The grand opening of the new Eccles Wildlife Education Center was yesterday morning and I was invited. I went early (very early) so I could take some photos before dignitaries and crowds arrived. This is one very special place.
First some explanation regarding what you’re about to see:
- If you’re hoping to see photos of the grand opening ceremonies you’ll be disappointed. They didn’t start until 11 AM and by then I was long gone. I knew my bad back and legs wouldn’t hold up with too much walking or sitting on hard chairs so I spent 75 minutes taking photos and talking with friends and I left at 10:45 to keep a physical therapy appointment.
- There’s always some confusion about the relationship between Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area (“the refuge”) and the previous Nature Center and now the new Wildlife Education Center that replaced it. The refuge is adjacent to the Education Center and they work cooperatively. In fact the new refuge office and utility building is right next to the Education Center, though it isn’t completed yet.
- I was using a wide-angle lens for many of the photos you’re about to see, especially those taken inside the buildings. That perspective distorts what we see so in some interior photos nothing will seem square or at right angles as they actually are.
- The lighting inside the buildings was simply horrible for photography, especially given the morning light streaming into all the very large windows but I did the best I could. I was particularly disappointed that it washed out the colors of all the wonderful bird prints hanging on the walls of the auditorium but you’ll see evidence of the problem elsewhere too.
- By the nature of the beast this post will likely be of more interest to locals than to others. I accept that.
Ok, enough gabbing. Let’s get on with the tour.
This is your view on your approach to the center from the parking lot. Both large buildings were designed to have minimal visual environmental impact by sloping their roofs to the north and then having matching sloped earth to the ground with the actual roofs left natural and growing with greenery.
The building still under construction to the far left will be office and utility space for refuge manager Jason Jones and his staff. Jason told me he can hardly wait to get in there. The wholly inadequate building they use now is truly a hell-hole.
Here we see the broad, sloped approach to the front of the Center between the two buildings with our first view of the natural playa beyond.
- Playa – an area of flat, dried-up land, especially a desert basin from which water evaporates quickly.
A few more steps and the splendor of the playa is in full view. Now that construction is almost over I’ve heard rumors of plans to flood the playa periodically. In the background is the famous Goose Egg Island (or hill) on the refuge. Many wonderful photos have been taken of raptors in those trees we see on the hill (I have a few of my own). If you look carefully just to the left of the hill you’ll see part of a huge pond – that’s Unit 1 on the refuge.
The grand opening has created quite a buzz around here so many local media outlets attended the celebration yesterday. Here we see someone from DWR being interviewed and filmed by a reporter. Many folks, including me, have been waiting for this opening for a very long time.
Addendum: I’m adding the following photo many hours after publishing the original post. I’d forgotten I’d taken it and I thought it fit nicely here.
This is a photo of the education center taken earlier in the morning with my long lens from Goose Egg Island (before the sun came out of the clouds). This is the only way I could include a view of the entire center from this angle.
Viewing scopes so visitors can look for birds on the playa and just enjoy the details of the scenery.
As you walk down the entry ramp this is the interior of the building on the right. Visitors will first enter here on the right behind the display case with the eagle where questions can be asked of an attendant behind the “Welcome” desk. Then when they turn around…
they’ll see a grand view of part of the playa through huge windows. There’s a wonderful display in front of them where they can see graphics of birds that can be seen on the playa and elsewhere on the refuge. Binoculars hang down for those who’d like to use them.
I wish the lighting for this photo was better because it really is a spectacular room and view but with those very large windows and the morning light I couldn’t do any better.
The auditorium, the building on the left as you come down the entry ramp, is large, impressive and functional – here we see about half of it. Its walls are lined with large prints of bird photos taken by my friends Joe Ford, John Blumenkamp and myself. From this spot I simply rotated to my right and took three more photos.
In the second one we see the far wall and the very large video display on the far right.
And this is the wall on the right. There’s room in here for large gatherings of various kinds. I wish something like this facility had been available when Mia and I taught bird photography classes at the original Nature Center and at HawkWatch International.
My old friend Joe Ford was there (some will remember that it was Joe who pulled me out of the snow bank at Farmington 10 years ago). Joe is standing next to a print of his Barn Owl in flight. Some local viewers may not recognize Joe without his beard.
I’m embarrassed to include this one because I look so goofy (I can think of other descriptors…) but I wanted viewers to see how large some of these prints are. Joe cut off the top of the print of my Belted Kingfisher when he took the photo but I’ll give him credit – he didn’t clip the bird. Joe knows better than to do that…
They even made some nice embossed metal tags to go with each print.
Now we get to the really important part – the classroom (here we see only one small corner of it). One of the primary missions of the center is education, particularly the environmental education of schoolchildren. The center will have busloads of school kids coming to learn about the environment including birds, mammals, invertebrates, plants and the role humans play in affecting their interaction with each other. For such things to be taught effectively appropriate and available lab space is almost essential and the classroom provides it.
