Jane Goodall Educators Institute
Action Plan Summary
Sci-Port Discovery Center
Michelle Bozeman mbozeman@sciport.org

Weekend at Gombe
 

Program Audience
Members & General Public
Program Overview
The weekend activities, a celebration of the opening of the film at our Center, are planned to immerse the visitor in the atmosphere of a research village at Gombe. The programs introduce visitors to the skills and attitudes needed to conduct research on wild chimpanzees.
Program Goals


Program Components
Lobby Décor
Guest Speaker
African-themed Dinner
Primates Gee Whiz Box
Where in the World is Gombe?
Communication
Tool Usage
Wildlife Observation

Lobby Décor
Greenery Potted plants, hemp vines
Canvas tent Entrance to IMAX Theatre
Posters African scenery & wildlife
Crude wooden signs
Jane Goodall’s Wild Chimpanzees; Researcher’s Camp; & Program Titles
Researcher’s Camp
Canvas tent
Cot with mosquito net
Work table Field notes, video camera, & laptop computer
Field notes/charts on wall
Demonstrator

Guest Speaker Elizabeth Vinson
 Current Gombe researcher
Doctoral student at Univ. of MN
Featured in Jane Goodall’s Wild Chimpanzees
Slide show presentation
Introduction of film
Informal Q&A

Gombe-themed Dinner
Primates Gee Whiz Box
Ident-a-Chimp
Facial Expressions
Non-Opposable Thumb
Primate Classification

Where in the World is Gombe?
Demonstration Theater program
Staff “Travel Agent”
PowerPoint Presentation Overview of Tanzania and Gombe’s
topography, climate, and political situation
Visitors Pack for Expedition Choose supplies for a weeklong trip
Cannot exceed a given weight limit

Tool Usage
Presenter uses variety of human tools to stimulate discussion/definition of Tool
Display chimp tools and model their use/show video of use in the wild
Visitors attempt to termite-fish in imitation mound

Communication
Through slides, video, audio, and modeling, the presenter introduces chimp body language, facial expressions, and vocalizations
Visitors play Charades to enact various chimp relationships or emotions

Wildlife Observation
Visitors watch video clip of chimp behavior
Presenter leads discussion of visitors’ observations from the video & introduces observation techniques
Visitors rewatch video clip to note new observations
Visitors observe terrarium animals using a staff-develooed ethogram

Implementation Plan
12 months out
Meet with Development/solicit sponsorship
Contract with guest speaker

6 months out
Program development/acquisition of program materials

3 months out
Staff training
Plan dinner menu

1 month out
Design & print invitations
Meet with Marketing/write press releases
Acquisition of lobby decor
 

Materials
Lobby décor
Potted plants—Borrow from Living Interiors & Clyde Gorum Nursery
Hemp vines—Duane
Posters of African scenery & wildlife—Order from National Geographic
Wooden signs—Duane/Al Bohl
Canvas tents—Borrow from Boy Scouts
Researcher’s Camp
Cot & mosquito net—Borrow from Boy Scouts or Red River Outfitters
Small camp table—Red River Outfitters
Laminated field notes, notes on wall (chimp family tree?)—JGEI materials
Video camera (existing) with footage of chimps—JGEI materials
Gee Whiz Box
 Plastic tub—Walmart
Binder w/ background info & activity instructions
Ident-a-Chimp cards laminated on cardstock—JGEI materials
Facial expressions cards laminated on cardstock—JGEI materials
Handheld mirror
Masking tape, shoelaces, scissors, scrap paper, pencils, old shirt, clothespin, dowel, film canisters, toothpicks, rice, hammer, nails, scrap wood
Photos/illustrations of variety of primates laminated on cardstock—Images from JGEI, ClipMasters
 
 

Sci-Port Discovery Center Resources
VP Development Sandy Hogan shogan@sciport.org
Director of Theaters & Programs Jennifer Tuxen jtuxen@sciport.org
Marketing Manager Eric Gipson egipson@sciport.org
Biologist & Director of Explorations Vyvry Thomas vthomas@sciport.org

Community Resources
Chimp Haven local representative Candy Peavey
Cypress/Black Bayou Nature Center Melissa Whittington
Walter B. Jacobs Nature Center Larry Raymond