A-MAZE-ING Water opens to the public on June 8, 2012

Interactive exhibit will immerse visitors in the world of water conservation

Maze includes watershed environments, rivers, lakes, oceans and environmental threats

Weekend programming includes art exhibits, hands-on activities and much more

A-MAZE-ING Water will feature elements of the New York Seascape, the aquarium’s conservation program that works to preserve local NY waters

Exhibit will be open through September 9th


Brooklyn, N.Y. – May 14, 2012 – The Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium will open a new summer exhibit, A-MAZE-ING Water, as part of the celebration of World Oceans Day on June 8, 2012. The event and exhibit will run through September 9.

The program will feature Water’s Extreme Journey, where visitors will travel through a 1,500-square-foot maze, learning about the environmental threats that plague our waterways along their way to an ocean-themed destination.

Water’s Extreme Journey interactive maze will be located under the pavilion tent at the aquarium. Children will be engaged with a range of interactive experiences as they ride a zipline through pollutants, put together water cycle puzzles, spin a wildlife wheel of facts and learn the importance of water. Educational messaging helps visitors to become caring, informed stewards of our local and global waterways and the wildlife that depends on them. Guests will also learn about the aquarium’s New York Seascape, a conservation program designed to restore healthy populations of local marine species—many of them threatened—and to protect New York marine waters.

Water’s Extreme Journey exhibit will be open daily. A-MAZE-ING Water will also feature special hands-on activities that will take place on weekends only and include:

  • Take Action Mailbox Station – Visitors can act immediately on their concerns based upon what they just experienced in the maze and appeal to local legislators to support clean water initiatives. This area gives them the opportunity to voice their concerns by writing a letter, drawing a picture, or making a collage. Letters and art will be delivered to local government officials. 

  • Giant Community Mosaic – Using imagination, visitors can create more than 600 mosaic tiles that combine to make a large-scale work of art. The Wyland-designed mosaic reinforces the power of community coming together for a common goal.

  • Model of Local Watershed – A model of a typical watershed will give visitors a chance to see how pollutants turn into run-off that affects drinking water and impacts the health of our oceans. 

  • New York Seascape Interactive – Visitors will explore the New York Bight and discover the remarkable diversity of marine life that lives in local waters (330 species of marine fish, 26 species of sharks and four species of sea turtles) through an interactive game.

  • Water-themed Art Exhibition: The aquarium’s Ocean View Room will be transformed into The Conservation Gallery and feature multi-media artists who will display their works from a variety of mediums. All works of art will celebrate the importance, vitality, and beauty of water. 
WCS’s expansive Global Marine Program conducts conservation efforts in 20 countries and all four oceans to help save threatened and endangered species. Most recently, WCS launched the New York Seascape, a local conservation program part of WCS’s A SEA CHANGE initiative, a 10-year plan to revitalize the aquarium and ignite the rebirth of Coney Island. An additional component to A SEA CHANGE includes construction of the Ocean Wonders: Sharks! exhibit, scheduled to break ground later this year.

More information about New York Aquarium events is available at www.nyaquarium.com.

CONTACT:
Barbara Russo – 718- 265-3428; Cell 917-494-5493; brusso@wcs.org
Max Pulsinelli - 718-220- 5182; mpulsinelli@wcs.org
Steve Fairchild – 718- 220- 5189; sfairchild@wcs.org

Wildlife Conservation Society's New York Aquarium opens every day of the year at 10am, and closing times vary seasonally. Admission is $14.95 for adults, $10.95 for children ages 3-12 and $11.95 for senior citizens (65 and older); children under 3 years of age are admitted free. Fridays after 3pm, admission is by suggested donation. The Aquarium is located on Surf Avenue at West 8th Street in Coney Island. For directions, information on public events and programs, and other Aquarium information, call 718-265-FISH or visit our web site at http://www.nyaquarium.com. Now is the perfect time to visit and show support for the New York Aquarium, Brooklyn's most heavily attended attraction and a beloved part of the City of New York.

The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide. We do so through science, global conservation, education and the management of the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together these activities change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony. WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on Earth.