Sharyn Horowitz << back to resume

Project: Ecosystem Gallery - Prairie Learning Center

Client: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Role: Exhibit Developer

Challenge: Show the subtle beauty & vitality of what looks like a patch of weeds

I helped create the exhibits described below while I worked with Gerard Hilferty and Associates on the Prairie Learning Center. This exhibit tells the story of what tallgrass prairie was, how it was transformed into farmland, and how the Fish and Wildlife Service is trying to reconstruct 8600 acres of prairie in the middle of Iowa's farmfields.

Biodiversity Music Box

Why does biodiversity matter? To begin to answer this complex question, we created the Biodiversity Music Box. Each peg in the box is illustrated with a tallgrass prairie native plant or animal. When all of the pegs are in place, the tune is rich and complete. As visitors remove bison, prairie chickens, and other species from the system, the tune becomes dull and shallow. The rest of the gallery explores the theme of biodiversity in great depth. This engaging interactive gets people involved in the story.

Prairie Want Ads

"Wanted: feisty meat-eater to manage our small furry friends. Carrion pick-up also required." If you were the human resources manager for the prairie, would you hire a speckled kingsnake, a red fox, or an elk? This low-tech interactive is a simple means to communicate a complex idea: ecological niches.