THE IMAGINATIVE EXHIBITS designed for the Visitor Center at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge reveal the natural interconnectedness of the western New York habitats. The Design Minds carefully modeledboth physically and digitallythe gallery and the exhibits to determine how best to construct this multi-layered exhibit for the visitors. The design employs floor-to-ceiling environmental graphics, a variety of interactives, historical and taxidermy artifacts, custom tactile objects, regional sound scapes, and live animals in aquariums to create this unique approach.
The experience is particularly kid-friendly. Oversized "magnifying glasses" allow children of all ages to play an I-spy game throughout the gallery to meet the species in every interconnected habitat. The marsh exhibit contains a crawl-through section that leads to the recreated muskrat nest underwater, complete with a muskrat swimming through the "water." Trail markers contain push-buttons to launch soundscapes of the habitats and pull-out drawers where the staff can feature specimens found on the refuge.