Open Forum

Hello All, 

Museums across North America are pushing in all aspects to be more interactive for all ages in an attempt to breathe more life into their museums. 

Many museums are looking at bringing in live animals into their collection, some even opening small nature centers into their museums for the added programming. I wanted to reach out to those museums who have started this or have considered it to learn what your experience has been? What obstacles have you come across?



I am the Exhibits Manager for Little Ray's Nature Centers. We create interactive and educational museum exhibits for museums, science centers, zoo's, aquariums, and children's museums across North America.

One thing we have found is that what we offer museums is so new that it creates quite a few hesitations from museum staff and directors. I wanted to open this discussion to create an open dialogue about the benefits of bringing a live collection into your museum as well as how to properly do it. 

Please ask away if you have questions or comments please ask away as I would love to hear them. 



This month we are launching Survival of the Slowest, a beautiful blockbuster exhibit highlighting the counter-intuitive survival adaptations - Why is it better to be slow than fast? Small rather than Big? Weak rather than Strong? 

This will be a new tier of exhibit design for Little Ray's Nature Centers so we are offering any museums interested in the highly interactive programming that we can offer or consult you on to come visit us in Ottawa at the Canadian Museum of Nature to really experience what our exhibits have to offer and to meet with our management team to discuss any project you may be working on.

Feel free to contact us at any time through email, phone, or mail. We're an open book and would love to work with you on creating a really memorable experience for your guests.


------------------------------
Shane McConnell
Exhibits Manager
Little Ray's Nature Centers
613-863-1050
Shane@LittleRaysNatureCenters.com
Ottawa ON
------------------------------

Hello, Shane.

I notice your firm emphasizes that staff will provided with your exhibits, for interpretation as well as exhibit maintenance and management. Staffing is essential and, frankly, one element that is often overlooked by museums hoping to benefit form the “thrill” element of exhibiting living animals. Further, face-to-face learning experiences are essential to proper implementation and full achievement of the essential educational goals that can justify use of captive animals.

James Bryant
SOJOURN Science - Nature - Education
Santa Fe, NM
https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-bryant-0598a940/


Original Message------

Hello All, 

Museums across North America are pushing in all aspects to be more interactive for all ages in an attempt to breathe more life into their museums. 

Many museums are looking at bringing in live animals into their collection, some even opening small nature centers into their museums for the added programming. I wanted to reach out to those museums who have started this or have considered it to learn what your experience has been? What obstacles have you come across?



I am the Exhibits Manager for Little Ray's Nature Centers. We create interactive and educational museum exhibits for museums, science centers, zoo's, aquariums, and children's museums across North America.

One thing we have found is that what we offer museums is so new that it creates quite a few hesitations from museum staff and directors. I wanted to open this discussion to create an open dialogue about the benefits of bringing a live collection into your museum as well as how to properly do it. 

Please ask away if you have questions or comments please ask away as I would love to hear them. 



This month we are launching Survival of the Slowest, a beautiful blockbuster exhibit highlighting the counter-intuitive survival adaptations - Why is it better to be slow than fast? Small rather than Big? Weak rather than Strong? 

This will be a new tier of exhibit design for Little Ray's Nature Centers so we are offering any museums interested in the highly interactive programming that we can offer or consult you on to come visit us in Ottawa at the Canadian Museum of Nature to really experience what our exhibits have to offer and to meet with our management team to discuss any project you may be working on.

Feel free to contact us at any time through email, phone, or mail. We're an open book and would love to work with you on creating a really memorable experience for your guests.


------------------------------
Shane McConnell
Exhibits Manager
Little Ray's Nature Centers
613-863-1050
Shane@LittleRaysNatureCenters.com
Ottawa ON
------------------------------

Original Message------

Hello, Shane.

I notice your firm emphasizes that staff will provided with your exhibits, for interpretation as well as exhibit maintenance and management. Staffing is essential and, frankly, one element that is often overlooked by museums hoping to benefit form the “thrill” element of exhibiting living animals. Further, face-to-face learning experiences are essential to proper implementation and full achievement of the essential educational goals that can justify use of captive animals.

James Bryant
SOJOURN Science - Nature - Education
Santa Fe, NM
https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-bryant-0598a940/

Hi Shane,

The Chicago Academy of Sciences is a natural history museum and has incorporated live animals for decades (at least since the mid 1900s if not earlier). Today we have a distinct live animal collection with professional staff trained in animal care who oversee this collection and head up biological conservation programs with locally endangered species. It is crucial that institutions carefully consider bringing in live animals as they can easily be subjected to mistreatment, such as too much stress from being on exhibit or handling for educational programming. Live animals require veterinary care in addition to daily care.

Cultural institutions are often used to considering pests that threaten preserved collections and the environmental conditions required for storage and display of different materials. Live animals also can be threatened by a different set of pests and have different environmental needs. Institutions will need to educate themselves and consider whether it is appropriate to display living collections alongside preserved collections. 

Maintaining live animals is essentially incorporating a zoo into the museum. There are some similarities but a host of differences requiring different staff, training, equipment, and care.

