Aquariums refreshed at Pratt Education Center; new focus brings excitement to historic setting - Pratt Tribune
Aquariums refreshed at Pratt Education Center; new focus brings excitement to historic setting - Pratt Tribune |
| Posted: 03 Feb 2021 01:41 PM PST From the outside, the Pratt Education Center, near Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism headquarters east of Pratt, looks to be frozen in time. Ice in the front fountain pond reflects the winter season, while the large red-brick building with green wood trim, built in the early 1900s, reflects an era of historical significance and stability. But visitors who step inside the Pratt Education Center in 2021 will immediately experience a refreshed look into what makes Kansas outdoor wildlife a coveted treasure, as reflected through the eyes of education center director Diedre Kramer. "I've spent a lot of time on the tanks," said Kramer. "My ultimate goal is to highlight the diversity of Kansas wildlife and aqua-culture here. We are so glad to finally have the first phase of renovation done in the aquarium." Twelve large aquariums in the center of the first floor of the education center have been renovated with new, multi-color, hand-painted backgrounds. Realistic branches and underwater foliage along with interactive explainers create a whole new experience for those who have been through the center before or for those who are coming in for the first time. "We have six 300-gallon tanks and six 600-gallon tanks, so it takes a lot time for maintenance, and a lot of water to keep these all looking good," Kramer said. While some tanks already have fish swimming in them, others are part of an on-going park ranger project to catch, acclimate, then exhibit aquatic life naturally found in nine Kansas waterbodies. "The list of waterbodies we are highlighting with our large aquariums now includes Ozark Streams, the Verdigris River, the Cimarron River, small and large Flint Hill streams, Wilson Reservoir, reservoirs throughout Kansas, the Kansas River, the Arkansas River (two tanks) and the Upper Republican River," Kramer said. Two Arkansas River tanks already have life swimming and feeding inside. Channel catfish, flathead catfish, quill backs, gar and buffalo fish come up to the front of their exhibits, almost as if they want to visit with viewers, or at least get a better look at whomever is looking at them. Other live displays at this time include a variety of turtles, toads, snakes, lizards and other amphibians. A wide variety of animal habitats with stuffed models provide a definite Kansas prairie ambiance with interpretations and explanations available at each station. "We like to allow people to enjoy the exhibits at their own pace," Kramer said. "There is always someone here to answer any questions, as needed, but self-tours really give visitors a change to hone in what interests them most." While visitors are allowed into the education center during open hours, Monday-Friday from 1-4 p.m., Kramer said that much of the interest and education has gone online since pandemic shutdowns last March. "We did open back up in June 2020, with social distancing rules and masks required," she said. "But we do a lot of virtual tours now and interactive online studies. We have worked really hard on updating the facility and making it part of the 21st century. We love the history here and certainly don't want to lose any of that aspect, but it has been fun to update and refresh the whole experience." Kramer said having open hours in the afternoons allows her time to get all the aquatic and amphibious life feed and cared for in the mornings. She does have help from AmeriCore volunteers, necessary to keep things running smoothly as the aquatic tanks must be drained, cleaned and refilled about twice weekly. But when she is not cleaning, caring for center creatures or conducting tours, Kramer is hard at work on the next phase of renovations. "Our next big project is the reptile and amphibian exhibits," she said. "The turtles are nearest and dearest to my heart. I am passionate about conserving the ornate box turtle in Kansas." Kramer comes by her interest in Kansas wildlife naturally, growing up along Prairie Dog Creek near Norton, Kansas. She said, as a child she loved plants, the outdoors, prairie life, and walking her family's cattle pastures. She also often visited the nearby Upper Republican River which is one of the featured, refreshed, tank exhibits at the education center. "Kansas has so much to offer as far as being an outdoor environment," she said. "A friend of mine once said that we are so underrated here. I hope to change that by educating people and helping them to see what our wildlife treasures are." As spring and summer approach, Kramer said she hopes to get back to work on a pollinator garden in the front education center grounds, as well as continue work inside refreshing exhibits and making Pratt Education Center more online user-friendly. Find current online access to Pratt Education Center at https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Locations/Museums-and-Nature-Centers/Pratt-Education-Center/Pratt-Gallery#prettyPhoto    |
