references
10ft by 7ft viewing window constructed of ORNILUX Bird Protection Glass. ORNILUX glass was inspired by Biomimicry Design Theory, which strives to imitate nature’s biological solutions to solve human problems. The company advises, “The idea for ORNILUX glass came from understanding that birds have the ability to see light in the ultra-violet spectrum, and that some spiders incorporate UV reflective strands of silk in their webs to make them visible to birds. Alerting birds to the presence of a web preserves the spider’s ability to capture prey without a bird crashing into it.” The window appears clear to zoo guests but contains a UV reflective coating that is visible to the birds, mitigating dangerous collisions. Next to the viewing window is an interactive puzzle, designed by Kingdom Productions, that encourages guests to donate coins to support the zoo’s insitu conservation programs, including our partnership with the Kea Conservation Trust. The interactive puzzle requires 5 separate actions to move
the coins through the puzzle and deposit the coins into the collection box, 2 of the actions must be performed by guests from outside the exhibit, and 3 actions must be performed by the birds from inside the exhibit. Guests are amazed at the problem-solving abilities of the birds and their skill at manipulating the puzzle components. The birds appear to enjoy the stimulating interaction with zoo guests. The large viewing window and interactive puzzle allow guests to have meaningful interactions with the birds from outside the exhibit during times when staff are not present to supervise guests inside.
Lastly, a cooperative play maze was installed in front of the exhibit to encourage families to work together to move a ball around the maze’s track. Participants must stand or hold on to the sides of the puzzle and work with their partner to balance their weight so the ball moves around the maze shaped like the face of a kea. For additional information, visit: cincinnatizoo.org/ conservation/field-projects/ kea-conservation www.ornilux.com kingdomproductions.net
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Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
Photo: Jennifer Gainer