Shall they tour the plains of Africa, the Okavango Elephant Sanctuary, Australia or Farmland in the U.S.A.?ДЄ unique feature awaits visitors as they leave the education pavilion. After crossing this quiet midwestern garden, guests decide which part of the world they wish to visit. A lush grove of native flora with a meandering waterfall forms a courtyard visible from all parts of the Education Pavilion. With the fateful message of The Journey echoing in my head, I looked out toward the Ozark Garden. We try to elicit a subconscious sense that man is a part of nature, not above nature or separated from it.' 'In The Journey we wanted to slow people down, turn off their senses that are barraged by everyday life and turn on the senses not normally exercised.

Jay Tomlinson, one of the Deramus Education Pavilion architects, explained. The Journey sets the stage, putting visitors into a certain mind-set for what they are going to experience on their visit. Not putting visitors immediately out with the animals was a novel concept for a zoo. The Journey's entrance is the first thing visitors see when entering the Education Pavilion. The building's structure is primarily of salvaged lumber with the wood surfaces from sustainably managed sources. Some of the building's most beautiful features conserved tremendous amounts of energy during construction. The building's walls and ceiling are super insulated and there is ultimate utilization of natural light. Friends of the zoo, which manages the building and raised the $16.5 million for its construction, originally directed the architects to create a building friendly to the natural environment in every way possible, including technology and materials. The structure of the Pavilion itself strictly adheres to the zoo's conservation oriented mission. The facility first opened to the public in 1995. A walkway edged in stone sloped down to the entrance. 'The Kansas City Zoological Gardens is committed to environmental education and wildlife conservation through recreation and participation.'Д«eyond this sign, I saw the Education Pavilion nestled into a valley, its rolling copper roof reflecting the morning sun. The zoo's statement of purpose on the arch interrupted my mundane thoughts. I headed toward an archway that marked the path to the zoo. The Missouri Department of Conservation helped make possible the Deramus Education Pavilion, along with the Ozark garden courtyard and an aquarium displaying native Missouri fish.ДЄs I parked my car in the Hippo Parking Lot of the zoo, my head was filled with everyday worries. The Kansas City Zoo has completed a $71 million renovation and expansion project to make itself a model for zoos of the future. I have just gone through 'The Journey' in the Deramus Education Pavilion of the Kansas City Zoological Gardens. 'When you see the animals on your safari today, look into their eyes and say you'll help. The faces of an eagle, a monkey and a human baby stare down at me. The woman's voice tells of humans as the hope of the planet. Images of animals and of man are projected up onto the leaves.

This forest feels like a magical place, filled with great intelligence. As a welcome relief from the hot breath of the city, another glade of trees draws me out of the urban chaos and I return to nature. I have traveled from one extreme to the other and am reminded of how detached from nature most of us have become. Cars honk, a radio blares and I find myself on an urban city block. As I move forward, the noises of modern civilization drown out all sounds of nature. From up ahead, a blast of hot air hits my face. A wooden shelter and fence show that man has learned to use necessary plants and animals for survival. The next scene illustrates the beginning of human separation from nature. I am soundly reminded that humans were once the hunted, not the hunters. Its threatening screams scare me forward, as it had my ancestors. The eyes and teeth of a large predator flash above me on a cliff. Off to my right, a campfire glows and primitive tools lay scattered, as if their owners had recently fled.

I feel something fly by my head, then convince myself it was just a puff of air.ДЇrom this primordial forest, the path leads me forward through time. Flashes of light reveal branches arching overhead and strange noises make me shudder. I try to focus on what is in front of me, but see only tree shadows cast upon the floor and the walls. 'We have been wild thousands of times longer than we have been civilized.' An eerily enchanting woman's voice guides me forward. My eyes have not yet adjusted to the darkness, and I must use other senses to feel my way down the narrow irregular path.

Zoo digital deer drive