PGAV Destinations to Present at Earth Day
Innovative pollinator conservation game and free seed packets in Forest Park
(St. Louis, MO – April 18, 2017) – To promote pollinator conservation and habitat restoration, locally-based and internationally-known attraction design firm PGAV Destinations is presenting an unforgettable activity at this year’s Earth Day on April 22 and 23 in Forest Park, St. Louis.
Attendees are invited to visit the Pollinator Café, where they will see “Today’s Menu” and receive a pretend cafeteria lunch tray embedded with images of delicious foods such as pizza, salad, and fruit – each layered with a variety of bee icons. Then, they’ll enter the “Market” to shop for the ingredients to assemble their tasty treats. As they buzz about the fruit and vegetable crates to collect stickers of food icons, they’ll learn about the specific kinds of bee pollinators needed by specific plants to bear the fruits and seeds to grow their food.
“As with many of our interpretive experiences at museums, zoos, and aquariums, we aim to make abstract and complicated concepts understandable and meaningful for guests,” said Tony Schmidt, PGAV Destinations Exhibit Designer and project lead for the Café. “At Earth Day, we want to teach people about the variety of pollinators necessary to produce the foods we love. The Saint Louis Zoo’s expert staff lent extensive knowledge about the science behind pollination and offered seed packets, stickers and design elements for the booth. We were so pleased to work with them to creatively develop this educational booth.”
Once Café patrons have harvested the necessary ingredients for their “Lunch,” they’ll have the opportunity to learn more about the importance of pollinators in securing the food supplies of the nation and world. Visitors can learn more about pollinator biology and conservation and get tips about what they can do to help these irreplaceable contributors to the health of our environment. Plus, more than 800 native plant seed packets are being given away for free by the Zoo at the Café.
“Urban development and invasive plant species often threaten critical habitat and food resources for pollinators,” said Dr. Ed Spevak, Curator of Invertebrates at the Saint Louis Zoo and Director of the Zoo’s WildCare Institute Center for Native Pollinator Conservation. “We are pleased to provide native seeds at Earth Day and encourage those who attend the Earth Day events to create additional pollinator habitats. Increasing habitat is essential for pollinators and all wildlife.”
A team of 10 volunteers have spent nearly 200 hours working to create the Pollinator Café will be set up across from The Muny in Forest Park from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 22 and Sunday April 23. The booth is being presented as part of PGAV Destinations’ PGAVia (Volunteers in Action) program, where staff give their time and effort to wildlife and conservation efforts in the St. Louis region.
Follow PGAV Destinations @PGAVDestination on Twitter for live updates on the development of the Café before and during Earth Day 2017!
About PGAV Destinations
PGAV Destinations is a global leader in the planning and design of unique destinations. Now entering its sixth decade, the practice has evolved to become the ideal destination-consulting partner, skilled at developing growth-oriented master plans and translating those plans into successful projects. No other firm offers such an integrated approach to destination planning. For the last several decades, PGAV Destinations has been honored to partner with the Saint Louis Zoo on numerous, permanent habitats and attractions, including Fragile Forest, Penguin and Puffin Coast, Big Cat Country, and McDonnell Polar Bear Point.
PGAV’s key clients include industry leaders such as Delaware North Companies, SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, the Biltmore Companies, Bass Pro Shops, Ameristar Casinos, Universal Studios, The Gettysburg Foundation, and many others. Recent assignments include planning and design at many of the world’s “must see” destinations, including the Grand Canyon, Biltmore Estate, Space Shuttle Atlantis, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, the Georgia Aquarium, the Hoover Dam, and SeaWorld Adventure Parks. www.PGAVDestinations.com
