Loveland Living Planet Aquarium

Aquarium program The Aquarium invites guests to explore, discover, and learn about earth's diverse ecosystems. Inside, visitors explore six primary habitats: ocean explorer, expedition asia, penguin research station, discover Utah, journey to south america, and The deep sea lab. The plaza features engaging interactive exhibits that encourage play and spark curiosity, including The coral and tardigrade playgrounds, an outdoor pond stocked with local fish, and The eeco voyager, which uses vr headsets and immersive filming to simulate distant environments. Situated in The desert, The Aquarium welcomed nearly 989,000 guests, who encountered 4,933 animals representing more than 1,208 species. In 2023, it welcomed a yellow anaconda, giant isopods, a rare komodo dragon, and two blue-billed curassows, enhancing The guest experience with unique species. This year, The Utah nature raptor center opened its doors, featuring a peregrine falcon and great horned owl, fostering empathetic connections to these amazing animals and inspiring discovery about their habitats. Beyond The raptor center, The Aquarium is excited to announce The ongoing construction of The new science learning center, which will add nearly 120,000 square feet and double The size of The Aquarium, making it The fifth largest in The u.s. This expansion is expected to increase its educational outreach fivefold, with plans for an extended asia habitat, 14 additional classrooms and laboratories (up from three), an entrepreneurial incubator space, daycare, and a rotating exhibit to showcase various global animal and cultural aspects. The Aquarium's growing connections within The community enrich its mission. This year, it hosted The international association for aquatic animal medicine, bringing together animal care professionals from around The globe. Dedicated volunteers contributed 575 hours to eight active research projects, including boreal toad conservation, coral and sea turtle rescue, and north american river otter population tracking, all of which foster healthy ecosystems and educate The public about protecting earth's wildlife.

Education program The Aquarium's education programs continue to expand, offering supplemental, informal science education supported by The Utah state board of education. Its field trip outreach team delivered programs to 586 schools statewide, and hosted 998 schools at The Aquarium, totaling 155,596 student and teacher experiences. The outreach encompasses all 4th-grade classes in Utah, as well as select 2nd and 6th-grade students. The Aquarium will engage even more students with The upcoming science learning center. In addition to field trips, The Aquarium offers teacher resource kits designed to fulfill a full semester of state- approved science education. These kits align with Utah's academic standards and enhance teachers' curriculum. The Aquarium's education team also conducts workshops for educators to support license renewal. Additionally, The Aquarium offers summer and school break camps for children, as well as The teen stem futures program, where teens can meet professionals in stem fields. The Aquarium invites guests to participate in community programming that connects them to its mission of exploration and discovery. In 2023, Aquarium educators engaged 739,894 guests through daily interactions, special events, and on-the-floor activities. Events in 2023 included Planet bracket, brine shrimp day, The celebration of The Aquarium's 8 millionth guest, and noon year's eve. Each community event offers an opportunity to deepen connections with The Aquarium's guests and share insights about earth's diverse ecosystems.