Project Spotlight: Discovering Nature at the River Legacy Living Science Center

February 7, 2018

The River Legacy Living Science Center is a sanctuary of environmental education deep in the heart of a bustling urban area. It encourages an appreciation of nature through education and interaction with the natural world.

The Living Science Center is part of the River Legacy Foundation and sits inside River Legacy Parks. The park is 1,300 acres of diverse habitat along the Trinity River. Its prairies, wetlands, and forests provide green space to the residents of Arlington, Texas, and are home to an abundance of animals. The Living Science Center opened more than 15 years ago and is the headquarters for the foundation. It houses offices and facilities, hosts public events and educational programs, and holds the current exhibits. The exhibits serve a wide range of visitors, including family groups, adults, and school groups. Over the years, new exhibits have been added, others removed, and some spaces repurposed.

Split Rock Studios set out to design and develop a unified educational experience to meet the growing needs of the River Legacy Foundation. During this process, Split Rock paid particular attention to the mission, vision, and values of the River Legacy Foundation. Themes of preservation, education, and recreation are weaved throughout the exhibition space, along with an emphasis on discovery and scientific exploration.

Immersive interpretive areas combine tactile and interactive elements that encourage kids–and adults–to see, touch and learn about the uniqueness of the park’s different biomes and the connections that link them together.

In collaboration with experiential marketing and design studio 900lbs of Creative, digital walls and motion connected cameras further engage visitors with games and scenes that blend education, science and technology to get visitors to interact with nature.

The new Discovery Room opened at the River Legacy Living Science Center on January 29, 2018.