Creatures of Habitat – A Gazillion-Piece Animal Adventure
Wednesday, 01/29/2014 – 06/22/2014 10:00 am – 05:00 pm
Zoo Miami
12400 SW 152 Street,
Miami, Florida 33177
Webpage Link
Cost: Free with zoo admission.
Zoo Miami welcomes “Creatures of Habitat – a gazillion-piece animal adventure” all made of LEGO® bricks. ZoMiami is proud to present this most exciting, educational, and fun exhibit from January 29 – June 22, 2014, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily, at Dr. Wilde’s World (DWW). The exhibit will be displayed both in DWW’s air-conditioned museum space as well as on its outdoor plaza. The Creatures of Habitat, a popular exhibit made up of LEGO® bricks, comes to Zoo Miami from the Philadelphia Zoo, where it captured a wide audience. The purpose of this exhibit is multifaceted: to educate visitors on the potential extinction of various animal species and habitats; to inspire them to protect our planet; to teach them how our behaviors and actions contribute to the destruction of these animals and their habitats; and how we can change our lives to ensure and promote our planet, animal species, and habitat conservation.
Visitors will be wowed by the colors and realistic settings of each exhibit, which include:
Humboldt Penguin Explore the rocky shores of Punta San Juan, Peru, home to colonies of Humboldt penguins. Be educated about the harmful effects to the penguin of over-fishing, seabird and marine mammal communities.
Polar Bear Journey into the arctic tundra as you observe an eight and one-half foot polar bear stranded on a melting ice floe. Learn what changes you can make to reverse the loss of the polar ice caps before it’s too late.
Micronesian Kingfisher Travel to the island of Guam to discover the extraordinary plight of the Micronesian Kingfisher, a small bird that was driven to extinction in the wild from the invasive brown tree snake.
Golden Lion Tamarin Be transported to a Brazilian paradise where 13 golden lion tamarins appear to frolic and play. Discover how education, translocation and reintroduction all play a key role in preserving these unique primates.
Diamond-backed Terrapin Uncover the tribulations of the endangered diamond backed terrapins!
Borneo Rainforest Three dioramas set the scene as you see a first-hand, intricate, miniature depiction of the crisis in Borneo. Explore pristine forests filled with wildlife and witness the destruction of logging and palm oil plantations.
Western Lowland Gorilla Become an imposing Western lowland gorilla in a mosaic cutout. Put yourself in the shoes of a mother gorilla carrying her young through the forests of the Congo.
Bornean Orangutan In another dynamic mosaic cutout, become a Bornean orangutan swinging through the forest. Snap a photograph to remember your journey.
Harlequin Frog Discover the harlequin frog, native to the rainforests of Central and South America and learn about the chytrid crisis that has wiped out one third of all amphibians.
“We expect this exhibit to attract LEGO® enthusiasts, artists and animal-lovers alike. We hope it will bring in many visitors to push Zoo Miami past the 1 million mark,†said Cindy Castelblanco, Zoological Society of Florida/Zoo Miami Director of Marketing.
Creatures of Habitat, designed by the Philadelphia Zoo with the engagement of LEGO® Certified Professional Sean Kenney, is the first hands-on, interactive exhibit about vanishing habitats told through sculptures made of LEGO® bricks. It took Sean and his team over six months, and hundreds of thousands of toy bricks, to create the thirty-two individual sculptures that make up the Creatures of Habitat exhibit. The whimsical habitat sets for each sculpture were conceived and designed by the Philadelphia Zoo’s creative team. Illustrations by Jo Tronc and Richard Carbajal lend a storybook quality to the sets and help inspire visitors to save vanishing species and habitats. Before coming to Zoo Miami, the exhibit was on display at the Hogle Zoo in Utah. This exhibit was not made in conjunction with the LEGO® Group.
