Cultural Phenomenon
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Showcasing a 'New America'
The Pittsburgh region has survived wrenching economic change and emerged with a balanced, innovation-driven economy renowned for health care and life sciences, technology and robotics, higher education and research, financial services, advanced manufacturing and renewable energy.
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A City Full of Diversity
As a city full of diversity, you will love exploring the culture, food, and atmosphere of Pittsburgh’s 89 unique and ethnically distinctive neighborhoods. Pittsburgh’s downtown is full of the city hustle and bustle, and Squirrel Hill has the quaint charm of a main street-like community. Meanwhile, Oakland, with its many universities, supplies a uniquely intellectual atmosphere. Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods and the unique people in them are just waiting for you to come and visit!.
National Aviary
Contact: Laura Ellis +1 412.559.3519, laura.ellis@aviary.org, www.aviary.org.Rare Collection, Interactive Experiences, International Research Establish National Ranking for America's National Aviary
Synopsis
With a diverse collection comprising 800 birds representing 200 species - many of them endangered -- the National Aviary is America's only accredited zoo dedicated exclusively to birds.
The National Aviary's campus includes large walk-through exhibits that allow for up-close interaction with free-flying birds. Programming is designed to inform and inspire visitors with a respect for nature and a commitment to protect our environment. The National Aviary houses a veterinary and teaching hospital, and an internationally recognized conservation and field research center, and participates in Species Survival Plan breeding programs for a number of critically endangered birds, including African penguins, Guam Rails, Andean Condors and the Rhinoceros Hornbill.
Overview
Located on Pittsburgh's historic North Side, the National Aviary brings visitors face to face with wildlife, enabling them to watch as birds eat, bathe, fly and play. Through interactive exhibits, multiple opportunities to hand-feed a vibrant array of species, and shows in which owls, eagles, vultures, macaws and more fly freely above the audience, guests encounter species from around the world demonstrating natural behaviors. Many of the birds in the Aviary's collection are rarely seen in zoos.
The National Aviary's most recent addition is Penguin Point, an open-air African penguin exhibit that allows visitors intimate views of the birds as they swim, dive and nest. In 2010, the National Aviary will complete construction of the new Helen M. Schmidt FliteZone Theater, which will allow for free-flight bird shows and conservation education programs to be presented year round.
The National Aviary participates in global conservation efforts to save more than 50 threatened or endangered species through population management breeding programs. It is also involved in collaborative field research projects in the U.S., Kazakhstan, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Hispaniola and the Philippines.
More than a zoo that exhibits beautiful birds, the National Aviary is a destination where adults and children learn about nature in a way that is memorable and meaningful. Rather than passive observation, the Aviary offers experiences that help to instill a lasting respect for nature and a desire to protect the living creatures with which we share this planet. More information at www.aviary.org.
MEDIA »
Media Resources
Get the inside scoop while you report on the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh. Find story ideas and media contacts that have the information you need to make deadline.
Media Library
Before you file your story, get the finishing touches right here. From still photography to high-definition B-roll, we have the tools you need to make an impact on your audience.
ENVIRONMENTAL RENAISSANCE »
A view of the David Lawrence Convention Center
Green Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is leading the way in green initiatives. With green buildings located throughout the city and the nation’s first green convention center, we’re rethinking the cityscape and uncovering new ways to keep it green.
