly understandable.
Now, on a personal note, as much as I'd like to see DC go out on a winning note at home after such a cruelly disappointing season, truth be told, I'd be fine with a Marathon win if it helps knock out one of those cheating sides that scored goals against us while players lay on the ground injured. If only it could be Cruz Azul or Saprissa in this last game. Now that's a DC win I could rally around most enthusiastically, but Marathon has been impressive, and I'd hate to think a DC win helps one of those other two festering cheats get into the next round.
Not that I'm bitter or vindictive you understand. No…… not me. I always say let bygones be bygones. Besides, who could claim collusion if DC got rolled by Marathon? It's not like DC has done much in this tournament to begin with. So, why punish Marathon, the only team with as much class as they have talent, which is more than you can say for any other team in this group. If another loss at home means Saprissa, or more likely Cruz Azul is knocked out, well I'd sleep just fine thank you very much.
Seriously, there's going to be no good eulogies for this season. No wistful remembrances of this tortuous season in the years ahead. Even the Open Cup trophy will be more of an afterthought, or maybe even better remembered for the thrilling win over Chicago than it will be for either victory over the two lower division sides DC beat to get it (including New England). Maybe a few fond goals and heroic performances to relish, another trophy in the case, but fleeting moments only. Given the expectations and money lavished on this team, that one trophy is better than nothing of course, but over all simply wasn't good enough.
A win over Marathon doesn't erase any of that, but it would at least send the fans home for the winter with something better inside than they left Columbus feeling.


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Sure-Build construction provides a unique service that rivals competitors in high standards of workmanship and quality materials. All projects are completed in the time frame given and due to the over saturation and competitive nature of the construction industry Sure-Build Construction has worked hard to provide a different and unique service and therefore many successful projects have been completed to the satisfaction of clients and hence acquire repeat and referral business.
The Values that govern the company comes from years of experience in the construction industry and therefore the necessary skill set required to provide an efficient and expert service is hardwired into every project that is undertaken.
The main goal of the company is to have a trail of satisfied clients, strive for success and become a major player in the construction industry and undertake more larger and challenging projects.
Sure – Build Construction is an advocate for promoting green building and a cleaner environment.


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Red Beans and Rice with Coconut and Ginger transforms regular rice into tantalize, can't-stop eating rice!
This Red Beans and Rice recipe is infused with coconut milk, Thai red curry paste, garlic and ginger all swirled with cilantro and lime juice requires hardly any more prep than boring white rice. This rice is so good it stands alone or makes anything it stands with better.
I make rice All THE TIME. Whether its Mexican rice or Asian rice, 99% of the time, I will add beans to my rice while it cooks because I love beans. And because rice and beans go together like Kiwi and her ball (Click HERE – she sleeps with it every nap and every night).
I may or may not have told you that refried beans are one of my favorite foods that I used to eat cold as a child. Gross. I know. Please don't let that affect how you view my adult palate. Point being, I love beans in all their varieties. Black beans for my Mexican Rice, red kidney beans for my Asian rice. But for both varieties, cilantro and lime. Always cilantro and lime.
This Red Beans and Rice recipe is practically as easy to make as plain white rice and takes jut 1 minute longer for you to saute your Red curry paste, ginger and garlic together. Then add your coconut milk, water and beans, followed by your rice and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
In that short amount of time while you have prepared the rest of your meal, the Red Beans and Rice literally drinks in all the coconut, red curry ginger deliciousness. To finish it off, stir in some fresh cilantro and bright lime.
And you have a Red Beans and Rice recipe so good, you will wonder why you even made anything else but subtle enough it will enhance anything you serve it with like my forthcoming (on Monday!) Easy Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken Bowls with Sriracha Pineapple Crema. And if that name wasn't long enough already, I'd add with Coconut Ginger Red Beans and Rice. But now that really would be too long, so instead, this rice gets its own post. It deserves its very own post.
And you deserve this Coconut Ginger Red Beans and Rice.
Right NOW.
Looking for more Rice Recipes?
- Mexican Style Rice
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Cranberry Apple Pecan Wild Rice
- Cilantro Lime Avocado Rice
- Greek Lemon Rice
- Parmesan Risotto
- Coconut Rice with Pineapple and Cashews
|Prep Time
|5 minutes
|Cook Time
|20 minutes
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked long grained rice, rinsed and drained
- 1 13.5 oz. can. unsweetened coconut milk (I like Chaokoh)
- 1 cup water
- 1 15 oz. can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and rained
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2-3 tablespoons freshly grated ginger *
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 2-3 tablespoons lime juice, more or less to taste
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- freshly cracked salt and pepper to taste
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add Thai red curry paste, garlic and ginger and saute for 1 minute.
- Add coconut milk, water and beans and bring to a boil then stir in rice, salt and pepper and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and reduce heat to low (dial should be a little above lowest setting). Simmer for approximately 20 minutes or until rice is tender, stirring at 15 minutes, adding water if necessary.
- When rice is tender, remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes, covered.
- When ready to serve (not before), stir in lime juice, and cilantro.
- Taste and season with freshly cracked salt and pepper and additional lime juice to taste if desired.
*2 tablespoons is very subtle ginger taste.
Carlsbad Cravings Original
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Pin it to your MEXICAN, EASY or DINNER BOARD to SAVE for later!
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Cashew Coconut Chicken with Mango Honey Dip
Salsa Verde Honey Lime Chicken and Rice Bake
Sticky Honey Jalapeno Island Chicken
Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken, Pineapple, Carrots and Bell Peppers
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Hi Friends Happy to blog after a great weekend.Today the resource is a festive rice preparation .This rice is cooked in coconut milk with all the flavours of whole spices.This is a very authentic dish of Tamilnadu.This goes well with spicy chicken Kurma .But I served with veg-kurma as we don't prefer NV on saturdays.Believe me this is one of a Yummy rice preparation…Have it a go….You too will love it…
Basmati Rice – 2 cups
Onion – 1 sliced
Tomato – 1 small sized, chopped (if big one use half)
Green chilli – 4 (make slit in the centre)
Garlic – 2 ,full cloves(20 –25 pods)
Ginger – 1 inch piece
Coconut – 1/2
Pudhina / Mint leaves – a hand full
Salt to taste
For Tempering
Ghee / Oil – 3 tbsp
Cinnamon / Pattai – 3 small pieces
Cardamom / Elachi – 2
Cloves / Kirambu – 1 or 2
Bay leaves / Birinji ilai – 2
StarAnise / Annasipoo – 1
Fennel seeds / Sombu – 1/2 tsp
Coarsely grind the Ginger and Garlic (Don't make it a fine paste). Extract the coconut milk from the coconut and keep it aside.Soak the rice for 30 mins.And wash and drain the water and set aside.
Grab all your ingredients.
Heat oil in a cooker and add the ingredients under tempering and fry for a min.Add the sliced onion and green chillies and fry till transparent.
Add the grounded ginger garlic and fry till the raw smell goes off.
Add the tomato and fry till mushy.
Now add the mint leaves and fry for 2 mins.
Heat a tsp of ghee in a kadai and fry the rice till shiny.Take care not to burn the rice.Add the rice in the cooker and give it a mix.
Then add 31/2 cups of coconut milk ( For 1 cup rice 1 3/4 cups of coconut milk) .Then add the required salt and mix well .
Close the lid of the pressure cooker and leave for 1 whistle and simmer for another 10 mins and switch off.Open it after all the pressure goes by itself.
Serve the Yummy rice with Vegetable kurma or Chicken kurma.
Linking to the event Taste Of The Tropics – Coconut to Nivedhanams and Chef Mireille's page
I got tagged by my co-blogger friend Divya of "You too an cook Indian Food Recipes " to show my Anjera petti / Spice box. She is a very wonderful blogger with new innovative recipes.
But mow I am not using spice box .When my kid was 2 yrs old he used to be always with me on my hip.While cooking too i will make sit on the slab rigth opp.. to the stove.My spice box was so colourful and a attractive one which I bought from my home town ,Dindigul.He used to take that and mix all the items and it was a big work for me to seperate things.So I quit using that box.But now he is 5yrs so I think of start using..Thanks to Divya for tagging me and make me remind of Anjera petti .I need to search her in Leeds for the spice box and will sure post after getting it.


