General Master Plan

     The following information is a portion of the master plan agreement, formalized in 1999.
     A Tour of the Menominee Park Zoo – New facilities at the entry complex will provide an exciting beginning to a remodeled and expanded Menominee Park Zoo.  Close by will be a new, enlarged gift shop and small concession stand with a limited selection of food items.  In addition, this complex will have space for zoo administrative offices, education facilities and public restrooms.  The journey through the new zoo will begin in the trapper's cabin, which will serve as an orientation facility for visitors.  Participatory and information graphics will inform the visitors of the format of the zoo and of the importance of teaching youngsters about present and historic native animals, and the relationships of these animals with their habitats and human populations.  The cabin will also provide an appropriate setting for educational animals.  
     Just around a bend in the path from the cabin will be an education/demonstration area where staff and volunteers can present handleable mammals, birds and reptiles in a comfortable setting.  
     Across the path from the demonstration area the prairie grasslands will be home to several appropriate species.  On a given day visitors might find woodchucks, badgers or prairie dogs in the exhibit.
     Further down the zoo path will be a series of enclosures for opossum, porcupine and gray fox.  
     Bald eagles will proudly perch on a carefully placed natural tree or dead head in a spacious grassy enclosure.  These rescued eagles will find safe sanctuary here rather than a premature death in the wild.
     Cougars, will be exhibited in the next very naturalized exhibit.  Tree trunks and branches for climbing, rock outcroppings for jumping, and a small pool for hot days will provide exhibit enhancements that reflect their natural habitat.  
     Menominee Park Zoo will have black bears, which are still found in remote areas of Wisconsin, but are seldom seen by residents.  
     Across the path from the bears, the zoo visitor will discover an exhibit of raccoons in a large enclosure very much like those of the opossum and porcupine.  
     A group of North American Elk, will share the woodland forest edge environment with Sandhill cranes, wild turkeys and waterfowl. 
     Gray wolves housed in the next enclosure will provide the opportunity for a small pack of wolves to display the complex relationships of a pack society.  
     In the aquarium building, several large tanks will help tell the story of the number of fish species found historically in Lake Winnebago.  
     Arriving at the other side of the lagoon, the visitor will be thrilled to see a display of river otters.  They will have an underwater view of this pond habitat through a glass window.  
     Leaving the aquatic environments, the visitor will arrive at a walk-through scrubland aviary.  Here one can go inside to see a variety of songbirds up close and personal.    
     On to the historic farm!  This 1700 farmstead will give youngsters an idea of how Wisconsin was settled by early pioneers.  A historic replica of a 1700’s barn can provide the setting for living history activities where volunteers from the community can engage visitors in a variety of exciting experiences.
     Historically, Wisconsin was alive with countless butterfly species.  In the next enclosure zoo visitors can enter and wonder at the beauty of butterflies.  
     Service Area – The service area of any zoo is the heart of the zoo.  The pulse starts here.  Food for animals is stored and prepared daily.  An animal care facility will be available for quarantining new specimens and serve as an animal hospital for the sick and injured.  
     General – In spite of the challenges of developing the Menominee Park Zoo on such a small site, the zoo mission can be accomplished and the needs of the community addressed.  Small zoos can be perfect gems, but require a dedication to quality facilities and attention to detail.  They require a continuing quest for perfection.

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