Enhancing Public Appreciation of Urban Wildlife through

1. Enhancing Public Appreciation of Urban Wildlife through Behavioral Studies at the Cognitive Crow Exhibit, Binghamton Zoo. Clara Davie & Anne B. Clark Biology Department, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York Binghamton Urban Ecosystem Initiative • Crows for Public Education? • Yes, they easily capture our interest because: • Familiar urban birds • Complex social lives- like people! • Very, very smart! • How do crows find the food that they hide? • Do crows use landmarks to locate caches? • Formal study- crows chose to use reliable landmarks to find caches. They stopped using landmarks that were moved by researchers. • Where do crows hide their food? • Where other crows cannot see them? • Formal study showed that dominant crows often hide food in view of their cage mates. Public Education Formal School trips & zoo labs Informal Signs, Games, Crow bars & cards, Be a zoo researcher! • Virtual labs via exhibit webcams • Virtual & physical trips • In –class follow up New Study lets zoo visitors participate by recording where the crows cache. Assessment: Visitor Surveys • Personal Meaning Mapping Study • Measures how much visitors are learning from educational signs based on their specific knowledge level when they enter the zoo. • Retrospective Pretest Study • Measures zoo visitors attitudes toward and knowledge of crows before & after visiting the zoo. Exhibit crow, TJ.