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Move Into Balance: A Weekly Movement Meditation Class
Learn how to support your body's natural drive for health and balance in this unique movement class.
Rather than "telling" the body what to do, we work with the body's spontaneous rhythms of stillness and movement using principles of Craniosacral Therapy, Continuum, and mindfulness meditation. As the body unwinds and expresses in its own time and way, a fluid flow of energy and communication is restored throughout the body.
Potential benefits include:
- Better core and overall strength
- Increased flexibility
- Enhanced energy and circulation
- Restored structural alignment
- Renewed creativity
- Greater physical, emotional, and mental clarity
This class is suitable for all body types as well as anyone managing an illness or injury. The principles explored in this class serve as an ideal self-care practice.
Time, Location & Cost
Meets weekly for 90 minutes and offered periodically.
Please contact me with your interest.
To Be Announced
Sliding Scale $10-20
Private lessons are offered at the regular treatment session rate.
425.471.5479 email@example.com
Other Classes Offered:
General Mailing List
Join my mailing list for occasional updates on classes, events, and special offerings.


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What People Are Saying About Brain Gym and Edu-K Balancing
As a special needs educator, I continue to be so very grateful for Brain Gym®, not just for my students but as a tool for myself on a daily basis. I have some changes afoot here—good, but stressful nonetheless. Last night I woke up all buzzy in the middle of the night and did a quick self-balance without even getting out of bed. I went back to sleep easily and woke up feeling much better this morning. What an amazing tool Gail and Paul have given to the world!—Marjie Citron, OTR/L, LMT
THANK YOU for all you have done and continue to do! I just completed my Brain Gym Teacher Practicum with the lovely Colleen Gardner, and I'm so excited to begin the new phase of my life as a Brain Gym® Instructor. Just this week I did several group repatternings for dancers who have their ballet exams next week. It was so profound for everyone! My body feels different, too . . . my balance especially, as I did the repatterning for a goal. Next up: Visioncircles and ditching my glasses!—Mariah-Jane Thies
I sleep much better since I've started practicing Brain Gym. When I wake up at night, I do PACE, and then can fall back to sleep easily most of the time. This brings much more vitality to my daily life. I noticed that it's much easier and quicker to memorize facts when I do a balance just before I study. A few minutes of movement saves me so much time, as well as making my studying much more pleasant. (Translated from the French by Lisa Marcovici)—Marie-Claude Dubois
My daughter Audrey, age 14, struggled in school and thought she was stupid. She was diagnosed with dyslexia; however, nothing that we did was helping her. When she met Dr. Dennison she told him, "I don't have a brain." We listened and watched as Audrey struggled to read aloud for us, pointing to each word with her forefinger to keep her place on the line. Like a beginning reader, she decoded word by word, without comprehension of the text, apparently inhibiting her left eye. Dr. Dennison checked Audrey's eye dominance. Finding her left-eyed, he explained that adult reading for comprehension requires the left eye to be active, not passive. He said that left-eye dominant kids often inhibit that eye in order to point to each word with the non-dominant right eye as they learn the code for beginning reading. Years later, they don't know how to access their dominant left eye again when they need it. Audrey next experienced Dennison Laterality Repatterning and the Lazy 8s. It was a miracle! After that, she read fluently and with full comprehension—her left eye leading the way! Since the balance, I've noticed that she reads without putting her finger on the text-line, thus her eyes lead her through a whole page of reading. The task of reading comes easier to her now, with less effort. She's happier and funnier and much more fun to be around. Her mood is well balanced and her confidence is growing. It feels like I have found my little girl again after all these years, laughing, singing, always moving. There is still a long way ahead of us, but it has been so exciting and astonishing to see how in just one hour a little girl can change her way of looking at the world and feel different about how the world looks back at her. Our thanks and gratitude go out to Paul Dennison who made my girlie's world a bit easier and more colorful to live in.ave given to the world!—Prisca Wept
Today I was feeling a lot of pain in my right knee. I've had this from a surfing accident about a month ago. I fell and twisted my knee underwater, causing a loud pop and a great deal of pain. Paul had me do what I guess you would call exercises from the Brain Gym® program, and that was it. Immediately after, I felt ten times better. My pain had been at 9-10 and was reduced to 0-1. Paul also showed me how pain in one area can affect the balance in other parts of the body.—Kaj Wirsing
It was my first Brain Gym® course and first balance. My goal was to better hear my inner voice. My instructor taught me the Elephant. After just doing one side . . . whomp! I felt all this energy in my brain, and all at once I could listen to myself and hear my thoughts. What a gift!—Katia Panades
Thank you for the fantastic 5 days you spent with us in Switzerland teaching your lifelong research. Seeing you at work was like rediscovering the whole method, as if I finally integrated into my heart and cells something that I had understood with only my mind until now. When you talked about a painful or blocked jaw, I knew that I needed to get a balance, as I had kept going on with these tensions for too long. The following morning, instead of getting up after a whole night of being tense, I realized that my jaw and neck muscles were more relaxed than ever. But I didn't expect that it would change so many other things in my body posture and also inner posture. The direct results after the balance were that the sole of my right foot, which previously never really fully touched the floor correctly, was able to relax and turn toward the ground. That caused some readjustments in the muscles of my entire right leg, mainly in the adductor. I felt changes in my hip too. I noticed that the muscles in the back of my left leg reorganized as well, mainly in the calf. Finally, over the course of a few days, and with my head now centered in a more balanced position on my spine, I strongly felt my left eye working more easily with my right eye in the midfield! All these physical benefits will surely have outcomes in my life, helping me to see things in a different way, to step out with more power, and to attain my goals of expansion more easily, and in a more accurate and relaxed way. I thank you again with all my heart.—Nadia Leu
If someone had asked me when I was younger how happy I was, I likely would have said 8 on a scale of 10. When I was 41 I attended my first Brain Gym course, and I've been studying in the field for over 10 years now. In hindsight, I realize the psychic and sensory numbing I had lived with and my disconnectedness from the pleasure of others, nature, learning, singing, reading, storytelling, my work as a nurse, and new experiences. Now I see that for most of my life I had very little curiosity and was closer to 4 on the blah-zest scale. I have encountered no other tools that so clearly showed me my level of stress (physical, psychological, or emotional) and gave me concrete, quick, and fun activities to make a shift. Brain Gym allowed me to find deep personal joy—a reconnecting to the innate miracle within myself and others. My immense gratitude to Paul and Gail!—Janet Clancy
I first started studying Brain Gym® for my son, Alex, over 14 years ago. Repeatedly, Brain Gym helped him acquire the physical skills needed for learning, and thanks to Brain Gym he became a successful elementary school student. When Alex was going through the teenage ritual of getting braces, Paul Dennison came to Montreal for the first time. Alex was 14, and had just received the famous 'cross bow.' He had been in terrible pain for over a week, and was hardly eating. Paul offered to give him a balance, and after the Total Core Repatterning Alex jumped off the table and proceeded to eat an entire pizza, all smiles! Just last year when Alex started college, Brain Gym helped us again. Going through so many changes all at once—at school, at home, and within his own body—Alex grew depressed and anxious. He stopped all activity, including contact with his friends, didn't finish getting his driver's license, and even contemplated suicide. It was difficult, as parents, to watch our son deal with this anguish. Once again, Paul invited us to come and see him, and this time Alex came along to Ventura while I took a 10-day In-Depth class with Paul. Alex had three sessions with Paul, I had one, and we had one together. The changes in my son were almost immediate. He felt ready to go back to school (he'd dropped out during the fall session), he became interested in life again, and he resumed going out with his friends. I felt so relieved. I learned to let go of my child and admire and respect this new young man, who would find his own way with confidence and inner peace. What an incredible gift to witness this growth! Brain Gym has become a huge part of my life, and I am forever grateful to Paul and Gail for developing this powerful technique and sharing it with the world.—Lisa Marcovici
