Master Plan Update – 2005 Canada’s Cold Climate Zoo with a Tropical Heart Celebrating Wild Adaptations in a World of Extremes City of Edmonton Community Services Valley Zoo Development Society “ The future is not some place we are going to, but one we are creating. The paths to it are not found but made, and the making of those pathways changes both the maker and the destination.” Dr. Peter Ellyard Commission for the Future 3 Participants Department of Community Services Valley Zoo Linda Cochrane Manager Dean Treichel Supervisor Don Dombrosky Director, Customer Relations Joe Craven Supervisor Evelyn Ehrman Director, Stewardship Wade Krasnow Team Leader Roger Jevne Director, Partner and Facility Development Colin Wenger Crew Leader Ruth Merriott Director, Business Infrastructure Delia Gruniger Zoo Attendant Bryan Monaghan Director, Programs and Visitor Services Bill Habbick Zoo Attendant John Nicholl Director, Land and Building Maintenance Barbara Heenskerk Zoo Attendant Denise Prefontaine Director, Marketing Sandy Huliker Zoo Keeper Tannia Franke Supervisor Frank Pucci Zoo Attendant Judi Rohovie Supervisor Joan Fitzpatrick Research and Design Valley Zoo Development Society Wendy Kinsella Communications Leah Dunford Executive Director Sandra Opdencamp Curator Norman Grimes Chair Larissa Stetzenko Program Coordinator Kent Zucchet Vice-Chair Randy Darr Supervisor Alanna Collicut Wayne Simmons Supervisor Laurie Forster Garry Thiessen Supervisor Marcell Potvin Rick Ireland Project Manager Frank Gasparik Landscape Architect Ron Wheeler Foreman CONSULTANT TEAM Dean Wray Parks Planning Studio Hanson/Roberts Zoological Park Planners and Designers Asset Management and Public Works Becca Hanson Director Brian Oakley Supervisor David Roberts Director Roger Sherman Landscape Architect Planning Jim McDonough Landscape Architect Scott Pragnell Senior Planner AldrichPears Associates Interpretive Planners and Designers Laurier Heights Community League Sheila Hill Researcher, Writer and Interpretive Specialist Lon McKay President Lowry Park Zoo Lex Salisbury Director 3 Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction . 4 2.0 Summary of the Plan . 5 3.0 Up to the Present: Where We’ve Come From . 6 4.0 The Future 4.1 Mission, Vision and Objectives . 7 4.2 Planning Approach . 8 4.3 Visitor Experience . 10 4.4 Visitor Services . 16 4.5 The Collection . 18 4.6 Operations & Maintenance . 20 5.0 Capital Development Strategy and Phasing Approach . 21 6.0 Appendix 6.1 1994 Strategic Implementation Plan . 25 6.2 Synopsis of World Zoo Conservation Strategy . 25 6.3 Overview of Elephant and Sea Lions Discussion . 25 4 1.0 Introduction 5 The Master Plan Update – 2005 builds upon the 1984 Master Plan and the 1994 Market-Driven Capital Development Program, while also responding to existing conditions and new issues that have arisen since 1994. These include: n The changing nature of zoological The purpose of this Update is to give renewed voice to the need for exhibitry and the need to link it to a living, public zoological education and conservation institution in community education; Edmonton that reflects the expectations and needs of the community, n Increasing public and professional and underscores school curriculum. Equally, the plan provides a climate- pressure to provide for enhanced animal welfare for the species in our adapted framework of exhibits that are built around compelling, natural care; associations of plants and n The 2005 World Zoo and Aquarium animals, a small central core Conservation Strategy: Building of tropical counterpoints, and a Future for Wildlife which lists public services that resonate education and training, partnerships with community needs. Such and politics, sustainability, ethics and animal welfare, communications, and an approach will provide integrating conservation as major not only a wonderful day out topics; for families, but also a living n The increased stature of CAZA and AZA laboratory and classroom in as accrediting organizations; which all ages can explore n The continuing success of Calgary Zoo’s the richness and wonder of development as a major regional public the world’s wild-life with a visitation draw, along with the CAZA specific focus on celebrating accreditation of the West Edmonton Mall’s mini-collection; wild adaptations in a world of extremes. n The increasing constraints of obtaining and importing individual animals from internationally managed, captive-bred populations; n City and private fundraising challenges, especially for large capital projects with significant on-going operational costs; n The legal mandate for compliance with the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1997) to collectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions; n The adoption of the City of Edmonton’s Ribbon of Green – The North Saskatchewan River Valley and Ravine System Master Plan, reinforcing the power of “place”, the concept of “community hubs,” and the linking together of the City’s “green corridors”; n Evolving strategic and management frameworks such as: Towards 2010: An Integrated Service Strategy and the Fiscal Policy for the Enterprise Portfolio. 