{"id":{"repo_id":"ksu","oai_identifier":"oai:krex.k-state.edu:2097/19110"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/ksu/oai:krex.k-state.edu:2097/19110","repository":{"repo_id":"ksu","name":"Kansas State University","base_url":"https://krex.k-state.edu/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"The role of zoos in educating visitors about conservation of wildlife and habitats: a design for Sunset Zoo in Manhattan, Kansas","abstract":"In the last 30 years there has been a shift toward educating people about conservation within zoos. Public learning about conservation of wildlife and habitats is vital if the extinction of wildlife is to be avoided. Zoos offer opportunities to educate visitors about habitat conservation through programs and activities, and the way individual habitats and zoos are being designed. Education about wildlife and habitat conservation is important, and must address scientific, aesthetic, and ecological values to be effective. When educating people about the importance of conservation of species and their habitats in zoos, it is important to create a connection between them and nature. This connection can be achieved by creating a sense of place that allows people to be inspired by nature and understand the importance of preserving it for the future. These connections have the potential to change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans existing in harmony with each other. This report focuses on the redesign of the tiger and sloth bear exhibits at Sunset Zoo in Manhattan, Kansas, which offer opportunities to create exhibits that focus on animal welfare, offer educational experiences, and evoke a sense of place. In studying the role that zoos have in educating and encouraging wildlife and habitat conservation, and in creating a sense of place for the broader community, a variety of methods have been used including: literature review, precedent studies, and passive observation of zoo users. Using these methods, I determined that a successful educational programming strategy and design should include: having keepers or volunteers available to talk directly to zoo visitors, creating opportunities for visitors to form an emotional and intellectual connection to the animals and their habitats, creating an immersive experience for visitors within a naturalized exhibit, offering enrichment features for animals that encourage activity and natural behaviors that visitors can observe, and including interactive educational components for visitors. These programming elements can contribute to Sunset Zoo implementing successful strategies for education within exhibits.","abstract_html":"In the last 30 years there has been a shift toward educating people about conservation within zoos. Public learning about conservation of wildlife and habitats is vital if the extinction of wildlife is to be avoided. Zoos offer opportunities to educate visitors about habitat conservation through programs and activities, and the way individual habitats and zoos are being designed. Education about wildlife and habitat conservation is important, and must address scientific, aesthetic, and ecological values to be effective. When educating people about the importance of conservation of species and their habitats in zoos, it is important to create a connection between them and nature. This connection can be achieved by creating a sense of place that allows people to be inspired by nature and understand the importance of preserving it for the future. These connections have the potential to change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans existing in harmony with each other. This report focuses on the redesign of the tiger and sloth bear exhibits at Sunset Zoo in Manhattan, Kansas, which offer opportunities to create exhibits that focus on animal welfare, offer educational experiences, and evoke a sense of place. In studying the role that zoos have in educating and encouraging wildlife and habitat conservation, and in creating a sense of place for the broader community, a variety of methods have been used including: literature review, precedent studies, and passive observation of zoo users. Using these methods, I determined that a successful educational programming strategy and design should include: having keepers or volunteers available to talk directly to zoo visitors, creating opportunities for visitors to form an emotional and intellectual connection to the animals and their habitats, creating an immersive experience for visitors within a naturalized exhibit, offering enrichment features for animals that encourage activity and natural behaviors that visitors can observe, and including interactive educational components for visitors. These programming elements can contribute to Sunset Zoo implementing successful strategies for education within exhibits.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["McElroy, Michelle Lynn"],"institution":"Kansas State University","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-04-24","date_published":"2015-04-24","updated_at":"2026-08-21T22:21:56Z","subjects":["Zoo design","Conservation education","Placemaking"],"languages":["en_US"],"rights":["© the author. This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s)."],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/2097/19110","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"source_record":{"url":"https://krex.k-state.edu/server/oai/request?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=dim&identifier=oai%3Akrex.k-state.edu%3A2097%2F19110","prefix":"dim"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["McElroy, Michelle Lynn"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2015-04-24T20:40:44Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2015-04-24T20:40:44Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2015-04-24"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Kansas State University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Report"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Zoo design","Conservation education","Placemaking"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en_US"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© the author. This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s)."]