A strategic plan committed the museum to serving all ages, reaching out to the rich diversity of the region, and teaching science in the context of studying the environment locally, regionally and globally. EcoTarium Today In the fall of 1998, the museum changed its name to EcoTarium, A Center for Environmental Exploration, to better reflect its focus on environmental education and to present a contemporary identity. Exhibits Programs and exhibits at EcoTarium encourage visitors to explore the natural world and beyond, including microorganisms, wetland ecosystems, the properties of minerals, energy use and conservation, and trends in space exploration. A gallery on the second level transforms seasonally for temporary or traveling exhibits. EcoTarium's current temporary exhibit, Landscapes InSight, is a series of structured hands-on investigations about the changing local landscape using maps, aerial photographs, puzzles, an experiment and more.
Visitors discover how increased forest cover affects the population of bears and foxes.
An experiment shows the correlation between paving surfaces and average temperature. The museum is home to more than 200 animals representing over 60 species that, due to injury, illness, or human socialization, cannot live in the wild. Through collaboration with the Tufts University Veterinary Wildlife Clinic and Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, EcoTarium rehabilitates injured animals for release into the wild. EcoTarium also participates in raise and release and breeding programs for endangered species, such as the Plymouth red-bellied turtles, Atlantic salmon and Goeldi's monkeys. Outdoors On 60 acres of woodlands and wetlands just two miles from downtown Worcester, EcoTarium interprets the landscape with a network of nature trails and a unique Tree Canopy Walkway.