4 5 As a planning document, the Master Plan Update provides guidelines for development, describes a coherent sequence of public visitation experiences as well as the services to support them, and assigns achievable budgets for the purposes of prioritization to get the process of the Zoo’s redevelopment underway. It is not intended to provide a definitive guide to physical design, nor is it a business plan. When funds become available for a given project within a precinct of the Zoo as described in this master plan, a more detailed conceptual plan will need to be prepared and tested against market conditions and budgets. 6 2.0 Summary of the Plan 7 This Master Plan Update – 2005 takes the next step in realistically defining not only what the Valley Zoo experience should be in the future, but also how it should be used … by visitors, animals and staff alike. Advances since the 1994 Capital Development Program include: Visitors to the new Zoo will encounter a new Entry that n Establishing a collection plan and exhibit precincts that creatively deal is designed for ease of access to key visitor services, including with the challenges of the northern climate … both in terms of the washrooms, new Education classrooms and administrative offices, strategic layout and location of outdoor exhibits, as well as the overall refreshing drinks and gifts, and an introductory view into the quality and nature of the visitor experience; Otter Pond … the starting point for The Wander, the Zoo’s central n Creating more visitor amenities, indoor program areas and education circulation spine that interprets the plants and small animals of animal holding closer to the proposed entry and the core visitor services Alberta’s Aspen Parklands and Prairies, and provides a locus for area; additional seasonal food services, shelter, transportation, and rest, n Developing an entry precinct and central visitor circulation route that relaxation and informal play. accommodates seasonality, including low-day and peak visitation periods, as well as all ages and abilities; The existing Storyland Zoo will be reconfigured as a specially n Insuring sufficient “back of house” space to enable excellent management designed children’s zoo, Nature’s Wild Backyard, a place where of both the animals and the physical asset; young children and their families can, together, engage in creative play and programs, and gain up-close experiences with a variety of n Integrating the Zoo campus better with the surrounding Park and community; approachable domesticated and exotic animals. n Establishing an approach to the The remaining portion of the Zoo’s 44 acres will be redeveloped development of “green” infrastructure. to involve visitors in wildlife encounters in The Wildlife Amphitheatre, While this updated Plan continues engage them in care-giving in Beyond the Savanna, and allow them to advocate for well-designed, to discover animal adaptations and adventure in Polar Opposites, naturalistic exhibits that are organized Northern Latitudes, Roof of the World and the Equatorial Regions. 1 as “exhibit precincts” of biomes , it Key to the success of this endeavour will be the ability to build now has fewer “precincts” than the visitation, and to sustainably develop the facilities and living assets in previous Master Plan. This is as a result ways that underscore the core belief in conservation and commitment of an increasing focus on species that to education. can be displayed well, year-round, in Edmonton’s climate, with a condensed 1: “A biological subdivision the reflects the ecological and physiognomic character of the core of tropical exhibits that will provide vegetation … and that broadly corresponds with climatic regions …” a contrast with, and escape from, the – Oxford Dictionary of Ecology, 1994. cold of the Edmonton winter. 6 7 8 3.0 Up to The Present: Where We’ve Come From 9 The Valley Zoo was established in 1959 and was originally set up as a themed facility with small animal exhibits and children’s play areas. The Zoo’s structures and exhibits, Visitation has remained relatively constant over this period. In the like many other zoos that were past decade, the Zoo remains open on a voluntary-pay basis during the established across North America winter to minimize the need for visitor services staff while still enabling during the 1950s, were created around community access. Education programs have become an increasingly a children’s storybook theme with important aspect of the Zoo’s mission over the last 20 years with common characters, such as Humpty PetroCanada signing on as a supporter of Zoo School. Dumpty, and architectural references like Old MacDonald’s Farm and Noah’s Ark. There was little or no attempt at “education” and “wildlife conservation” was an unknown topic. The Storyland Zoo was popular with families seeking a day out during Edmonton’s celebratory spring-to-fall outdoor season. Many Edmontonians cherish pictures of themselves posing in front of one of the Zoo’s many animal pens or Storybook characters.