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/2097/19110"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In the last 30 years there has been a shift toward educating people about conservation within zoos. Public learning about conservation of wildlife and habitats is vital if the extinction of wildlife is to be avoided. Zoos offer opportunities to educate visitors about habitat conservation through programs and activities, and the way individual habitats and zoos are being designed. Education about wildlife and habitat conservation is important, and must address scientific, aesthetic, and ecological values to be effective. When educating people about the importance of conservation of species and their habitats in zoos, it is important to create a connection between them and nature. This connection can be achieved by creating a sense of place that allows people to be inspired by nature and understand the importance of preserving it for the future. These connections have the potential to change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans existing in harmony with each other. This report focuses on the redesign of the tiger and sloth bear exhibits at Sunset Zoo in Manhattan, Kansas, which offer opportunities to create exhibits that focus on animal welfare, offer educational experiences, and evoke a sense of place. In studying the role that zoos have in educating and encouraging wildlife and habitat conservation, and in creating a sense of place for the broader community, a variety of methods have been used including: literature review, precedent studies, and passive observation of zoo users. Using these methods, I determined that a successful educational programming strategy and design should include: having keepers or volunteers available to talk directly to zoo visitors, creating opportunities for visitors to form an emotional and intellectual connection to the animals and their habitats, creating an immersive experience for visitors within a naturalized exhibit, offering enrichment features for animals that encourage activity and natural behaviors that visitors can observe, and including interactive educational components for visitors. These programming elements can contribute to Sunset Zoo implementing successful strategies for education within exhibits."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Landscape Architecture"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The role of zoos in educating visitors about conservation of wildlife and habitats: a design for Sunset Zoo in Manhattan, Kansas"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["McElroy, Michelle Lynn"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2015-04-24T20:40:44Z"],"dc:date.available":["2015-04-24T20:40:44Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2015-04-24"],"dc:description.abstract":["In the last 30 years there has been a shift toward educating people about conservation within zoos. Public learning about conservation of wildlife and habitats is vital if the extinction of wildlife is to be avoided. Zoos offer opportunities to educate visitors about habitat conservation through programs and activities, and the way individual habitats and zoos are being designed. Education about wildlife and habitat conservation is important, and must address scientific, aesthetic, and ecological values to be effective. When educating people about the importance of conservation of species and their habitats in zoos, it is important to create a connection between them and nature. This connection can be achieved by creating a sense of place that allows people to be inspired by nature and understand the importance of preserving it for the future. These connections have the potential to change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans existing in harmony with each other. This report focuses on the redesign of the tiger and sloth bear exhibits at Sunset Zoo in Manhattan, Kansas, which offer opportunities to create exhibits that focus on animal welfare, offer educational experiences, and evoke a sense of place. In studying the role that zoos have in educating and encouraging wildlife and habitat conservation, and in creating a sense of place for the broader community, a variety of methods have been used including: literature review, precedent studies, and passive observation of zoo users. Using these methods, I determined that a successful educational programming strategy and design should include: having keepers or volunteers available to talk directly to zoo visitors, creating opportunities for visitors to form an emotional and intellectual connection to the animals and their habitats, creating an immersive experience for visitors within a naturalized exhibit, offering enrichment features for animals that encourage activity and natural behaviors that visitors can observe, and including interactive educational components for visitors. These programming elements can contribute to Sunset Zoo implementing successful strategies for education within exhibits."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Landscape Architecture"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/2097/19110"],"dc:language.iso":["en_US"],"dc:publisher":["Kansas State University"],"dc:rights":["© the author. This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s)."],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Zoo design","Conservation education","Placemaking"],"dc:title":["The role of zoos in educating visitors about conservation of wildlife and habitats: a design for Sunset Zoo in Manhattan, Kansas"],"dc:type":["Report"]},"updated_at":"2026-08-21T22:21:56Z"}