There’s even a “wet” preparation room adjacent to the classroom. This old biology teacher was delighted to see that.
I should mention that for the festivities yesterday several environmental education groups brought in various raptors to inspire visitors. Here we see two of my friends from HawkWatch International with their education birds standing in front of a diorama-like mural. Regular visitors to the refuge will likely recognize the pond in the mural.
Our old friend Galileo (the Short-eared Owl Mia and I rescued off of barbed wire) could have been one of the birds HawkWatch brought to the festivities but he’s preparing for a two-week trip to the American Northwest to visit several of their Hawkwatch sites in the field. Their Outreach and Education Director Nikki Wayment told me that Galileo is doing extremely well in his role as an education bird and you can imagine how happy I was to hear that.
And this is my friend Billy Fenimore, the center’s new director. Billy is knowledgeable, enthusiastic and highly qualified for the position. I’m confident that he’ll be a major player in the smashing success of the center.
The new Wildlife Education Center is for everyone to enjoy and it’s free. I hope local readers and visitors from out-of-town will support it at every opportunity. The wetlands at Farmington are severely threatened by human encroachment so the more public support they get the easier those jewels in a sea of urban and suburban development will be to protect.
I wish them every success!
Ron
Notes:
- The new Wildlife Education Center is open Tuesday-Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. Closed Sundays, Mondays and holidays. There’s a stunning one mile walking trail on site which will be open during daylight hours.
- Immediately after publishing this post I received a request from blog follower Muffy S. Gately to “identify the birds in the posters” in the auditorium. Eight of those prints are of my photos and both the actual photos (rather than photos of prints) and the species names of those birds can be found at this link.
This is now on my list for next summer’s road trip! I’m already planning to visit Hawkwatch & Teton Raptor Center, can easily add it to my itinerary! A fabulous facility, and so great that some of your wonderful images are part of its interior design. Thanks for the tour!
This center looks incredible and a special spot for your amazing images. If I lived closer than a few thousand kilometers, I would be there often. Glad to see a shot of you as well, Ron.
Love this post and can’t wait to get out there, maybe next week? Congratulations on the great photographs of yours it includes, it must be cool to see them so big!
Very lovely center and what a honor to have you photos hanging in a life long learning institution! Your teaching talents will continue past your lifetime. I am excited to see the new center but will wait a while, I too, hate crowds.
Magnificent and inspiring place, and also a great tribute to your art.
SO. FREAKING. COOOOOOLLLLL!!!!!!!! I’m not a local, but I think I’ll have to figure out a way to get up there and soon! I’m “Kermit Flailing” over the classroom and prep set up. After a 14+ hour day (don’t ask), seeing your “owl brothers” print — and the guy who took it — made me smile.
Truly a spectacular project! And what an honor for your to have your work an important part of it! I can only imagine how impressive those pictures are in person being that size especially the Magpie given how the Kingfisher seems to dwarf you! 😉 Hopefully when I do a repeat of my western drive I’ll be able to add the site to my ‘must see’ list. Also very nice architecture having the buildings blend in so well with the landscape…often you don’t see that type of planning.
I think those buildings are pretty unique, Kathy – especially for this area. Thank you.
WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL concept and execution.
Long may this, and similar places survive. And thrive.
We NEED them.
Thank you so much.
And how I love that your art graces the walls of this incredible place. The very best kind of ’15 minute fame.’
Yes, we need them desperately, EC. Thanks very much.
Looks like a great place – I”ll definitely put it on my list of places to visit in Utah. And the photographs look really fine that spacious interior!
Thank you, Joanne. I hope you get to see it someday.
The Center and surrounding grounds look wonderful. The Magpie is breathtaking every time I see it! Thanks for the virtual tour. I bet even Edward Abbey would approve.
Your last line made me smile, Lyle. Thanks for that.
Ron – looks like a beautiful and interesting facility. Every city should have one like it. If I ever get up that way we will definitely stop in. Thanks for sharing.
Everett Sanborn, Prescott AZ
I’m glad you like it, Everett. Thanks.
I couldn’t agree more with Charlotte Norton. I’d only add this: If our current crop of national “leaders” is any indicator then it is clear American education in general really is failing. The level of ignorance married to avarice that the present cabal of national environmental “stewards” exhibit–from the denial of climate change to the advocacy of wanton destruction of wild lands in the interest of unsustainable resource extraction–would suggest that our efforts at environmental education have fallen far short as well. Hope lies nowhere near the centers of power and policy-making. These images are ample evidence it is held in the hearts, minds and hands of the communities of interest scattered around the country who join forces to build places like this. It is all of those local and regional movers and shakers recognizing and taking advantage of local potential who are getting the job done. Hooray for all of those REAL leaders! And how about posting some more photos of the place–particularly the classroom areas–when in actual use by young people? Thanks for this great non-bird post.
