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Cultivated
Breadfruit, Artocarpus altilis in Tumon, Guam
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The attendance
of theme parks and zoos is a worldwide experience that millions of people
seek every year. There may be an altruistic meaning behind the development
of many facilities such as zoos and animal themed parks, but without the
support and attendance of visitors (customers) the ongoing maintenance,
development, and improvements needed for sustained success would not occur
and these zoos and parks would end up under funded and relics of good
intentions.
How can a balance
be achieved between offering the customer a fun and pleasant experience,
perhaps even educational, and earn the income needed to sustain the park?
Attention to the detail that offers an experience not commonly accessible
to the normal visitor will be a good start. Creating a tropical environment
(or one that appears tropical) is a common theme. No where in the world,
but in the tropics, is found such diversity of flora and fauna. The colors,
forms, and bizarre organisms are fascinating to most people and when properly
presented in a themed environment can become a popular visitor destination.
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There
are approximately 144 species of Begonia in Mexico and Central America.
This Begonia uniflora was photographed in El Parque Chipinque in
Monterrey, Mexico. |
The website
of Tropical Designs of Florida presents a tropical theme, and concepts
and methods that are already part of successful parks and zoos. What is
shown on this website and in this section in particular are parks that
have utilized these concepts and the results from a functional point of
view.
Tropical
Designs of Florida can assist architects and designers to develop and
create functional tropical exhibits and parks. Audits of existing facilities
can be done to improve maintenance and housekeeping issues from Integrated
Pest Management and vermin control to plant selection and horticulture
development. Experience and a proven track record are fundamentals needed
for success. |
These
are the ripening female cones of the gymnosperm Ephedra ciliata.
Some Ephedra species are found in rocky gorges and along wadis (seasonally
dry riverbeds) in south Sinai, Egypt. The local Egyptian red clay
is seen in the background.
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The
ant plants Dischidia rafflesiana
and Myrmecodia tuberosa growing in
the kerangas forest at Bako,
Sarawak, Malaysia
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Etlingera muluensis in sito from Borneo
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An
orange flowered Cannonball Tree, Couroupita guianensis from Northern South America.
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The
Hummingbird polleniated Heliconia mariae found growing
near Volcan Arenal, Costa Rica.
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The
terrestrial orchid, Sobralia warscewiczii in bloom in the
lava fields at the base of Volcan Arenal, Costa Rica. |
The
diminutive Nepenthes tentaculata in Kinabalu Park, Sabah,
Malaysia
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The bright inflorecence and fruit of Dieffenbachia aurantiaca a cloud forest species. Photographed near the crater of Volcan Mombacho,
Nicaragua. |
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