THE GOODS : Econotes : Zoo News? Bars Down, Education Is Up

Ten years ago, a visit to many zoos meant viewing animals behind bars. Today’s zoo visitor is more likely to step into a real habitat, says wildlife expert Linda Koebner. “Instead of watching a cageful of monkeys, you might be immersed in a tropical rain forest--in addition to the monkeys, you’ll also see all the plant and animal species that coexist. You’ll feel the moisture and hear the sounds.”

This is the new zoo, and Koebner has captured the transformation in “Zoo Book: The Evolution of Wildlife Conservation Centers” (Forge Books, 1994), a richly illustrated volume written in cooperation with the Assn. of Zoos and Aquariums.

It’s an in-depth look at the modern zoo and how it evolved from ancient royal collections of exotic animals through traveling menageries to early permanent zoos, which were small collections of animals in barred cages.

“Zoos have become keepers of animals in a very different way than they once were,” said Koebner, in Los Angeles recently to promote the book.

The 1970s brought a change in environmental awareness, she says, as human overpopulation and other factors destroyed wildlife habitat at such a rate that zoos began to realize they could no longer count on an endless supply of animals from the wild.

Today the picture is being reversed. Under an international Species Survival Plan, accredited zoos are organizing their collections by species and breeding them in captivity to be returned to native habitats.

Despite the popularity of zoos, “As I go around and speak with people, it’s almost like a secret that I’m letting out--that zoos are really there for conservation and education,” Koebner said.

Cindy Wallace, the Los Angeles Zoo’s curator of education, gets the same reaction. “When I tell people I work in education at the zoo, most people think I teach the animals,” she says.

In reality, she heads a staff of five and more than 500 docents offering a versatile program ranging from short workshops to weeklong camps for everyone from preschoolers to senior citizens.

Next on the preschool agenda is “Splish-Splash,” an introduction to polar bears. For more information about zoo education, call (213) 666-4650, Ext. 5.

Junk Mail: If you want to curb the flow of the estimated 677 uninvited sales pitches that will invade your home and office this year, the second edition of “Stop Junk Mail Forever” is now available. Editor and environmental activist Marc Eisenson acknowledges the title is optimistic, but says you can make a few inroads into your mountain of unsolicited mail.

To order, send $3 to Good Advice Press, Box 78, Elizaville, N.Y., 12523.

Cooling It: There are many ways to stay cool this summer without turning on the air-conditioning, says the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. It has compiled 16 ways to stay comfortable--ranging from planting shade trees to insulating ceilings--in a new free booklet that also includes typical costs for each technique and the estimated energy savings. The idea, says Dennis Whitney, DWP’s engineer of conservation and planning, is to help customers lower their electric bills. The “Stay Cool” booklet can be ordered at (800) 827-5397. . . . And another eco tip for summer is a new way to keep ice cream from melting in the sun by letting the sun cool it. The first solar-powered refrigerated vending cart recently made its debut in Washington, D.C. Conceived by New York industrial designer Amelia Amon, the pushcart has four 30-watt solar panels that spread like an umbrella above the vendor’s head, storing enough electricity to maintain approximately 500 Popsicles even when the outdoor temperature pushes 90 degrees.