I was at first interested in Brain Gym® for my son, who was nervous, had trouble concentrating, and used oppositional behavior to avoid tasks. I've worked for over 15 years with parents and children who live with various difficulties. The discovery of Brain Gym has allowed me to better understand what is happening in the brain—how it functions—and also what's happening in the body. The body knows what it needs; we must trust it. This is what fascinates me most about Brain Gym: its global nature. The balances I've received have allowed me to notice very quickly an opening of my mind—a new way of seeing, listening, and feeling things. For the first time I'm able to integrate goals I've had for a very long time: to take care of myself and respect my own boundaries. Thank you, Paul and Gail, for myself and for all.(Translated from the French by Lisa Marcovici)—Manon Lefebvre
I started learning Brain Gym for the children in my daycare center, and quickly noticed that it was doing a lot for me. Since my youth, I have always had back pain. In repeating the exercises of the Focus Dimension [the Lengthening Activities], I realized that my body was changing and healing was happening. I trusted and continued, and my hip realigned on its own. I've done all sorts of therapies, including chiropractic and osteopathic, that did more harm than good. [I experienced] bursitis in both knees, and I had to stop working because I could barely walk. Brain Gym reset everything ever so gently. Now I do the activities with my mother, who just had a stroke and doesn't speak or participate much anymore. When I do PACE with her, I see a big difference: she talks, participates, and connects to others. (Translated from the French by Lisa Marcovici)—Carolle Hebert Duclos
My husband, age 63, had a stroke five months ago that left him with monocular vision, hip and shoulder imbalances, and pain in his back. He had improved to a certain level with medication and therapy, however he was not happy with his progress. He agreed to an Educational Kinesiology balance with Dr. Paul Dennison who, through the process, was able to guide him to a restoration of his binocular vision, and to experience balance of his hips, shoulders, and jaw. The results were dramatic and profound. I can see a big change in my husband's eye movement and whole-body coordination, but most of all what a change in his personality. He is more open to things, more outgoing and cheerful. He listens and hears when I speak and does not say pardon every time, requiring that I repeat everything I say. I can add that his jaw doesn't make any more noise when he eats. What a relief!—Anonymous
A car accident had severely affected a cranial nerve and the ability of my eyes to move together. Because of the acute diplopia, I was for years only sporadically able to use my binocular vision. At a short distance of 5 to 7 meters, I would see a person sitting with his feet on his face! Or, when looking at a computer screen, I had to choose which screen to write on. Although my eyes looked in opposite directions and it was hard to see myself in a mirror, I slowly adapted to normal life. Fifteen years after the accident, I attended a Brain Gym® Creative Vision course and volunteered for an instructor demonstration. I set a goal, and she facilitated a five-step balance process. I don't know where or when or how it happened, but at one point when I opened my eyes they moved together as an integrated pair! My distance vision was now completely fused, along with my near vision both down and sideways. Looking straight ahead is not completely fused, but I no longer see feet on people's faces. My quality of life has improved so much. I would like to let people with visual imbalances know that improvement is possible. Now that my eyes are much more aligned, I can look at myself in the mirror with satisfaction. My heart is full of gratitude and happiness.—Francesca Simeon
I am extremely nearsighted. I began wearing glasses at age six. At age nineteen, when getting contact lenses, the optometrist told me that the optic nerve in my left eye had atrophied due to lack of use. It had been a 'lazy eye' and, rather than trying to decipher a blurry image coming from it, my brain simply ignored its input. In doing the pre-checks for a Creative Vision balance with the goal "I see equally well with both eyes," when looking with only my left eye, I [initially] saw a black line down a page of text, and a black circle looked elongated top to bottom. After doing the Homolateral Reflex Repatterning for my goal, the black line in the midfield disappeared and the black circle became round.—E.B.D.
Comments After a Recent Movement Reeducation Course
"I didn't realize it could be that easy to regain agility."
"Wow! Now I have a butt!"
"My feet feel more flexible."
"My hips feel really stable and integrated."
"I can walk up and down stairs now without holding on to the banister!"
"I can remember what I'm doing when I walk into a room. It's a miracle!"
When I started the Movement Reeducation course, I was ready for a nervous breakdown. Then, when Paul explained the muscles and how they relate to our life challenges, it was so easy to understand. When I left, I felt light as a feather—happy. Today I stopped a couple of times to do some Brain Gym® activities, and also took a long walk on the beach. It seemed like I was moving so fast, and my body still feels very light. Walking felt enjoyable, comfortable, and very inviting. I also jumped on the rebounder a couple of times, and noticed all day how easy it was to do my work. Then I started to notice other things, like when I went to bend down and it was so easy to do. Before I knew it, I was organizing my desk till I had everything in order. This course is so fantastic; I wish everyone in the world could take it. I feel like a new woman.—Lisa Pacifici
Comments After Other Edu-K Courses
What I liked most in my Optimal Brain Organization Teacher Training was Paul's clear and deliberate way of giving information and 'golden nuggets.' Brain Gym training is the most holistic and highly integrative whole-body-and-mind training on the planet, and is very needed at this time of great change in the world. It is the key to being grounded, centered, and clear-thinking in a demanding world. I thank Paul and Gail for their love and wisdom in creating such a brilliant, efficient learning tool.—Tanya Simmons
I arrived without knowledge about 'The Brain Gym,' and left as a new person. Everybody should take this course (the Optimal Brain Organization Teacher Training) for both professional and personal reasons. It was a pleasure to learn from the master. Thank you for the opportunity.—Ivette Merrick
I liked the intimate class size—small numbers so we could each personally experience the balances. I became more confident in my inner knowledge and able to teach from my heart. I'll tell others that I consider it very necessary to have an experience of working with Paul to soak up his inner wisdom.—Glenys Leadbeater
When I had the chance to take my first Brain Gym® course, I had to choose between spending five days rehearsing 70 minutes of solo dances for an upcoming performance in Singapore or taking the course for 2½ days and having just 2½ days to prepare my solo, which I hadn't performed for an entire year. I chose to do the course first, and relearned the dances more quickly and with less stress than I would have without my new Brain Gym skills. The performance was the best I had done to date. When later sharing my excitement about Brain Gym in the staff room of the college where we were in residence, I was asked by a teacher to work with her two remedial eighth grade English classes. We did a group reading balance with the first class. Two days later, when I worked with the second class, I found that their classmates in the first class had already taught them all the Brain Gym activities, so we were able to do two balances. When I rehearse, each time I repeat a dance or sequence, I set a goal. This lets me work very efficiently and effectively, quickly layering mastery of elements and qualities of the work. When I teach dance, I often use the Cross Crawl while teaching a new movement sequence. When I teach and use the Brain Gym activities, my experience continually affirms its effectiveness.—Dana Luebke
Paul's careful demonstrations and explanations for each muscle were very clear and informative. And, of course, the balances and openings of the various muscles have been expansive and wonderful. I am taller, and I walk, sit, stand, and get up and down with much more comfort and ease. I'm going to tell others that chronic pain in neck, back, shoulders, and knees can be relieved by simple structural reeducation.
—Rick Levendosky
Brain Gym® Instructor, Oregon, USA
Thank you for the wonderful course in Morges. It brought me a lot of pleasure and, since the balance I received, my previously chronic shoulder pain has disappeared. My vision has also improved. When I did a balance with my mother, her vision improved, as well. She can now see much more clearly when she reads a book. On Tuesday and Wednesday, I used the 7-Dimensions balance with all of my clients, who were happy to experience the work and felt much better. I am happy to have such wonderful new tools and techniques for my work. Now I am working with even more pleasure, and am doing PACE all the time with my clients. I feel more positive. Thanks for everything. Wishing you all the best.
—Lucienne Cramatte
Kinesiologist, Switzerland


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County-owned, AZA accredited Seneca Park Zoo is a twenty-acre gem set into Olmsted-designed Seneca Park in Rochester, New York. Unlike many publicly owned small zoos, this one is unique for many reasons. The biggest, and most challenging, lies within the site itself—a long linear sliver of land following the edge of the park and not nearly wide enough for a loop path. This challenge manages to become an attribute in surprising ways.
Utica Zoo: Oktoberfest All Year-Round!
