Design, fabrication, and installation of a 1,441 square-feet orientation center for a wildlife refuge on 14,735 acres of wetlands and grasslands. The entryway greets visitors with sounds of a busy wetland, leading into a panoramic viewing area. Here, interactive montages identify the birds and other wildlife that populate the refuge through the seasons, while dioramas and interactive stations relate each animal to its specific habitat. Other displays detail the center’s earth-friendly features, including a wind turbine, a geothermal system, and a water collection pond. Multisensory elements engage and educate visitors through the use of a replica ice-fishing shack, a darkened “night life” area where visitors use tethered lights to identify nocturnal animals, and a just-for-kids, 360-degree view of the prairie root system. 

Client: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Coleharbor, North Dakota