| Texas State Aquarium Not Hampered by COVID Protocols - 101 Corpus Christi Posted: 14 Jan 2021 12:00 AM PST  Liko, Schooner, Kai, and Shadow, four bottlenose dolphins in Dolphin Bay at the Texas State Aquarium, are early risers. Courtesy photo The Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi is the largest aquarium in Texas, ranks No. 4 in USA Today's Top 5 Aquariums in North America 2020, and has been nominated as Best Aquarium in North America by a panel of experts in 2020 for the 10 Best Readers' Choice Award. Best of all, it is COVID-19 compliant, open for families, and safe to visit as we all struggle with pandemic protocols. The aquarium did close at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, but staff quickly researched safety measures and adapted them to reopen in May. All of the aquarium's favorite exhibits and shows are back. Changes include purchasing tickets online, wearing a mask inside the facility, and keeping socially distant from groups not your own. WHAT YOU'LL SEE The aquarium is split into two exhibits, one that explores the wildlife of the Gulf Coast and its newest addition, a 71,000-square-foot exhibit that explores the Caribbean Sea and Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. The Caribbean Journey allows visitors to feel immersed in the jungles, seas, coral reefs, coastal lagoons, and other geographic sights of the area. The jungle level features flamingos, crocodiles, birds, bats, a sloth, and other species, all in an open-floor exhibit. No cages or wires stand between visitors and the wildlife that make their home there. Among the most popular free-roaming resident of the Caribbean Journey is its sloth, Xena, usually found hanging around on a tree limb doing — well, not a whole lot. Staff are on hand to get you up close and personal with this amazing slow moving creature. In the Coral Reef and Blue Hole exhibits on the bottom floor, you can walk through a shark tank, where the immense creatures swim all around you. Pet the stingrays and count the hundreds of colorful fish swimming in gigantic tanks. Scuba divers feed at certain times of the day. Check the schedule online. The sharks are housed in a 400,000-gallon tank, complete with a life-size replica of a shipwreck. Sharks are viewed from a 68-foot-long display window, the longest in North America. Walk among the sharks through an acrylic tunnel. A dining room with expansive windows looks out over the Caribbean Jungle exhibit, Corpus Christi Bay, the USS Lexington, the marina, and the downtown area on the top floor. It can be rented for private events, including weddings or corporate gatherings. Next door, the Whataburger 4D theater puts viewers right in the movie action with amazing special effects. The aquarium's exhibits contain otters, octopuses, sea turtles, seahorses, crocodiles, hermit crabs, and raptors, including an American bald eagle. The resident stars of the aquarium live in Dolphin Bay: Liko, Schooner, Kai, and Shadow. These four bottlenose dolphins put on daily shows and can be viewed throughout the day both above and below the tank. Take the sloping walkway under Dolphin Bay to see the dolphins cavort under the sea. Bring the family to pet jellyfish, sharks, and stingrays! An aquatic nursery shows a jellyfish incubator in action. The Texas State Aquarium focuses on education as well as entertainment and provides virtual classes, distance learning programs for homeschooling, camps, overnight visits, and story times all promoting science, technology, engineering, and math education. The aquarium also plays a major role in conservation through its Wildlife Rescue and Recovery Center, which rehabilitates and, when possible, returns wild animals of land, sea, and air to their natural habitats. COVID COMPLIANCE In compliance with the governor's face mask order, the Texas State Aquarium requires all employees and visitors above the age of 10 to wear face coverings both indoors and outdoors and to maintain social distancing. Employees must also wear face coverings. Team members working directly with guests will wear gloves. Hand-sanitizing and hand-washing stations are available throughout the venue. Surfaces including handrails, exhibit viewing windows, restrooms, and elevators are disinfected regularly. The number of guests allowed to visit at a time is limited. Online ticket and parking purchases are requested — and recommended — to ensure admission. Members will continue to receive free admission. The Validation Kiosk and Information Desk have a clear acrylic partition installed with an opening in the acrylic to validate paper tickets, electronic payments, and membership cards. Strollers for rent and complimentary wheelchairs are sanitized before and after use. Visitors follow a dedicated, one-way flow throughout the aquarium. During spring and summer seasons, the H-E-B Splash Park is open. Café Aqua and Shoreline Grill transaction points use a clear acrylic partition for safe transactions. Shoreline Grill will have no indoor seating. The Weston's Library is closed until further notice. Bathrooms are accessible throughout the aquarium and physical distance is encouraged while accessing them. The Gulf of Mexico Family Restroom and Dolphin Bay Underwater Restrooms are closed to limit access to high-touch surfaces. The Texas State Aquarium is located at 2710 N. Shoreline Blvd. in North Beach, Corpus Christi. For more information, call 800-477-4853 (GULF) or 361-881-1230 and visit texasstateaquarium.org. Find more articles like this in Vacation News |
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