The iconic building at the heart of the 40 acre, AZA accredited Utica Zoo, the Wildlife Center, perfectly personifies the character and soul of the small zoo itself. Vaguely Bavarian, possibly Tudor (as suggested by Director of Administrative Operations, Nikki Sheehan), the massive and historic building inconveniently houses the majority of the back of house support spaces for the zoo, from education program animals, to an indoor amphitheater, to reptile exhibits, to administrative offices, and even maintenance. Being at the center of the zoo, visitors pass it multiple times (at least twice, probably thrice) and are exposed to all its facades. Thus, service access to the building is difficult (daytime deliveries of food and fish occur THROUGH the herpetarium's main guest path) and camouflaging the mundane workings of a zoo, like the education vehicle or the outdoor workspace for maintenance repairs, is incredibly difficult.
But, ever the optimist, I believe this building should be considered an opportunity, not a challenge. As we know, in these times where all zoos and aquariums, even those gold-standard AZA accredited ones, are being attacked with non-sensical accusations causing public perceptions of zoos and aquariums to decline (slightly, but surely), transparency of the workings of the zoo is critical. With this in mind, Utica Zoo found a way to utilize part of their central building to do just that—providing windows into the newly renovated and expanded program animal holding areas. This gives the animals additional exterior habitats and enrichment through interaction with guests, if they so choose. It also shows off the back of house and care provided to these critters that often are, unfortunately, provided the least luxurious accommodations at zoos.
The Wildlife Center building's presence is felt much more than in its size and placement alone. It was the first building at the historic zoo, whose original opening dates back to 1914. The Wildlife Center was opened in 1920, and with a little digging, I discovered that it was likely designed in a Bavarian style (not English Tudor) as a reflection of the dominant German population in Utica at the time. No wonder I was craving beer and a pretzel as I gazed at the vista of the town below us from a perch above an empty exhibit—a missed opportunity for creating the most impactful and likely most photographed exhibit in the zoo!
The Bavarian influence of the zoo is felt throughout, from the entry building and adjacent animal holding building, to the beautiful site perched on the side of a large wooded hillside overlooking Utica below, to the fact that the Zoo, despite being covered in two feet of snow, is open during the winter and offers snowshoeing tours to see the winter-hardy residents—which I was surprised to learn, are not as much a focus as I had hoped.
Bavaria conjures a bit of whimsy to me, along with some strong associations with agrarian living. Luckily, the zoo delivers on both of these fronts with the World's Largest Watering Can (I'm not joking!) presented as a fountain in a lush garden complete with trellis tunnel entry lit with vintage string lights, and a historic Bavarian barn for domestics along with a smaller barn for chickens and barn owl (Finally! A Barn owl presented in a barn!).
The Zoo's habitats are, by and large, what you'd expect from a zoo of this history, size, and operating budget (about $2 million). None are outstanding, but most appear large, naturalistic, and appropriate to the needs of the species living within. The Zoo is not organized zoogeographically, for the most part, with only a North America zone (a fantastic "let's go for a hike" experience with unpaved trails through the woods) and an underwhelming (and inappropriate to the region and zoo, in my opinion) 'African Alley.' Otherwise, animals are mixed together, placed in habitats that work best for them behaviorally and as needed at the time (I visited during major construction outside the zoo gates which impacted the animals living nearby).
Bavaria also makes me thirsty for a giant beer, and alas, the Zoo is missing out on that piece. In fact, the Zoo only has one snack stand—a disappointing 1960s style building serving the standard zoo fare. I'd love to see the Wildlife Center revamped (moving the back of house support functions to the edge of the zoo somewhere, of course) to include a beautiful indoor bier hall-style restaurant with outdoor biergarten doubling as a rental space for much needed revenues. They could even keep a few exhibits nearby, like the gorgeous and huge bald eagle display, and support a really impressive Oktoberfest (and steal Saint Louis Zoo's Ottertoberfest—and add otters, I guess!).
Overall, the Utica Zoo is an adorable regional gem as it is today, but there is definitely room for improvement with efficient service access, upgrades to older areas of the zoo, and deeper thinking related to the selection of animals. The biggest concern for me is the growth of revenues to achieve these improvements. A small zoo with annual attendance of 105,000 (excluding education programs) needs to optimize their revenues. Adding food & beverage in ideal locations (either adding another stand to the opposite side of the zoo OR moving to the center of the zoo where guests pass multiple times) and adding a multi-purpose indoor special events space with restrooms nearby (for nighttime rentals, winter zoo events, overnights and birthday parties) would provide much needed revenues to propel the zoo into a top-notch facility. Oh, and please start serving beer already!
Abilene Zoo: On the Cusp of a Growth Spurt
Frank Buck Zoo: Building Repeatability
Caldwell Zoo: A Timeless Ballad
The Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, Texas is a large 'small' zoo located in a small town. Drawing 250,000 in annual attendance from a drive time of about 1.5 hours, the family zoo is a great example of the best of small zoos—lovingly and thoughtfully designed using a blend of modern, innovative zoo design techniques with clean, timeless designs and light touches of theming set in a lush landscape with water features. A timeless, beautiful zoo borne from love—and a desire to be a community asset.
Austin Zoo: Keeping it Weird-ly Underperforming
The 20-acre private zoo tucked into the hillside on the outskirts of growing Austin, Texas metro has plenty of challenges to tackle, but the beauty of the site and its proximity to Austin (and being the only zoo within an easy drive of the city) means the Zoo has almost unlimited untapped potential to become very successful—and a "weird" little gemstone to the community.
Who CHANGE the world? Girls.
As a single 40-something who consciously chose cats over kids, I know my limitations when it comes to understanding the intricacies of childhood learning. You might see this as a challenge for a zoo designer, but I guess I just always thought about designing experiences that hit the emotional wire that runs through each of us, regardless of age, sparking that special connection people have with animals. I've never been a believer in heavy informational signage, hoping that emotional connection will instead drive people to google (verb) their newly found favorite animal.
Yesterday, I discovered this fascinating new study that shows the best way to convince an adult of an argument (specifically, in this study, related to climate change) is to get their kids to make the argument for you. And, if they have a daughter, all the better, because as we ALL know, girls are better at communication and deep thinking (no haters…the study says this!).
The implications of this study to zoos and aquariums are immense. The study, in general, provides yet more evidential support of zoo and aquarium experiences being critically important. Not only do we have the opportunity to connect with people of all ages EMOTIONALLY, but we've now unlocked the key to impacting the minds and possibly the actions of adults, too. We already assumed children were sponges of information (if they are interested in a subject), but now we know the importance of those sponges—beyond building the foundation of thoughtful, empathetic, conservation-minded future adults. Those sponges could be the perfect delivery mechanisms for conservation change for today's adults. They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks. The question is now, does that dog have a daughter?
The study showed that not only are daughters better at convincing parents, but daughters are better specifically at convincing dear old dad. I wonder if there is an age limit, because the nostalgia of a blond, buck-toothed, bespectacled pre-teen in a pink polka-dotted dress dancing on dad's size 15 shoes at the daddy-daughter dance is a powerful tonic egging me on to attempt to break through dad's climate change denial built up from endless hours of FOX News viewing. I'll let you know if I change his mind.
In the meantime, take a look at the study, summarized in Scientific American here, and let's work on connecting the informational dots between emotional, inspiring experiences and what everyday people can do to make the world a better place for all living things. Including those old dogs…
Owl at the Table--Perspectives from the Small & Mighty: Jessica Hoffman-Balder, Greensboro Science Center
In 2018, I was honored to join forces with an extraordinary group of leaders of small zoos and aquariums to present a Q&A panel at the AZA Annual Conference on the unique challenges and opportunities of being a small institution. The session was well-attended, and a great energy and discussion occurred revolving around pre-determined questions and questions harvested from the live audience via text and good old-fashioned raising of hands.
Although the session was 90-minutes, we still weren't able to answer everyone's questions. Luckily, one of our esteemed panelists, Jessica Hoffman-Balder, General Curator, has generously taken on a few of those unanswered questions providing information related to hybrid institution Greensboro Science Center in North Carolina.
1. How do you make your smaller institutions heard at an AZA level when there are so many larger institutions with a larger voice?
