OkapiFan
Well-Known Member
It seems to suggest this based off of the statue of a child seen in that first picture. This IRL is located right next to the Discovery House
Greensboro Science Center Greensboro Science Center: News & Expansion Updates
- Thread starter nczoofan
- Start date
OkapiFan
Well-Known Member
The NC Zoo is a phenomenal place, but I think it's losing its appeal to most of the general public. The zoo hasn't added anything major in a while and it seems like people want something new. The GSC has continued to grow and expand in the last 20 years than a lot of places. It went from a facility that only had a few native species to having an extremely diverse collection of animals, many of which are endangered. And they're planning to build a biodome and an aquatic rehabilitation and care complex. This could all change once the NC Zoo opens Asia and Australia, but for right now, the GSC seems to be on a path to become on par with the Zoo
drill
Well-Known Member
Masked?
Zooplantman
Well-Known Member
On what do you base these assertions about what "people" are feeling? The zoo saw attendance hit record highs for several years until the pandemic (most recently 2019)... so you can't be basing your claims on attendance.
OkapiFan
Well-Known Member
The past few times I've visited, I've heard more people complaining about the zoo than ever before, even from family members. This could mostly just be a case of wrong place wrong time and I may be wrong about this. (Honestly I hope I am because I would hate to see the NC Zoo go on a decline)
OkapiFan
Well-Known Member
Maybe, but I have clue what species it is.
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Wow! I have been blown away by just how much this small facility has changed and expanded since my first visit in 2015, which was 2 years after they first opened their aquarium. Since then, they have expanded said aquarium, overhauled their dinosaur gallery and added Komodo dragons, added Revolution Ridge, added the Butterfly Garden (which I have yet to experience) and NOW we are getting a rainforest dome AND an aquatic rehab facility (might be years away, but still).
The GSC seems committed to growing out of its museum roots and becoming a serious regional zoological attraction, one that could potentially give even the NC Zoo a run for its money, especially if the latter cannot turn itself around after the loss of the aviary and the lack of any major new additions (as I have said before, that Asia expansion can't get here soon enough).
@OkapiFan While I wouldn't go so far as to say the NC Zoo is losing appeal with the general public, I do still agree that the NC Zoo is in a clear downwards trend (I went into detail in the NC Zoo thread, so I won't repeat any of that here), especially when compared to GSC, a much smaller facility that has expanded rapidly over the years (while the NC Zoo has actually experienced a net loss thanks to the aviary).
As for the Lapwings, I wonder if they are receiving the NC Zoo's Masked Lapwings.
Also, didn't see this mentioned anywhere, but the GSC seems to have relaxed its Bird Flu measures last month.
https://twitter.com/GSOSciCenter/status/1526246234608087040?s=20&t=m2KXe_miYJTJI9vMbM31jA
Zooplantman
Well-Known Member
It is interesting that this development does not seem to appear in the 2020-2030 Master Plan just announced in 2019
https://www.bizjournals.com/triad/n...ience-center-pitches-bold-gateway-vision.html
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I think that the most admirable thing about the GSC is that they decided to focus on their zoological offerings even though it had to have been a giant risk for them with the NC Zoo being only 55 minutes away and GSO being a smaller city.
Sure they get the traffic from Winston and High Point also, but I'm pretty sure a few decades ago it would have been almost inconceivable for a second high quality zoo to be located so close to the NC zoo. And it's thriving too.
Sure they get the traffic from Winston and High Point also, but I'm pretty sure a few decades ago it would have been almost inconceivable for a second high quality zoo to be located so close to the NC zoo. And it's thriving too.
Anecdotally, most people I know in the Triad have now started favoring the GSC. I once asked one of my friends if they wanted to go to the zoo with me, I meant the NC Zoo and they thought I meant the GSC. "Its so much newer and nicer," were their exact words. I have heard similar sentiments from some of my coworkers who want to get together at GSC for teambuilding instead of NC Zoo and from people at my church with kids.
The NC zoo is still far and away better in mind, but the public likes new and shiny things. And GSC is on the up in that regards. But I'm pretty sure that most zoo buffs who are coming to town to see the NC Zoo would also deeply enjoy GSC. GSC in my mind is comparable to some major city zoos. I definitely prefer it to Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, for instance, or Lincoln Park in Chicago.
