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Primate Sanctuary Features Green Design DES MOINES, Iowa, January 27, 2003 (ENS) - A new primate sanctuary in Iowa will have an environmentally friendly design aimed at promoting conservation. Architectural designs were released last week for the Iowa Primate Learning Sanctuary (IPLS), one of the largest great ape sanctuaries to be constructed in North America. The initial phase of the project will be built in Des Moines by year's end and will incorporate extensive green design initiatives for conservation and environmental sustainability. "With the plight of the great apes as our moral compass, we've assembled some of the brightest minds in the world to create a sanctuary that will deliver an honorable home for primates and set the standards for conservation efforts worldwide," said Ted Townsend, IPLS founder and Des Moines businessperson. "Through preservation, research and education, we will offer the world the experience of a new reality."
Two consulting firms, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and Conservation Design Forum (CDF), have been brought in to analyze the environmental and ecological aspects of the project. "One of the reasons the great apes are so endangered is the destruction of their habitat for building materials," said Bill Browning, founder of RMI's Green Development Services. "We will build the Iowa Primate Learning Sanctuary in a way that doesn't exacerbate that problem and demonstrates a better way. While people will come to study these extraordinary creatures, the buildings will also be teaching tools about environmental issues." "This will not only be a refuge and sanctuary for great apes but also for the threatened, endangered and historical plant and animal life of Iowa - conservation, education, stewardship and sustainability must occur at home," added Jim Patchett, CDF founder and president. "One of the most important outreach opportunities for this site will be the ability to reconnect Iowans with an appreciation and understanding of the unique cultural and natural heritage of the state." Located about five miles southeast of downtown Des Moines, IPLS will be constructed on 137 acres of land once used as a sand and gravel quarry. The property was conveyed to IPLS by the City of Des Moines in 2002. Leo A Daly, an international architectural firm, has developed an innovative design that calls for the creation of several islands on the site - each island will serve as home to one of the great ape species: bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans. To combat the harsh Iowa winters, buildings on each island will be connected by heated passageways or tunnels called ApeWalks. "I think what makes this site perfect is that it's multi-dimensional," said Peter Hind, project designer. "We have lakes, wetlands and a river forest with which to work and create." The first great ape residents of IPLS will be eight bonobos - also called pygmy chimpanzees - from the Language Research Center at Georgia State University near Atlanta. The bonobos have been part of a language research project directed by Dr. Sue Savage-Rumbaugh. Dr. Savage-Rumbaugh's work with Kanzi, the first ape to learn language in the same manner as children, has been chronicled in books, scientific journals and television documentaries. "The Iowa Primate Learning Sanctuary will offer researchers a truly unique opportunity to share with the world what we've learned," said Dr. Savage-Rumbaugh. "This also marks the first time in history when one intelligent species has said to another ... we welcome you, we want to understand you better." At IPLS, researchers will be able to share their vision, collaborate on projects and challenge concepts related to primate learning. In addition, educators and students will gain a new understanding and appreciation for what animals can teach people about the way humans live and how humans think. As an advocate of preservation, IPLS will help educate the world on the plight of the great apes while offering hope through a global network of conservation efforts. IPLS has created a web site that provides information about the project's mission and scope, available at: http://www.IowaGreatApes.org Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2003. All rights reserved. |
Kanzi, a bonobo, is one of the apes at the Iowa Primate Learning Sanctuary. (Photo courtesy 