So I'm not sure in what context this question would be referring to. In my experience, I see AZA as an opportunity for small institutions to have just as much of a voice as larger ones. It's about being active in participation and inserting yourself in dialogue regarding topics, or striving to obtain roles in committees, TAG's, SAG's, etc… I actually see a good diversity of small and large institutions reps as AZA inspectors, commission members, and within the steering committees I am on. Also, being active on AZA network discussions is a great place to start.
2. What spaces are you using for:
Nursing Station: We do not have an official nursing station, but currently we have a small meeting room that is rarely used by staff, but is made available to nursing mothers if they ask about a space at our front desk. They are given access to the room, and there is a discreet hang tag with the letter "N" on it that is hung on the door so that staff are made aware that the room is in use. In the room are several rocking chairs, small table, etc. Before this space, we utilized a small utility closet that we made into a comfortable spot with a single rocking chair, lamp, etc. We also have had other locations that were more private on site that became natural nursing areas such as a secluded court-yard spaces and a rarely used staff hallway.
Quiet Rooms / Adult Changing Stations: Outside of the nursing room, we do not have dedicated spaces for anything else. However, if any guest inquires about this kind of need, we will gladly open up any classroom space, meeting room, or other unoccupied location to assist them. We will have a staff member "stand guard" to ensure privacy until the guest is finished. We will be adding our first family restroom to our zoo expansion in 2020 to help with this.
3. What are some ways to drive traffic during slower seasons?
Being a museum and aquarium as well as a zoo, we are lucky in that we are not as impacted by a slow season as others may be. We do have a significant amount of indoor space which helps us greatly during cold or inclement weather. We do also have a large great room where we can host interesting traveling exhibits. They generally bring good numbers and we try to time these openings during fall to boost numbers and capitalize on school programming. We try to provide more program opportunities also in the slower months and make connections to holidays and snowy weather via social media to highlight fun event days or great photo ops. We also are investigating a holiday lights program for next winter, which has been very successful for other institutions.
4. What do you offer in terms of membership and/or annual pass holders?
These are our benefits:
Member Benefits - Valid for a full year!
Free general admission to the Greensboro Science Center (GSC).
Free admission to over 300 ASTC facilities.
Free or discounted admission to over 150 AZA facilities.
Discounted SKYWILD admission.
Discounted general admission ($11.50) for guests of members.
$1 off OmniSphere shows for members and their guests.
Expedited members-only entry.
A 20% discount on each purchase in the TriceraShop.
A 10% discount on each purchase in The Meerkat Café.
Discounts on GSC birthday party packages.
Invitations, coupons and discounts to special events, exhibit openings and new OmniSphere shows.
Priority registration and discounts for workshops and camps.
Free newsletter and email updates.
Special discounts at participating local businesses.
We do it by number in party from 1-10 with price range of $30.35-$232.69 for city residents and 33.72-$258.55 for non-residents. A single ticket entry for us is normally $13.50 for adults and $12.50 for seniors and children.
We do also offer a Business Membership program and details on that can be found on our website.
5. How can consultants help?
The only areas where we have used consultants has been in helping us with our capital campaign and with our marketing and P.R. Though we have both development and marketing staff, these were the two areas we felt were most important in getting outside assistance. We knew we had a good product, but struggled with getting people to know about us. So far, the cost and effort have been worth it. We just wrapped up a very successful capital campaign where we far exceeded our fundraising goals. We also just closed out a record breaking attendance year and our previous record had been when we opened our new aquarium. We have seen a great rise in guests from outside our immediate community and feel we have transitioned into more of a tourist destination.
6. How do you balance catering to the local community and capturing tourist revenue?
I think taking a look at your complete package of offerings is one way to balance both. Our local community is more likely to be our members and also more likely the guests to participate in our extra activities like camps, special events, and other unique programs. Gearing the promotions and advantages of these programs to our local community is our focus. For tourists, we try to focus more on our day-of experiences like ropes courses or BTS tours and focus advertising to different locales like airports and travel centers. We also try to do joint promotions with other large events that may be in our area and already drawing in an outside crowd.
7. Are you AZA accredited? Why or why not?
Yes, since 2007. This was a high priority for our new director that came in shortly before this time. He had been from other AZA facilities and recognized the importance of striving for and achieving best practices which in turn create better guest experiences and increased attendance and revenue. Additionally, becoming AZA accredited provides a wealth of opportunities to gain resources from other staff and institutions, work with sustainable animal collections, grow in staff professional development, and have more of a collective power in conservation and research.
8. How large is your staff?
We currently have 49 FT positions and 95 part-time.
9. Do you find staff use a small facility as a stepping stone to gain experience and then leave when trained up? If so, how do you retain experienced staff on a limited budget?
Certainly, some staff use small facilities as a starter place to grow their experiences. However, I think that becomes a great opportunity for small facilities to get known and recognized in the larger AZA community if you are sending well trained staff out into the larger network. I also see just as many folks hitting a point where they want to step back from the large facilities and find better purpose and meaning with smaller institutions. We personally have had very little issue with staff retention and I, in fact, was one of those that sought out a smaller facility where I felt like I could be a part of something more in my position. Your culture and community also play a huge part in retention and regardless of pay, staff will have a very hard time leaving a job they love at a place they love with co-workers they love. Finally, we also make a concerted effort to invest heavily in the staff we have. We may not draw the most experienced applicants initially, but we are very supportive of staff development and training. Some may be afraid of doing this and then losing those folks to better jobs but we have found that those staff members really appreciate the attention and effort put in to them and instead, it grows their loyalty.
10. Small facility = small advertising budget. What has worked best?
Well, certainly social media efforts have been one of the most affordable and effective ways to grow our brand. We have a variety of campaigns that differ depending on the platform but include Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube the most. We have phased out Twitter as it had the lowest response rate. We also utilize a variety of print adds, primarily through key local publications like parent magazines, and our state magazine. This past year, we did hire a consulting group to help us determine where we would be most effective in marketing. Though this took a significant portion of our budget, it did also help us determine where we should and should not be spending our money and how visitors are best receiving information. We have used this data to start some more targeted media advertising through smart-phone ad beacon technology. This has proven highly effective. Also, just boots on the ground, getting out in your community, really helps remind folks that you are there. Though this takes staff time, financially, it can be very affordable to make appearances at local events.
The Owl at the Table blog posts are on-going features focusing on interviews with the passionate staff from small institutions.
4 Key Take-Aways from the Recent Zoo Design Conference
I was lucky to attend (and present at) The International Zoo Design Conference held in Poland in 2017. Many speakers from around the world talked about their experiences designing habitats or theorizing on the future of zoos and aquariums. While the majority of attendees were from Europe, folks from South America, Africa, and many countries in Asia presented their unique points of view. Although the theme was "Designing for Enrichment," four much deeper lessons held with me for continued thought and on-going discussion for the continued evolution of zoos and aquariums around the world. In this article originally posted to Blooloop.com, I explain those four take-aways:
Euro & American Zoos are Cousins, branching from the same ancestor like an evolutionary tree.
Dynamism as a new goal and design inspiration in everything habitat related.
Rethink the measure and definition of success for species in captivity.
Guests require that zoos care for the their animals as priority one, but often do not understand what good animal care is.
Take a look, and let me know your thoughts!
Happy Anniversary! 10 Years of DesigningZoos.com
Can you believe this summer marks ten years of my little corner of the internet talking about design and the future of zoos and aquariums? Although my posting has become more infrequent as my professional life has evolved, you--my supportive and sometimes thoughtfully critical reader--remain constant. I owe you a huge Thank You for reading my ramblings, and contributing your thoughts. For funsies, I thought we'd review a few of the highlights from the past 10 years and over 200 posts!
Top Ten All-Time-Most-Popular Posts (by visits)
10. "Visitors: An Overlooked Species at the Zoo" (2013) by guest blogger and colleague, Eileen (Ostermeier) Hill. Discusses the critical importance of visitor studies at zoos, some hurdles to studies, and the role of designers relative to visitor studies.
9. "The Future of Zoos: Blurring the Boundaries" (2014) a second entry by guest blogger and obviously brilliant colleague, Eileen Hill. Powerpoint presentation with script about trends in zoos today and how they may play out into zoos of the future. Eileen proposes zoos of the future will by hybrids of multiple science based institutions.
