Page 10 - Gateways_2021_Summer

News Bites continued

Behind the Scenes

With a Brookfield STAFF
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Zoo Staff Member a a significant amount of the work in the construction of THE SWAMP
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was done in-house, he said. Additionally, using rebar and gunnite,
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In each issue, we introduce you to one of the many fascinating and dedicated they built the huge African baobab tree in the yard southeast of
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PACHYDERM. (Gunnite is a cement-and-water mixture that is sprayed
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people who work at Brookfield Zoo. . P A C H Y DE RM . ( G u n n it e i s a c e m e n t - a n d - w a t e r m i x t u r e t h a t i s s p r a y e d
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on a surface using high force.) But with a smaller crew, Brower’s team
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Meet Warren Brower, Lead Craftsman, Exhibits, Plants and repairs.”
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What are recent examples of his
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department’s work? Brower has four large
binders filled with photos of past projects. Recent
b i n d e r s fi l l e d w it h p h o t o s o f p a s t p r o je c t s . R e c e n t
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windows in the snow leopard and lion habitats and
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AFRICA using pipe and foam with an epoxy coating.
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and constructed remote-controlled “catch cages”
a n d c o n s t r u c t e d r e m o t e - c o n t r o l l e d “ c a t c h c a g e s ”
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with animal care staff on habitat renovations. For
w it h a n i m a l c a r e s t a ff o n h a b it a t r e n o v a t i o n s . F o r
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example, they converted the Pallas’s cat habitat in
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THE FRAGILE KINGDOM into a hyrax habitat, and
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later into a home for coatimundis. “We make an
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What materials does he use?
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“ “We usually use concrete, epoxy, and paints,” said
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Brower. Most of the rockwork is made from 2- to
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4-inch thick gunnite over rebar. The rockwork inside THE SWAMP is
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How long has he been at Brookfield Zoo? 37 years
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made of urethane. Materials are often recycled —fire hoses made comfy
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How did he get into this field? After high school, Brower worked
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H o w d i d h e g e t i nt o t h i s fi e l d ? A f t e r h i g h s c h o o l , B r o w e r w o r k e d hammocks for sloth bears and orangutans, and old barrels covered in
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plastic, mesh, and carved fiberglass became logs in the wombat and
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echidna habitats. “Any time we bring in a new material, we run it by Vet
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s steel mill was shutting down 14 years later, a friend working at the zoo Services to make sure it’s not harmful to animals,” said Brower. “We don’t
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use anything with sharp edges or that animals could get wrapped up in.”
o ff e r e d h i m t e m p o r a r y w o r k . H e w a s h i r e d f u l l - t i m e t h e n e x t y e a r . u s e a n y t h i n g w it h s h a r p e d g e s o r t h a t a n i m a l s c o u ld g e t w r a p p e d u p i n . ”
offered him temporary work. He was hired full-time the next year.
Who is on his team? Exhibits once had eight to 10 employees, said
What are some of the challenges and constraints of his job?
W h o i s o n h i s t e a m ? E xh i b it s o n c e h a d e i g h t t o 1 0 e m p l o y e e s, s a i d W h a t a r e s o m e o f t h e c h a l l e n g e s a n d c o n s t ra i nt s o f h i s j o b ?
B r o w e r . E a c h h a d d i ff e r e n t t a l e n t s a n d e x p e r t i s e , i n c l u d i n g c o n s t r u c t i o n ,
Brower. Each had different talents and expertise, including construction, “Much of the gunnite is old, and in some instances, original to the “Much of the gunnite is old, and in some instances, original to the
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carpentry, welding, rigging, and pipefitting. “We’ve had Art Institute b ui l di n g s . I t r e qui r e s r e g ul a r m ai n t e nan c e an d r e p ai r s , ” s ai d B r o w e r .
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buildings. It requires regular maintenance and repairs,” said Brower.
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artists, sculptors, and muralists, and people who specialized in “ “Murals fade and peel. The rebar in the gunnite structures begins to rust
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over time.” Damage by animals is a major problem. “Primates break tree
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behavioral enrichment.” Today the department is much smaller and o v e r t i m e . ” D a m a g e b y a n i m a l s i s a m a j o r p r o b l e m . “ P r i m a t e s b r e a k t r e e
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c consists of Brower and the two employees he supervises; however, , branches and chew through vines. The most destructive animals are
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the zoo also employs staff dedicated to carpentry, welding, and the sloth bears. They’ll find a crack in gunnite and open it up.”
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painting who work alongside Brower and his team. .
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Off-the-clock activities: Brower and his wife have four cats—they’re
O ff- t h e - c l o c k a c t i v i t i e s: B r o w e r a n d h i s w i f e h a v e f o u r c a t s — t h e y ’ r e
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What does Exhibits do? “We’ve played a role in every construction big animal lovers. He likes to travel and is big into sports, especially
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project since 1985,” said Brower. He and his team have completed t the Cubs and the Bears. He enjoys fishing, golfing, and woodworking.
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m a n y i n - h o u s e r e p a i r s a n d c o n s t r u c t e d m a n y s p e c i a l e xh i b it f e a t u r e s Leisure is great, Brower says. But he likes to tell young people: “If you
many in-house repairs and constructed many special exhibit features
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o v e r t h e y e a r s, i n s u p p o r t o f t h e z o o ’ s n a t u r a l i s t i c e xh i b it s . F o r e x a m p l e , love what you do for a living, you’ll never work a day in your life.” . ”
over the years, in support of the zoo’s naturalistic exhibits. For example,
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