It is interesting that this development does not seem to appear in the 2020-2030 Master Plan just announced in 2019
https://www.bizjournals.com/triad/n...ience-center-pitches-bold-gateway-vision.html
Yep. Although I was always uncertain how real that proposal was. It felt to me scatterbrained, with some ideas about tech and bridges/tunnels for species to explore. As well attendance has been real strong for the facility, so strong I imagine they’ll be needing a parking garage (a plan they once years back had but dropped). So I imagine this influenced the plan, and improved there bottom line.
Some of those ideas may still be relevant but others like a bug house in the discovery house no longer are. This is definitely a bolder approach then that master plan, although we will have to see the funding mechanism. $20 million from the bond would be great, but strong fundraising and maybe even looking for state funding/grants for science education may help bring that gap.
OkapiFan
Well-Known Member
An article from Greensboro News and Record quotes, "Bond funding would be supplemented by private funding as we have done with projects in the past.”
Greensboro Science Center reveals details of two new 'bold' projects
This is good to hear; the Discovery House has always been a huge sore spot in the GSC's lineup. Sure, it looks really nice on the outside and has an interesting species lineup, but its exhibitry is horribly outdated, uninteresting, and subpar compared to the rest of the facility.
On another token, though, I was hoping they would at least overhaul it, perhaps into a reptile house of sorts, because having their herpetarium where it is now, on the lower floor of the museum, at the end of a long hallway, and completely isolated from the rest of the exhibits, is extremely awkward.
While I disagree with your sentiment, I understand what you mean. NC Zoo is still the best zoo in the state, if not the surrounding states. Its collection isn’t massive but it has the ABC species and a nice herp collection as well. At the same point its been fairly static, although we cannot discount improvements to exhibits and guest experience that have been done in recent years. But they got like $75 million in public funding lined up, so I wouldn’t be too worried. They’ll add a diversity of species with Asia & Australia, and also help the flow of the zoo. This will help create a stopping point between the two entrances with ample amenities and air-conditioning for those hot-humid summers. The zoo can never fully remedy its size and location though. Its rather remote, meaning visits are less-likely for just a few hours. Its also spread out and while this leads to beautiful views and large exhibits, it makes strollers and wheelchairs a pain.
Greensboro Science Center meanwhile is similar distance from Charlotte & Raleigh compared to the zoo, and actually has interstate connections unlike NC which relies on state highways. It also has a metro of more than a million right there, allowing a lot of short-duration visits. Its site is perfectly suited for this as well, yet that limits it from having most ABC species. Despite this it has done great, with a focus on smaller and more niche species. The aquarium was a game changer and while not the largest in a zoo, is among the best with a nice mix of species (especially after the last expansion added smaller saltwater tanks). The upcoming expansions will double down on this aquatic focus and give the zoo a great aquatic selection and enable it to be a major player in conservation efforts (corals, freshwater mussels (which they already work with), sea turtles). So I’m excited but Greensboro will still be a hard facility to place after all this. I mean but thats ok and we should be happy at its non-conformity to what we see with other zoos.
Sorry for the long-winded response but I just was trying to say they can both flourish and are very different facilities. And thats allowed them both to break records and queue up record investment.
OkapiFan
Well-Known Member
The original plans for the building was for it to be converted into a bug house. While this seems to be scrapped, it looks like the center will still aquire new inverts for the dome. For the downstairs, it is going to be transformed into a cave system with naked mole rats being added. This will attract more people down there. The center is also using the bond money to complete this.
OkapiFan
Well-Known Member
Now that it has been officially revealed, I can finally announce that the GSC has a Red Panda cub!!
Greensboro Science Center Welcomes Red Panda Cub
Greensboro Science Center Welcomes Red Panda Cub
OkapiFan
Well-Known Member
This is the center's first Red Panda birth. His name is Ravi (Sanskrit for Sun) and was born overnight, June 19 – 20.
Quote from the GSC's blog post: “The decision to hand-rear was made in conjunction with the SSP coordinators due to Usha’s history,” said Jessica Hoffman, the GSC’s VP of Animal Care and Welfare. “Pandas in both the wild and in human care unfortunately occasionally kill their cubs – something Usha has done in the past. This was a risk we did not want to take.”