8. "St. Louis Zoo's SEA LION SOUND" (2012). Showcasing the then-new exhibit at the Zoo including fly-thru video, photos of new exhibit, and interview with one of the architects from PGAV Destinations who helped bring the design into reality.
7. "SAFARI AFRICA! Revealed at Columbus Zoo" (2012). Announcement of the ground-breaking of the eventual AZA Top Honors in Design award-winning Heart of Africa (renamed). Includes renderings and site plan.
6. "Underdogs: The Appeal of the Small Zoo" (2013). Exploration of what makes small zoos so appealing to visitors, and meaningful to work for as a designer. Features Binder Park Zoo, Central Florida Zoo, and Big Bear Alpine Zoo.
5. "In Marius' Honor" (2014) by guest blogger and now Project Manager at the esteemed Monterey Bay Aquarium, Trisha Crowe. Trisha explores her emotional reaction to the Copenhagen Zoo's disposal of Marius the giraffe, and implores readers to support zoos, no matter your stance on animal rights.
4. "Small and Sad: Dubai Zoo's Relocation on Hold Again" (2009). Occurred to me today, should have been title "Small and SAND", but the sad state of the old zoo is what made this post so popular. Includes design plans and renderings--which I am sure are woefully out of date. Anyone have any updates??
3. "How to Become a Zoo Designer" (2014). After about 25,000 emails from aspiring zoo designers asking similar questions, I just went ahead and wrote it up to shortcut a step... Still, feel free to email me--I always write back. Let's be pen pals!
2. "The Next Zoo Design Revolution" (2008). One of my very first posts, which explains the popularity. Some say naïve, some say gutsy look at incremental revolution in zoos. The future of zoos has been examined at least 300 times since this one, but in re-reading, I see some kernels of accuracy. Expect an update soon...
And in the #1 spot....
1. "A Quick Lesson in Zoo Design History" (2008). Perhaps my second post ever, which again explains it's number 1 spot. A not-as-advertised look at zoo design history which, I have a feeling, has been referenced by many of the 25,000 students (above) in their zoo projects. Holla at me if you cited me!
Top Ten Recommended Reads for Zoo Designers (aside from those above)
10. "To Safari or Night Safari" (2008). I'm a sucker for the title. But this post examines the very slow to catch on trend of after-hours programming or extended zoo hours as a feasible method to increase attendance. Post-posting amendment: in particular, this is a great strategy for targeting adults without kids.
9. "Does Winter Have to be a Dead Zone at the Zoo?" (2013). I cheated a little on this one. I didn't actually post to DZ.com, but to my blog at Blooloop.com where many of my more recent posts have been landing. This one discusses another strategy to increase attendance by targeting the most difficult time of year for temperate zoos: winter.
8. "Zoo Exhibits in Three Acts" (2011). Storytelling in zoo exhibits, told through, what else?: a story.
7. "8 Characteristics of Brand Experience" (2018). A new one! Understanding what makes strong brands so very strong is important and applicable to new attractions at zoos and aquariums. Examined through the lens of non-zoo brands, like my fav: OrangeTheory.
6. "Interactivity and Zoos" (2013). Examining the different modes of interactivity that are available in zoos, and how they can be applied to experience. A good primer.
5. "How Animal Behavior Drives Zoo Design" (2011). Starting with animals in design can be overwhelming. What information is pertinent to a designer, and what is just interesting to know. Another good primer for learning the basics of zoo design.
4. "Chasing Big Cats: Snow Leopards and Perseverance" (2017). Being a good designer is about so much more than just having cool ideas and being able to communicate them well. Learn the qualities intangible qualities that make good designers, GREAT. Don't be afraid...hint, hint.
3. "Making Responsible Tacos: Conservation Brand Perception at Zoos and Aquariums" (2015). Adapted from a talk I gave, I examine how aspirational brand should translate to experience in zoos and aquariums using the popular taco analogy. Yum. Tacos.
2. "Five Zoo Innovations that have been around for Decades"Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 (2014). Again, pulled from Blooloop. A series of 5 posts examining design elements and characteristics that American zoos have been implementing for decades. This series was an angry reaction to the 'revolutionary' design of metal pods floating through a zoo in Europe. A woman scorned...publishes 5 posts to prove how you don't know anything about innovation. Ha!
1. "Zoos in a Post Truth World" (2017). What every zoo and aquarium advocate needs to consider in this continued atmosphere of skepticism, critique, and distrust. As a zoo designer, you must be aware of changing perceptions and the power we have to shape them.
Top Ten Things I Learned in the Last Ten Years (Blogging or Otherwise...)
10. I'm not shy; I'm introverted
9. How to poop in a hole while wearing 3 three layers of snow pants
9a. Always pack enough Pepto tabs (at least 2 per day while away)
8. I'm not good at social media (see: 10 years of blogging and 600 Twitter followers, probably mostly for cat pics)
7. And speaking of cats, the rubbery buttons of a TV's remote control makes said remote an easy tool to remove cat hair from sofas and pants
6. I sleep better when flying in Business Class
5. Always pay the extra money to hire movers to load and unload that U-Haul
4. Writing isn't hard. Just start typing and...
3. Confidence
2. I lose all 'adultness' around ice cream and baby animals
1. Zoo and aquarium people are really the best people in the world.
Here's to many more decades of Zoo & Aquarium design!
With love and respect--
Your friend, Stacey
Finding Environmental Hope in Unexpected Places
I didn't really know what to expect from a climate change summit held on the campus of a Catholic university. But the message was no different there than if it had been held elsewhere: things are bad--really bad--but the solution is held in our own mirrors. Carl Pope pointed our three types of people who may be hurdles to environmental solutions, while Bill Nye rambunctiously described the people who he believes holds the key. Read more about the conference and these two different-but-similar keynote speakers over at Blooloop.
Guided Travel with Millennials: A New Revenue Stream?
With this blog post at Blooloop.com I explored the idea of creating intentional and robust travel programs with zoos and aquariums that target their widest and core audience: Millennials. Many zoos and aquariums currently have limited travel programs that may occur infrequently, are largely under-marketed, and are mostly targeted at "big pockets" spenders for nurturing into major donors in the future. I examined why a less expensive and more robust offering could prove to be a lucrative investment in resources for the organization while also aligning perfectly with mission.
The Power of Partnerships: Zoos Joining Forces with Animal Welfare Organizations
A snippet of my quite controversial post over at Blooloop.com about my naively optimistic wish of eliminating the US vs THEM mentality that has invaded every aspect of our world: "But my real wish, my dream, is of, "what an amazing world this would be' if we could all join forces. We could unite over a common cause: working to protect the remaining non-captive animal populations from extinction. Let's join together the very best characteristics from both sides of the aisle. Join the mega audience of zoos and aquariums, (with an attendance greater than all professional sports combined), with the marketing, messaging and PR skills of the animal rights groups, whose ability to incite passionate action is unrivalled.
Let's redirect our efforts for productivity, for proactivity, and stop fighting each other. We need to listen and learn; critically review our policies and procedures, create new programs, and focus. Let's save habitats and wildlife. Because really, we're all on this earth together, so why not be all in this together?"
Zoo Review: Zoo Zurich
Zoo Zurich is one of the best zoos in Europe, if not the world. You may recognize the Zoo from its architectural ode to elephants from local modernists, Markus Schietsch Architecture. But the Zoo is much more than that.
Opened in 1929 and the home of famous zoo scientist and animal behaviorist, Heini Hediger, the Zoo surprisingly retains very little of its original history. The oldest features look to be no older than from the mid-20th Century.
Although many of these mid-century exhibits are now clearly out-of-date, the Zoo benefits from a gorgeous, terrain-filled site with lots of natural vegetation, and the zoo team has creatively, if not superficially, renovated the oldest exhibits, even while those exhibits are awaiting their fates at the hands of bulldozers.
Since the mid-1990s, focus for the Zoo has been on innovation, expansion, storytelling, and improved husbandry & welfare, ultimately creating a clear division between the new exhibits and the older section.
The new section includes an absolutely massive indoor rainforest exhibit (featuring more botanicals than fauna--proving once again, the European audience is far more patient than Americans), the previously mentioned elephant complex merging post-modernism with Asian thematic immersion (to a questionable level of success), a children's zoo, and an under-construction African savanna.
