2025 Calgary Zoo Conservation Festival

After the 2024 AZA Conference, we had the amazing opportunity to work with their Education Dept to help design visual assets for the 2025 Conservation Champions Festival!

PRAIRIE SAGE MAZE

Taking the art we developed for their gift shop, we created an immersive experience, the Prairie Sage Maze, Coroplast cut outs that could be re used for future activations to allow children to walk through the Prairie Ecosystem and see the various species that coexist together.

WHOOPING CRANE FLIGHT CYCLE INSTALLATION

We also activated the Discovery bridge, using life-size cut outs of the animated flying cycle of the Whooping Crane, one of Calgary Zoo's Conservation animals. As pedestrians walked over the bridge, they could take photos with the cranes as they flew with them towards the center of the zoo.

MINI MURAL

Our last project for this festival was a mini mural, where we wanted to use bright fun colors to paint flamingos on a temporary backdrop that the Zoo could use in future activations. All designs and labor was donated, and the budget went towards supplies and printing costs. The exciting part about this education/conservation case study is that the Zoo is able to reuse these assets for future activations!

“Working with Rawry & Pohly has been an absolute joy. Their playful, vibrant pop art style brought our Conservation Champions Festival to life in a way that was both fun and deeply meaningful. From the soaring whooping cranes on Discovery Bridge, to the interactive Prairie Maze filled with native wildlife, to the live-painted flamingo mural, their art inspired families and youth to connect with conservation through creativity. Rawry & Pohly not only created stunning, interactive installations, but they also engaged directly with our audiences – sparking conversations, curiosity, and conservation action. Their work is a perfect blend of artistry and impact, and we are so grateful for this collaboration.”

-          Jessee Wise, Conservation Education Program Coordinator, Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo