Muscatine County Conservation
Nature Center Exhibit
WILDLIFE WONDERS AWAIT INSIDE
When Muscatine County Conservation set out to update its Environmental Learning Center facility, the goal was to reimagine the content in new and exciting ways. Highlighting the natural history of the area, changes in its habitats over time, and the wildlife native to Iowa was a primary objective for the revamped space. And sparking a greater love of the outdoor world was an ongoing ambition.
After gaining a thorough understanding of the board’s needs, wants, and challenges, we devised a masterful mix of both static and interactive display solutions that simultaneously engage and educate the center’s visitors. We even put a previously bypassed nook to clever use as a place to experience an interesting amphibian up close and personal.
SERVICES:
– Project Management
– Interpretive Planning
– Experiential Design
– Content Development
– Elevation Drawings
– Illustration
– Interactive Development
– Graphic Production
– Sculpture
– Fabrication
– Installation
SALAMANDER SURPRISE
As the first space upon immediately entering the museum’s doors, this area tucked off to the side was often overlooked by visitors. To ensure they would experience the content, this larger-than-life salamander with animatronic, motion-sensitive eyes catches visitors’ attention. Once they are drawn into the space, visitors can rotate sections of the logs to see replicas of the different amphibians that populate the region and to learn more about each species.
CHANGING HABITATS
A key goal included in the update was educating visitors on the variety of local flora and fauna they can find around them. The display above is an interactive experience that shows how much that variety has changed over recent decades, helping drive home the importance of conservation and taking care of our environment.
BACKYARD CALLS
Further educating on the life that can be found in visitors’ own backyards, this display offers the chance to learn more about specific animals and hear their unique calls. When an animal is selected on the screen, a perfectly positioned light illuminates that animal as it makes its call.