The older section of the zoo has been renovated into a passable South American exhibit, with moments of brilliance (see the parrot interpretive), and a visually interesting Mongolian steppe.
They recently opened a very passable renovation of an older exhibit building and outlying exhibits focused on Australia featuring a wallaby, kangaroo and emu walk-through. Multiple koala exhibits with indoor and outdoor enclosures are also included.
A few other random exhibits are mixed into the zoo for good measure, but overall, this zoo deserves your time and respect--and to keep an eye on where they are headed in the future.
8 Characteristics of Great Brand Experiences
My latest post to Blooloop.com is now live! In this article, I explore the appeal of today's competition to zoos and aquariums: sports, games, streaming services, fitness, and festivals by looking at their common attributes. By understanding what draws people in and keeps them coming back, we can apply those same attributes to our attractions' designs--and even develop non-attraction attractions (creative marketing experiences?) that may be temporary in nature, but increase revenues and drive attendance.
Check out the article here.
Zoo Review: London and Chester Zoos
The spring of 2017 brought the first of two trips to Europe for me this year. My previous post shared my experiences at two of Poland's best known zoos. This post explores two of England's most beloved zoos, London and Chester Zoos. Having a few long-time friends from England, I've been lucky to spend quite a bit of time in this beautiful country. I've visited the south west region several times (visiting Paignton Zoo and Eden Project in the late 1990s), but as many times as I have fallen in love with London, I had never once visited the famed Zoological Society of London's crown jewel, London Zoo. The experience of visiting the London Zoo and the Chester Zoo back-to-back allowed for some stark contrasts and very few, but very key, parallels indicating the strong trend of Euro zoo evolution toward immersive storytelling.
Let's begin in London.
London Zoo is considered the world's oldest zoo still in existence, having opened in 1828 in Regent's Park in the heart of metropolitan London. It is an urban escape, and still boasts a wide-open park-like green where modern zoo-goers picnic alongside the zoo's retro airstream BBQ food trailers.
However, the London Zoo suffers from the constraints of its past. As would be expected in such a historical city, older buildings are closely protected and preserved as historic monuments--and therefore untouchable for demolition or adaptive reuse (structures can be maintained and repainted, but only in the original palette of colors!). The world's first aquarium still functions on grounds, and the infamous modernist penguin exhibit that is commonly held as the standard of how not to design an exhibit, remains empty and untouched. The Zoo is also terribly landlocked, and with its historic structures, its site is a patchwork of small pockets of land available for new attractions.
But given these constraints (and perhaps because of these constraints), the Zoo can and should be considered one of the world's best, with moments of experiential brilliance to rival any. The relatively new Land of the Lions was a small budget (under $10,000,000 USD) renovation and expansion that weaves visitors through a fully immersive story of conflict between Asiatic lions and the ever-expanding population centers of India. Thematic architecture is used as lion barriers and blurs the lines of people and animal spaces. And, educational moments (probably the most clever part of the entire experience) are disguised as theming. A barber shop that teaches about lions' manes. A seamstress kiosk that shows us the biological difference between Asiatic and other lions. It's a place to explore and be surprised, and although the immersion is heavily skewed to a human dominated space, the lions' habitat feels natural and appropriate.
As good as the Land of the Lions is, my favorite piece at the London Zoo was a thematic overlay to the historic bird house. The Victorian building, originally built as a reptile house in 1883, was renovated at some point to include multiple small bird flight cages as well as a relatively small walk-through aviary. What seemed to be a more recent renovation implemented a fairly simple graphic overlay. The striking part of the renovation was the intentional decision to embrace the building's heritage, instead of trying to hide it. The graphic overlay features Victorian styled artwork highlighting the beauty of birds, including ingenious classic silhouette art of several recognizable bird species, as well as the use of "wrought iron" rails and benches traditionally associated with this time period. I loved the intent and the impact of this small project, but I would've loved to see this story implemented on a larger scale—redesigning the cages themselves to be highly ornate bird cages we would've seen in this era. What a platform to introduce the concept of "where we've been, and where we're going" in terms of zoos, as well as our society's evolution in regards to our relationship with animals.
In contrast to the urban, historical zoo experience of London Zoo, Chester Zoo is large, sprawling, and reflective of the English countryside in which it resides. Located about an hour outside of Manchester in the north of England, in a "posh" suburb with lots of football money (according to my Brit friends!), the Zoo is a relative newcomer, having opened in 1931. Despite its age (which relative to American zoos is quite old), the Zoo--unlike at London--is not restricted by historic facilities nor is it landlocked. Its oldest building still in use is the forgettable Aquarium from the 1950s.
The Zoo may be best known for its participation in several television series since the turn of the new century, but its most impressive exhibit experience is the new Islands at Chester Zoo project. Phase 3 of the project is expected to open in 2018, but the bulk of the exhibits focused on tropical Asia where the zoo is heavily involved in conservation, opened in 2015. The massive exhibit area expanded the zoo by 15 acres and includes tigers, orangutans, visayan pigs, birds, and much more anchored by the visually impressive river boat ride. Although I personally am less than enthusiastic about boat rides to see animals (and I didn't get to ride this one—out of season), the aesthetic of the river running through the exhibit experience was impressive and added a lot to the immersive setting. Although visitors begin their journey through Islands in a fishing village, and eat at a large Balinese (?) building, the bulk of the exhibit is landscape immersion, rather than cultural immersion, with limited props providing a hint of location specificity. The orang exhibit featured a research hut with jewel exhibits and educational features hidden expertly amongst theming.
Chester Zoo was created with the intent to eliminate bars typical of Victorian zoos, like London Zoo. So, while many of the oldest exhibits definitely feel outdated, most are broadly sweeping with shared landscape views unimpeded by visual disruptions. The Zoo overall feels like a walk through the countryside or even a quiet park in a small town. The few wide promenades that remain, dotted with generic exhibits like storefronts, are tucked away and non-intrusive. This zoo, more than any other that I have visited in Europe, felt most like the American zoos that we have come to know and love.
The thing that REALLY sets Chester Zoo apart, making it one of the world's best zoos, is its incredibly strong message of conservation. The dedication to branding and message at this zoo is unlike any I've seen. A visual continuity through font and graphic style ties the "Zoo Message" (as I call it) throughout the various exhibits, while still incorporating a sense of place within each exhibit through independently styled graphics and props. The Zoo Message is reinforced through small moments (like a pollinator garden along a viewing rail), eye-catching signage, videos, and even a book that can be purchased at the gift shop. What's most important about Chester's messaging style is that it is always approachable (visually and content-wise) and embraces family and fun with a touch of whimsy and humor. A great lesson to be remembered, because, as we know, people come to zoos (and aquariums) for a fun time that makes them feel good about spending their precious resources (of time and money).
Get yourself to England to check out both of these incredible zoos!
Building Public Trust: AZA Workshop
On Monday, September 11, PGAV Destinations led a session highlighting market research that explored the question "how can we affect public perception of zoos and aquariums?" The session included brief presentations by 9 panelists, including Bob Cisneros from Big Bear Alpine Zoo, Mark Fisher from Cincinnati Zoo, John Walczak from Louisville Zoo, Bill Street from SeaWorld, Chris Schmitz from Utah's Hogle Zoo, Magdaline Southard from Monterey Bay Aquarium, Kimberley Lengel from Philadelphia Zoo, Kevin Mills from South Carolina Aquarium (presented by Emily Howard of PGAV), and Stacey Ludlum from PGAV. Individual presentations unfortunately ran 20 minutes longer than anticipated, and the majority of our session audience did not participate in the workshop. However, we did have two intrepid groups discuss their hypothetical issues. Those results are below.
Question One:
You are a large, well-known aquarium with a large percentage of attendance from tourism. Your staff is highly respected within the industry for its innovative husbandry solutions and ability to breed and sustain longevity for its animals, but on-site market research has revealed your guests are not aware of this. You are currently designing a new shark exhibit to replace your smaller and older one that was once considered the best of the best. How do you communicate your innovative animal care at the core of your mission?
