Carter, Bush add luster to WOW's ongoing efforts

The Wonders of Wildlife, American National Fish & Wildlife Museum & Aquarium has added yet another feather to its cap.

Two former presidents, George Bush and Jimmy Carter, have been named honorary co-chairmen of the museum board. Both presidents are avid fishermen and have demonstrated great interest in outdoor sports and conservation.

Dr. John Moore, Wonders of Wildlife board chairman, said, "Both [Bush and Carter] have always been great outdoorsmen and sportsmen, and they've both expressed strong interest and support for this museum that will celebrate our heritage of hunting and fishing, and the importance of conserving that heritage. Both presidents have been personal friends of John L. Morris, founder and CEO of Bass Pro Shops, who conceived the idea of Wonders of Wildlife."

Gary Ellison, marketing director for the museum, is excited at the potential impact the involvement of these conservation-minded people could create.

"When two United States presidents who are known for their love of the outdoors become co-chairs of the board, all kinds of opportunities open up in the realm of research grants and corporate sponsorship of displays and events. Their participation brings our museum/aquarium to the next level," Ellison said.

Wonders of Wildlife is capitalizing on a growing trend in leisure travel. Soft adventure is a category of travel where educational experiences are blended with the entertainment of the outdoors.

The museum and aquarium will be built at the north end of Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World at Sunshine and Campbell, and will angle toward a small lake near the intersection. It will be an immersive, interactive museum and aquarium which will include a 30-foot waterfall, flowing river and two main aquarium tanks containing 200,000 gallons of water each.

Living wildlife will be featured in its natural habitat. A stream with live fish, animals and birds will trace ecology from a small creek to the lakes and beyond.

Visitors will enter the indoor paradise at treetop level, gradually changing elevations to observe the ecological system from the treetops to caves, sinkholes and waterways, demonstrating the importance and function of each.

Side galleries will contain exhibits on the roles of hunters and fishermen in the conservation of natural habitats.

Wonders of Wildlife will be unique among aquariums and museums, as it will feature a combination of live fish, birds and mammals, natural history exhibits, dioramas, and hands-on interactive activities.

Nearly 1 million people are expected to explore Wonders of Wildlife each year. The museum is expected to draw huge numbers of visitors to Springfield.

Groundbreaking is expected this fall, with the grand opening set for 2001.

For more information on the Wonders of Wildlife, visit the Web site at

www.wondersofwildlife.org.

You can also link there from the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau's site at

www.springfieldmo.org.

(Kristin Kubitschek is public relations manager for the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau.)