Nominees for this year's award are: Sea Lion Cove (Fresno Chafee Zoo) American Trail (Smithsonian National Zoo) Gorilla Forest (Como Park Zoo and Conservatory) Blacktip Reef (National Aquarium in Baltimore) Turtle Trek (SeaWorld Orlando) KidsZooU: Hamilton Family Children's Zoo & Faris Family Education Center (Philadelphia Zoo) Hasbro's Our Big Back Yard at Roger Williams Park Zoo (Roger Williams Park Zoo) Australian Outback (San Diego Zoo) Encounter Africa (Cheyenne Mountain Zoo) Winner(s) announced at the annual AZA Conference in Orlando in September
@Zooplantman: I love it when you post the award nominees every year. I have not seen any of the exhibits this time around but I am struck by the fact that there is perhaps not a single blockbuster in the group. What do other people think?
I've only seen San Diego's Outback exhibit and the Fresno Zoo Sea Lion Cove in person. Outback is nice. Certainly adequate and attractive, but in no way a ground-breaking exhibit. The Fresno sea lion exhibit is stunning. I was astounded at how terrific that exhibit is. It has superb immersion, great sea lion views above and underwater, and excellent keeper presentation. It is a great exhibit and I hope that it wins.
I was thinking the same thing SL, DB & jbxyz... I haven't heard of these new exhibits, apart from San Diego's Australian Outback (which is also the only one I have seen). And I wasn't especially impressed with it, although there was nothing wrong with it (and it did have a great bird collection) it wasn't amazing. Interesting to see such a range of exhibits - aquariums to gorillas to children's zoos. Are there awards for smaller exhibits too? Is there a list of past winners? Can anyone note any notable omissions, or was it a bit of a slow year for AZA zoos?
While not what snowleopard would consider a "blockbuster", I would contend that perhaps Philly's KidsZooU does perhaps contain some ground-breaking features and is a legitimate contender for an exhibit award.
For the 1st time in awhile we have not seen any of the nominees ! We are certainly going to root for one of the smaller zoos like Como or Fresno. Team Tapir223
Does anyone have more photos of Encounter Africa at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo? It is probably the largest blockbuster exhibit up this year, with new exhibits for african elephants, black rhinos, african lions, and meerkats.
Does anyone know if the Oregon Zoo's Condors of the Columbia exhibit was up for nomination? Unless they're going to be nominated next year since it's brand new this year... It's a GORGEOUS exhibit with some really nice graphics.
And the winner is... Top exhibit goes to: Sea Lion Cove (Fresno Chafee Zoo) KidsZooU: Hamilton Family Children's Zoo & Faris Family Education Center (Philadelphia Zoo) (two winners) Honorable mentions: Blacktip Reef (National Aquarium in Baltimore) Encounter Africa (Cheyenne Mountain Zoo) (@Ituri, did I forget anyone?)
As of next year, exhibits will be divided into a category of more expensive and a category of less expensive so that smaller zoos are not competing for recognition with larger zoos. Just how that division will be made has not yet been decided.
I did see KidsZooU and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A creative way to reinvent and make use of the abandoned pachyderm building and outside exhibits.
Anyone want to nominate any worst new exhibits? Cheyenne`s Reptile House done as a trendy,bachelor pad takes some beating....
The Timbivati "Wildlife Park" that snowleopard ran across in Wisconsin seems like a new low in modern zoo design and welfare.