Dawn

------------------------------
Dawn Roberts
Director of Collections
Chicago Academy of Sciences / Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Chicago IL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-03-2018 02:09 PM
From: Shane McConnell
Subject: Live Animal Museum Exhibits

Hello All,

Museums across North America are pushing in all aspects to be more interactive for all ages in an attempt to breathe more life into their museums.

Many museums are looking at bringing in live animals into their collection, some even opening small nature centers into their museums for the added programming. I wanted to reach out to those museums who have started this or have considered it to learn what your experience has been? What obstacles have you come across?



I am the Exhibits Manager for Little Ray's Nature Centers. We create interactive and educational museum exhibits for museums, science centers, zoo's, aquariums, and children's museums across North America.

One thing we have found is that what we offer museums is so new that it creates quite a few hesitations from museum staff and directors. I wanted to open this discussion to create an open dialogue about the benefits of bringing a live collection into your museum as well as how to properly do it.

Please ask away if you have questions or comments please ask away as I would love to hear them.



This month we are launching Survival of the Slowest, a beautiful blockbuster exhibit highlighting the counter-intuitive survival adaptations - Why is it better to be slow than fast? Small rather than Big? Weak rather than Strong?

This will be a new tier of exhibit design for Little Ray's Nature Centers so we are offering any museums interested in the highly interactive programming that we can offer or consult you on to come visit us in Ottawa at the Canadian Museum of Nature to really experience what our exhibits have to offer and to meet with our management team to discuss any project you may be working on.

Feel free to contact us at any time through email, phone, or mail. We're an open book and would love to work with you on creating a really memorable experience for your guests.


------------------------------
Shane McConnell
Exhibits Manager
Little Ray's Nature Centers
613-863-1050
Shane@LittleRaysNatureCenters.com
Ottawa ON
------------------------------

This is a timely discussion.  We are in the process of re-branding our museum from its sole military focus to one of broader maritime history themes of the lower Mississippi River.  One of the proposals for this process is to include a natural history section that would include reptiles, amphibians and fish as a way to discuss the impacts of industry, habitat loss and sea rise on these animals.  Will be following.

------------------------------
David Beard
Executive Director
USS KIDD Veterans Memorial Museum
Baton Rouge LA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-04-2018 06:33 PM
From: Dawn Roberts
Subject: Live Animal Museum Exhibits

Hi Shane,

The Chicago Academy of Sciences is a natural history museum and has incorporated live animals for decades (at least since the mid 1900s if not earlier). Today we have a distinct live animal collection with professional staff trained in animal care who oversee this collection and head up biological conservation programs with locally endangered species. It is crucial that institutions carefully consider bringing in live animals as they can easily be subjected to mistreatment, such as too much stress from being on exhibit or handling for educational programming. Live animals require veterinary care in addition to daily care.

Cultural institutions are often used to considering pests that threaten preserved collections and the environmental conditions required for storage and display of different materials. Live animals also can be threatened by a different set of pests and have different environmental needs. Institutions will need to educate themselves and consider whether it is appropriate to display living collections alongside preserved collections.

Maintaining live animals is essentially incorporating a zoo into the museum. There are some similarities but a host of differences requiring different staff, training, equipment, and care.

Dawn

------------------------------
Dawn Roberts
Director of Collections
Chicago Academy of Sciences / Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Chicago IL

Original Message:
Sent: 12-03-2018 02:09 PM
From: Shane McConnell
Subject: Live Animal Museum Exhibits

Hello All,

Museums across North America are pushing in all aspects to be more interactive for all ages in an attempt to breathe more life into their museums.

Many museums are looking at bringing in live animals into their collection, some even opening small nature centers into their museums for the added programming. I wanted to reach out to those museums who have started this or have considered it to learn what your experience has been? What obstacles have you come across?



I am the Exhibits Manager for Little Ray's Nature Centers. We create interactive and educational museum exhibits for museums, science centers, zoo's, aquariums, and children's museums across North America.

One thing we have found is that what we offer museums is so new that it creates quite a few hesitations from museum staff and directors. I wanted to open this discussion to create an open dialogue about the benefits of bringing a live collection into your museum as well as how to properly do it.

Please ask away if you have questions or comments please ask away as I would love to hear them.



This month we are launching Survival of the Slowest, a beautiful blockbuster exhibit highlighting the counter-intuitive survival adaptations - Why is it better to be slow than fast? Small rather than Big? Weak rather than Strong?

This will be a new tier of exhibit design for Little Ray's Nature Centers so we are offering any museums interested in the highly interactive programming that we can offer or consult you on to come visit us in Ottawa at the Canadian Museum of Nature to really experience what our exhibits have to offer and to meet with our management team to discuss any project you may be working on.

Feel free to contact us at any time through email, phone, or mail. We're an open book and would love to work with you on creating a really memorable experience for your guests.


------------------------------
Shane McConnell
Exhibits Manager
Little Ray's Nature Centers
613-863-1050
Shane@LittleRaysNatureCenters.com
Ottawa ON
------------------------------