New ‘Life’ exhibit opens eyes to nature

Izzy, the three-toed sloth, has been hanging out recently at her home, the new “Life” exhibit at the Orlando Science Center.

She has a tree to climb, a rope to hang from, and a hammock to relax in regularly.

Visitors to the science center will be able to get a closer look at Izzy and Life’s other animal residents after it opens to the public on Thursday. The nature exhibit promotes close encounters with his three ecosystems: rainforest, swamp, and ocean.

At 10,000 square feet, “Life” is the largest exhibit the museum has ever created and is priced at $13.5 million. It will be the successor to Nature Works, which closed in 2022.

The rainforest section of “Life” is two stories high and is home to Izzy, turtles, birds, fish, and tamarins, who are free to roam and fly among the trees if they wish. There is a designated feeding area to keep the monkeys free of bird food, and an optional backstage sleeping area is also available.

“This is not a display. This is their home and you are a guest in their home,” said Jeff Stanford, vice president of marketing. “It just creates a very intimate connection between the visitor and the animals.”

Izzy nibbled on zucchini, cucumbers, and other plant material to comfort herself in the weeks leading up to the store’s opening. she climbs she takes a nap

“She loves her new home. She’s very active here,” said Conservation and Welfare Curator Shannon Zimmerman.

Animals, including fish, are moving into living spaces after a period of isolation.

But they are an active group. Visitors may spot her two sister plebolis scampering through the tunnels overhead in the swamp section. There’s also a pair of burrowing owls there that may one day become lovebirds. I feel like I can reach out and touch it, but that is not the purpose of “life”.

“We’ll be doing programs on the microphone for our guests, doing training sessions and talking about wild conditions,” Zimmerman said. “But we’re not going to give you sloth in this space.”

More turtles and crocodiles can be found under the cypress trees that have been the centerpiece of the museum for decades. The renovation will bring people physically closer to the water and its inhabitants.

“When this building opened in 1997, there was a different ideology around exhibition design than there is today. …Museums had evolved into more experiential spaces, and less about production design and setting and more about what was going on in the space. “I think we’ve started to focus on whether we’re doing well,” Stanford said.

“We wanted the exhibition to be comprehensive, very visual, and also open,” he said.

In the marine section, a young bonnet shark circles around the tank surrounded by a variety of fish, including those found in Florida such as tangs, grunts, and parrotfish.

Nearby underwater exhibits offer a chance to get hands-on with animals found in the Indian River Lagoon, including aslipa lobsters, horseshoe crabs, pincushion sea urchins, and starfish.

Visitors will also be introduced to a rotating lineup of “animal ambassadors,” from possums to Burmese pythons.

Digital displays help explain what species are like and environmental issues.

Orange County poured $10 million from tourism development taxes into the exhibit, and corporate consultant and philanthropist Sarah Leighton donated $3 million to the project. She is credited as a “sponsor sponsor” in the exhibition. Leighton’s gift is the largest private gift in the science center’s history.

The new space is bright and green and stands out from the approach from the Science Center parking lot. From the edge of the elevated bridge, you can look down on “Life”, a perch perfect for observing animals.

“One thing about animal exhibits is that sometimes you can walk in there and you’re actually looking for animals. They’re hiding out there. They’re in the bushes or leaves somewhere. ,” said Joan Newman, CEO and president of the science center.

The view from the top “was a very intentional part. And I think it adds to the beauty of the bridge and gives you that feeling when you walk across it…something has changed. ” she said.

“Life” is more focused than its predecessor, Newman said.

“We tried to focus on three important habitats that give us the foundation on which we can tell all the stories about the earth, animals, environment and climate,” she said. “It just gives us a great starting point.”

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