Center environmental exhibit drawing crowds

e exhibit has been open only a few days, but Charlotte McCoy, Discovery Center marketing and special events director, already has visions of record attendance.

"I don't know if it's pertaining to the biodiversity in this exhibit, but we've had more groups this summer than we had last summer," she said.

The new exhibit is"Biodiversity 911: Saving Life on Earth," and it allows visitors to learn through colorful displays and film all about forests, soils, oceans and the diversity of life they support.

"People love it," McCoy said. "They learn a lot from this exhibit, and not just kids the adults. As they go through, they try to slow the kids down. They say, Hey, come back and check this out.'"

Centerpiece

The exhibit's centerpiece is the Biodiversity Theater, where visitors can see an all-new short film produced by Aardman animations, creators of the feature film "Chicken Run." The film features claymation creatures being treated for a variety of ailments. "There is a clump of dirt called Mr. Kowalski,' McCoy said. "And he's eroding. He comes to life through animation and then you go to his exhibit and there's an interactive video where you can take the soil quiz. He talks to you."

The film is lighthearted in tone, but also presents environmental issues such as deforestation, pollution, climate change and wildlife trade. After watching the film, visitors can then go out into the display area and view six individual exhibits, each one presenting a different character and environmental issue from the film.

Displays

McCoy said the displays, and a few of their features, include:

Forests of the World, where visitors can learn about forest life, what forests provide us, deforestation, and how consumers can support the use and sale of wood from forests that are "sustainably harvested." Featured is a grove of life-size tree trunks and branches. Visitors can scroll up and down through a rain forest tree in cross-section, using a computer. They can also see a display of a newspaper for the future, a laminated newspaper with articles, photos, quotes, cartoons, and success stories of what people around the world are doing to protect habitats.

Fisheries of the World lets visitors explore the subjects of marine life being threatened by overfishing and destructive fishing practices. A mock-fishmarket display challenges visitors to put together a fish stew using only fish caught in an environmentally friendly manner.

Toxics of the World shows how many animals are harmed by toxic substances, how toxic chemicals don't "go away" after they're used and don't stay where they are applied, and how toxic chemicals build up in living systems. In addition, a "Dr. Toxic" call-in radio show teaches about common household products that may contain toxic chemicals, and about environmentally friendly alternatives.

Soil Around the World teaches that soil is alive and made up of many living organisms, providing many services and supporting much biodiversity. A "soil magnification model" illustrates the components of healthy soil and includes soil-related questions.

Climate Change Around the World illustrates the main ideas that coral reefs and other ecosystmes are threatened by the climate changes produced by greenhouse gases and other factors. It features a crawl-through coral reef community that teaches about the diversity of living things supported by the reef. An interactive map shows what would happen if the Earth's temperature increased by one degree, and another display shows the contribution of carbon dioxide made by various transportation vehicles.

Wildlife Trade Around the World focuses on the illegal and unregulated wildlife trade and its effects on biodiversity around the world. Visitors can act as detectives to solve wildlife-trade-related mysteries and see actual objects that have been seized by Fish and Wildlife Service agents, including elephant ivory, spotted cat skin, tortoise shell, and a West African crocodile purse. Another display lets visitors touch the bronze pawprints of animals on the verge of extinction. Another feature of this display is the Resource Center, which allows visitors to answer several questions about their lifestyle choices and environmental interests. The profile this provides is used to produce a printed card with the visitor's photo and several suggestions for taking action to help conserve biodiversity.

Sponsors

According to McCoy, the exhibit is sponsored locally by the Department of Natural Resources District O and Bill and Barbara Kipfer. It was developed by the World Wildlife Fund in partnership with Jeff Kennedy Associates Inc., Aardman Animations, and the Insitute for Learning Innovation. The National Science Foundation and the Mars Foundation provided major funding for the project, and the American Honda Foundation and Eastman Kodak Company provided additional support.

McCoy noted that cartoonist Gary Larsen, creator of "The Far Side," donated some previously unpublished cartoons to the exhibit . "He's on the board of the World Wildlife Fund. This exhibit is so credible," she said. "It's made up of nationally and internationally known names."

"Biodiversity 911: Saving Life on Earth" will be on display through September 9 at the Discovery Center of Springfield, 438 St. Louis St. Hours are 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, Saturdays 10 a.m. 5 p.m. and Sundays 1-5 p.m.