You make some excellent points, Jim.
And that’s a good idea, although photographing young students and making the photos public could be problematic.
I completely understand that it can be problematic posting students photos. Most schools in my area (Northern California) now have on file–for every student–media release documents allowing parents to opt their child in or out of posting on any media…newspaper, school newspaper or newsletter, online…you name it. If I’m photographing a group of students I don’t know I ask the teacher/s if there are any minor children in the group without such releases…and then aim my shots accordingly!
I’m putting this on my bucket list. 🙂
Good.
OUTSTANDING!!
As a retired Biology/Environmental/Oceanography teacher this is a fantastic facility! Many kudos!!
Getting students outside to study Natural History is so important today, especially with more and more of their time being spent inside!
Great Post, even from someone from the East side of the map!!
I figured your background in life science teaching might make this center of interest to you, Dick. Thank you.
This new center is gorgeous, and I would love to be able to visit it. The way it is built into its environment reminds me of a place I’ve seen within the last couple of year, where the rolling hills had a building underneath. (Wish I could remember where that was.) This post IS of interest to at least this non-local. I’m also very glad to hear how well Galileo is doing. He’s a real special one.
HawkWatch is delighted with how well Galileo has worked out, Susan. He had some feather problems for a while but they seem to be resolved.
Hello Ron Dudley, this Education Center is also an impressive compliment to you!
Thank you, Donald.
That looks like a nice center, and your beautiful picture of a Kingfisher and some food in its beak. A couple of photos of the birds look like some you have posted before. I never take good pictures either. Some people never take a bad picture of them selves posted. Just our Luck. You do look happy and very proud of your photos. Thanks for showing them.
Yes, I’ve posted some of those photos on my blog, Trudy. Perhaps all of them.
I think it’s magnificent ! I can’t wait to see it in person…….it looks beautiful in every detail. right up to the living roofs. Especially impressive are the VERY LARGE prints decorating the walls !
I wonder where they have prints made that big which retain their technical quality ? What a thrill for you to contribute your work to such an impressive and functional facility– CONGRATS !
Magnificent it truly is, Kris.
I talked to the gentleman from DWR who was responsible for choosing the images to print, deciding on cropping and composition and arranging to have the prints made. I think he did a very good job.
Thanks Ron! An excellent tour of an uncluttered, dedicated and accommodating facility. First rate! I know it will be a great success in all of its goals. I enjoyed seeing your photos reproduced at large scale, and the candid shot of yourself, as well.
Thank you, Robert. “Candid” is one way of putting it…
It looks like it was worth waiting for!. I wish I had the opportunity to visit. Hopefully it will reach many people. The only answer to preserving our environment is education. Hope some of the television networks will do some documentaries to help reach those of us who cannot make the journey to the center. Every school in America should have such videos. I am abig beliver in early education and I think early education is key.
For my own experience as a parent I learned first hand that early education can affect a childs mind and heart. We lived in a neighborhood that had several deaf children. My hearing kids had lots of exposure to children whose hearing was different than theirs. My then 4 year old came in one dayfrom play turned om thr TV turned off the sound and then ask,what did they say? When i replied I have no idea,he had tears and said, “you’re the only mother I know who can’t lip read a thing. They grew up expecting diversity and it made a profound difference in their lives. They are now intheir 50’s and their acceptance of diversity is vastly different than those who did not have the same early childhood education.
The same early exposure to our environment and its wildlife would have a profound effect on the stewardship of our future generations.
Charlotte
“The only answer to preserving our environment is education”
That’s exactly how I feel, Charlotte! I really enjoyed your story about your children and the hearing impaired – thanks for telling it.
How wonderful! Living in Massachusetts, I hope to visit this fantastic and very important Education Center and it’s surroundings in the near future. Thank you for posting Ron!
I hope you can make it out here, Anne. The new center is a wonderful asset for birds and for us.
Wow, what a sweet setup! I would love to stop by in my travels sometime soon. Love the mug shot.
Great write up and presentation.
Thank you for sharing.
“Sweet setup” describes it well, Dave. We’re very lucky and so are the birds in the area.
nah, you don’t look goofy, you look happy and proud. you should be! it’s a spectacular facility that you made a huge contribution too! I’ll look forward to seeing it next time I’m up that way.
I hope you get to see it, Brian. It really is a wonderful facility. Thank you.
Ron: Great coverage of the new center. I enjoyed the tour, even from my home in MA. Thank you. Your bird photos look great!
Thanks, Richard. I have high hopes for this place.
Appears to be a wonderful place, Ron and glad you have been/are part of it! 🙂 “Goofy” works………;)
Yup, goofy works but so do some other even less flattering terms. Oh well, I never was a “pretty boy”…
I’d rather have “goofy” than “pretty boy” any day! 🙂 Forwarded this to a relative/friend that lives close by and who has a handicapped son – they are both eager to visit! 🙂