High Budget:
- Shark Lab
- Behind the Scenes views and tours
- Nursery and hands-on area
- Exhibit located in high public view
Low Budget:
- Utilize local CVB to generate media support
- Utilize social media to tell stories about poster child shark
- Partner with local news for interviews, regular media segments
Question Two:
You are a small zoo with steady, flat attendance in a medium-sized city (under 1,000,000 residents). Membership accounts for half of your attendance. Market research reveals that people in your community know of you, but believe the experience is meant for small children only and think of you as essentially a petting zoo. You have recently gained AZA accreditation, and all of your staff are highly skilled. Your collection includes many native species, but you are most proud of your successes in breeding cheetah and whooping crane. How do you communicate to your visitors the high level of care involved in your successes?
High Budget:
- Hire more staff to be interpreters on-site
- Engage in an interactive interpretive campaign that highlights the cheetah or whooping crane
- Adult oriented night event that celebrates cheetahs or whooping cranes and the keeper staff related to those animals
Low Budget:
- Citizen science program tracking whooping cranes in nature
Check back for more information on this session including write-ups of the individual presentations!
Advanced Evolution of Chinese Zoos
I'm writing this piece in the fifth hour of the fourteen hour flight to the U.S. from Beijing. I've already watched two movies, had a couple glasses of wine, and did some work. I'm reflecting on my whirlwind trip in Ordos, Inner Mongolia for the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens' (CAZG) 2nd annual conference, where although I was only there for 24 hours, I presented twice for a total of 5 hours. While these stats are quite impressive, the most impressive thing about this trip was the evolution that I am seeing in Chinese zoos and aquariums.
I've been coming to China for 8 years, for projects and for exploration of the potential market for zoo designers here. Although PGAV has been fairly consistently engaged in project work in this massive country over the last decade, most of that has been related to theme parks. The sudden and intense growth of the middle class has created a thirst for leisure activities, and while museums, water parks, historic cities, natural areas, and theme parks have been highly targeted for updates and new projects, the desire for modern, innovative zoos has lagged behind. In my opinion, this is directly related to the state of Chinese society's relationship to animals and nature: the persistent desire for tiger and rhino parts for traditional medicines; exploitation of baby animals, especially tiger cubs, for photos at zoos; the market for ivory as status symbols; the levels of pollution in the water and air.
But recently, the Chinese government has dedicated itself to reversing these trends: last year's historic ivory ban, the continued dedication to the Paris climate accord, and the highly visible campaigns to educate Chinese citizens against the use of animal parts in medicine (as partnerships with organizations like WWF). I've even seen a difference over the years in small things that we take for granted in the U.S.: recycling in airports; signs asking people not to waste paper to save the trees; marketing campaigns for cities like Ordos that highlight how green the city is; encouraging the use of reusable water bottles with clean water stations at airports.
Even though I was only able to spend a day with the Chinese zoo association, I was elated to see the level of advancement in only the two to three years that I've been working with them. As I spoke to the crowd about creating spaces that respond to the nature of animals, not to coerce them, to allow them to make decisions on their own even if that decision means your visitors don't get to see them easily or on each and every visit, I saw heads nodding. A delegate coming to my aid when another challenged my assertion that extra spaces like flexible yards and enrichment rooms are worth the effort and cost. The zoo that proudly shared their designs with me for three new projects--the incredible difference between the designs that had been completed only two years ago, and the ones completed within the month. The level of investment in aspects dedicated exclusively to welfare. The new center for conservation and education.
The CAZG itself is advancing. The conference attendance nearly doubled in one year—only its second year. The Association has created a department dedicated exclusively to design, hiring two full-time designers to aid government-run zoos in improvements. They spent over five years creating a set of design regulations, released this year, that blow our APHIS regs out of the water.They are hungry for knowledge, and thirsty for implementation.
All of this means that the evolution of Chinese zoos will continue to advance at a break-neck speed. And that's a wonderful thing. The typical city zoos that are pervasive throughout the country are as deplorable as you can imagine. Undersized and rusted cages. Limited education focus, if any at all. Lack of enrichment or even natural substrates. Private facilities have and will continue to be at the forefront of innovation due to bigger budgets, but there are a few shining examples of upcoming change at public institutions such as Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo and Beijing Zoo.As long as the government continues to infuse capital into these organizations—and hopefully continue to increase that level, Chinese zoos will soon be as modern as those in the West. And, perhaps even more importantly (and as has been true throughout history), the improvements in zoos will be a reflection of the changing relationship of the Chinese people with the natural world.
Zoo Review: Wroclaw and Gdansk Zoos
Last month, I was able to spend a week in Europe focusing on zoo design. I attended a zoo design conference with many of the world's leading designers and representatives from some of the most influential zoos from around the world. It was fascinating to see how differently everyone's perspectives were, where their priorities lay, and what kind of risks they were willing to take. For more on the conference itself, keep any eye out for my upcoming Blooloop post summarizing my key conference take-aways.
After the conference, my colleague from PGAV and I were able to visit a handful of zoos, presenting a range of experiential designs and husbandry styles. As a strategist, I visit zoos with an eye to understanding their particular brand and differentiators, instead of focusing so much on details. In my experience, every zoo has good habitats and those that need attention. It is the constant challenge for any zoo—understanding where and when to spend their limited capital budget.
In this post, I will present to you the two zoos we visited in Poland.
Zoo Wroclaw (pronounced something like "Vrot-zwoff," although I still just mumble my way through it!) is considered to be the best zoo in Poland. It's an historic zoo with historic structures in a fairly urban setting, but has nice site characteristics, such as naturally forested areas.
Overall, this zoo is fairly representative of an average zoo found throughout Europe. It has its charms and its challenges with the reuse of historic elements, like the original zoo restaurant (turned into a reptile house) and the zoo's first structure, a castle-like brick enclave that originally housed bears (turned into unconventional bird enclosures).
The layout is confusing and a reflection of its long history, and the intentionality of food service and retail could be improved.
The biggest lesson of this zoo is, however, the fact that many European zoos have not yet moved beyond their fascination with big A architecture—architecture for architecture's sake, rather than serving a purpose for storytelling or supporting animal welfare.
The Afrykarium, opened in 2015 and designed by local architect arc2, is a massive indoor Africa aquarium experience located at the heart of the zoo. Its expansive, monolithic black surface can be seen from most places in the zoo—and it's not a good thing. It is not human scale; it does not feel inviting; it does not give a clue to what is held inside; it is in complete contradiction to the character of the zoo.
Once inside, it is clearly apparent that the architects had never created an animal habitat before. Although the habitats are quite spacious and in some instances, quite complex, the ability to recreate a natural habitat indoors is an art that takes many years of practice. This was very much an amateur project, and at $60 million, an unfortunate first attempt for the Zoo.
Gdansk Zoo, located in a city park just off the coast, is a humble zoo that truly benefits from its natural surroundings. The habitats are (mostly) large and naturalistic, many filled with trees and vegetation.
More than just the aesthetic benefits, the Zoo utilizes the site, located at the base of a low mountain range, to tap into a natural supply of fresh water for the habitats. Although none of the exhibits contain underwater viewing, the water is regularly tested to meet quality standards, and is filtered naturally through a series of enhanced wetlands before moving into the city's sewer system.
The habitat barriers throughout exemplify the willingness to take risks that is characteristic of European zoos. Many exhibits here appear to have only hot wire as a barrier, and those with actual barriers, tend to be lower or less robust than what we would do here in the US. There are even places where hot wire is located to impede GUESTS rather than to stop ANIMALS. For example, the tiger caging is surrounded by hot wire on the guest side, with a hand rail along the guest path. A sign warns guests to not touch the hot wire, and also to not get close to the tiger enclosure.
However, this zoo has a comfortable, park-like feel that welcomes guests to take their time and stroll. This is a very traditional approach to zoo design which generally is less appealing to me, but given the natural beauty of the site, the use of natural materials and vegetation within habitats, and the size of most of the enclosures, this zoo has a certain familiar, comfortable charm.
Ecotourism vs Zoos
My newest blog post at Blooloop.com has just posted! This post, again inspired by my recent travels to India, explores the validity of "just go see animals in the wild" as an argument against zoos. It has sparked some interesting conversation on LinkedIn, so go check it out, here.