Spring is the time for renewal and reinvention. In the spirit of springtime we here at CHCI have been working to reinvigorate all aspects of our education workshop experience. First, our chimposium presentation has been upgraded introducing both new material and a new format that incorporates current technology like PowerPoint. Second, we're re-imagining our foyer space to maximize the potential for learning. With the "Conservation Information" station & the "Chimpanzees in Captivity" station we hope to continue educating the public about the challenges facing chimpanzees and the larger bodied apes across the world in new and engaging ways.
Both foyer projects are currently in progress but some things to look for if you're visiting in the future are the following proposed ventures: first, the "bushmeat tree" with facts and figures to inform guests about the bushmeat trade and it's impacts on free-living chimpanzee communities; second, the visual aids (including maps & marbles) of current chimpanzee population numbers compared to ancestor populations to represent the scope of habit loss and population decline; and third, a new poster that outlines the experiences of chimpanzees in captivity in the United States.
In addition, our interactive kiosks will be expanded to address these issues as well. These ideas and more are being fleshed out by a group of fantastic volunteers who are dedicated to making information available because they know that education is the best possible tool for change. I'd like to thank them all and encourage you to stop by if you're in the area to experience the new educational opportunities that they're working hard to make available!
Thanks to the following individuals for your continued hard work on making these projects a reality: Andy Gray, Debbie Metzler, Gina Stadtner, John Rinear, Julianna Bostick, Julie Reveles, Lindsay Zager, Mike Stucker, Olivia Brown, Robin Potosky, Rozsika Steele, and Sydney Self.
To get a snack after lunch the chimpanzees have to eat a bowl of soup. The soup has beans in it and we want to make sure they are getting enough protein. Tatu asked me for a carrot before eating any soup. I signed, "NEED EAT THAT, YOU KNOW." Tatu picked up the bowl and started eating the soup very slowly. There are four rooms in the Night Enclosure Area (NEA) where the chimpanzees are served their meals. Tatu was in room 4 eating when Loulis called me over to room 2 for a second helping of soup. I was serving Lou his soup when Tatu came over into room 3 and showed me her empty bowl. She looked at me and signed, "CARROT?" I replied, "YES, CARROT." Tatu was clearly pleased with my response. Dar was ready for more soup too so I went back to room 4 where he was waiting. I looked down and saw Tatu's soup all over the floor! She poured it out when I walked away! She has been keeping me on my toes...
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