3rd Wildlife Viewing & Nature Tourism Academy

Truly immersive “wildlife” experiences place visitors into the animal habitat they have travelled to observe. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for orchestrating such encounters – each must respond to the nuance of place, habitat, seasonality and the types of wildlife available to see in different seasons. The presentation team will discuss how designers can integrate site and structure to work together programmatically, structurally, ecologically and aesthetically to deliver an immersive experience rooted in the context of place. Hear how a nature center director has capitalized upon site and facility design opportunities to propel the organizational mission and reach new visitor groups.

Takeaway values include: design team collaboration; program integration; and owner perspective on the operations of such facilities. This presentation will further address the following: the Environment - Habitat and supporting ecotones; the Observer - Human Ergonomics; the Story - Understanding of larger context/migratory system; and the Experience Phenomena - How the wildlife informs the act of viewing