“Watershed Heroes” is the first phase of the future “Native Predators” zone – an exhibit area that will introduce Humboldt County residents and visitors to the variety of predators that live in their midst with a focus on how to best live together.  “Watershed Heroes” acts like the first chapter of a natural morality play that introduces the concept of a watershed and the role we all play in maintaining its quality, so the region’s native species can continue to call it home.

With the project’s completion, the Zoo’s visitors can, once again, watch the busy lives of river otters, the fluid flow of three species of local salmon, and the considered reflection of bald eagles – each of whose lives are intertwined with the other.

Parallel play opportunities are included in numerous locations, including “Watershed WaterPlay”, an interactive wading experience where kids can splash their way through a hypothetical watershed – and even contribute to it by physically activating the kid-sized water pump; and the “Otter Tube Crawl-Through”, an acrylic tunnel that suspends kids in the otters’ pond.

Collaboration with:

• Emily Routman

• Biohabitats