PondWorks has been awarded the contract to build the duck pond and stream exhibit at the Philadelphia Zoo’s new KidZoo U: Hamilton Family Children’s Zoo & Faris Family Education Center.
Scheduled to open in the Spring of 2013 the project will include indoor and outdoor interactive exhibits geared towards young visitors. The project is being managed by W.S. Cumby Construction Managers. The new interactive children’s center will transform both indoor and outdoor space and will be the first LEED certified zoo building in Pennsylvania. The duck pond exhibit will incorporate an upper pond, stream, waterfalls and lower pond into the larger outdoor landscape designed by Viridian Landscape Studio. The outdoor setting will set a new standard in storm water management and sustainability for the zoo. The duck habitat will be one part of the outdoor design that includes rainwater collection, wetland and native plantings and a natural landscape that references Southeastern Pennsylvania.
The Duck Pond and water feature structure will be constructed of concrete and coated with a polyurea spray on waterproof coating. Behind the scenes high efficiency centrifugal pumps, bio-mechanical filters and UV sterilizers, along with aquatic plants will help to keep the feature healthy and clean. The finished feature will include areas of the ponds edges made of textured concrete to simulate muddy earthen pond banks and well as logs and Tree stumps. Natural field stone boulders and river stones will be used throughout the feature along with native aquatic plantings to create an integrated natural feature representative of the region.
