New exhibits to open at John Heinz Refuge
The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum will be unveiling new exhibits at its visitor center Saturday morning to provide a more immerse experience about what the nation’s first urban wildlife refuge has to offer.
“The reason that the visitor center changed was to reflect how the refuge really engages with the community today,” said Refuge Manger Lamar Gore.
Since June 9 a more than $450,000 update has been underway at the center to update the almost 20-year-old exhibits, and more. Gore said the center will allow people to see how they’re “involved in the space” of the refuge, which includes audio/visual elements of stories from volunteers and people who fought to prevent the construction of I-95 from plowing through the refuge. Interactive exhibits will demonstrate how the tidal marsh works and the flow of the tidal cycle.
Previously, there was a diorama of portion of the refuge that greeted visitor in the main area, but now there will be a room full of dioramas, one of which was being worked on Tuesday when Gore was reached for comment. Before, the exhibits bisected the visitor center, said Gore. Now it has a more organized flow that allows more sunlight into the center and provides areas for ambient sound to enter.
“The idea was to make a more organic flow as people walk through the visitor center and to illustrate how people are involved in the refuge,” he said. “So often in the conservation world we talk only about the wildlife and know people are involved in conserving. You cannot do any successful conservation on the globe unless people see it.”
There is also a 20-foot surprise at the center that Gore alluded to, but would not reveal before Saturday’s grand opening.
In addition to the exhibits, updates have been made outside, too. Leading up to the visitor center cutout fixtures show the various activities that people can engage in at the refuge, including canoeing, fishing and walking. New maps and mile markers have also been installed on the various trails that wind its way throughout the refuge.
Gore said the goals of the refuge since its establishment in 1972 have been threefold: To protect the state’s remaining freshwater tidal marsh, to promote environmental education and give a recreational experience.
“The most important thing we can do in the conservation world is for people who don’t spend a lot of time in the outdoors to make connections with green spaces,” said Gore. “It’s for all of our good; green spaces are places to think and not have the busyness of vehicles and electronics buzzing around our ears.”
The grand opening of the exhibits at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum’s visitor center will commence at 1 p.m. with a formal ribbon cutting. Activities for the opening will begin at 11 a.m. which will include archery, a casting lesson from a member of the Pennsylvania Fish and Gaming Commission, trolley tours and more. All events are free and will go until 3 p.m.
The refuge visitor center is located at 8601 Lindbergh Blvd. in Philadelphia.