Des Moines, Iowa – April 30, 2007 – Great Ape Trust of Iowa announced today Internet registrations are underway for the 2007 public visitation program at the world-class research facility in southeast Des Moines. The visits begin May 15 and run through October 30. From May through August, tours will be available to Great Ape Trust members and their guests on a first-come, first-served basis through on-line reservations at www.GreatApeTrust.org.
“We fully expect our tours to fill up quickly. Since we announced the visitation dates a month ago, we’ve had a 84 percent increase in Great Ape Trust memberships,” said Jim Aipperspach, operations director at The Trust. “We anticipate another surge in memberships now that registrations have started.”
Because Great Ape Trust members contribute to breakthrough scientific research, innovative educational experiences and conservation efforts of great apes, Aipperspach said it’s fitting the Trust reward members by providing opportunities to visit the campus. While membership is required to visit Great Ape Trust from May through August, members are not guaranteed a tour because of limited availability.
 Meanwhile, Great Ape Trust has set aside September and October for free educational tours to schools and students. The paid memberships and guest tickets will provide the free tours to students this fall by defraying some of the costs of conducting the 2007 visitation program.
“It’s also important students learn about the great apes and science at The Trust,” said Aipperspach. “That’s why we’ve committed two months of free tours this fall for students from middle schools to university graduate programs.”
To better accommodate those interested in the Great Ape Trust experience, the organization has implemented an on-line ticketing system that allows visitors to become members, electronically select their own dates and purchase additional tickets with a credit card. School groups interested in visiting should simply email their requests to visits@GreatApeTrust.org.
Through first-come, first-serve reservations at www.GreatApeTrust.org, members of Great Ape Trust will be entitled to receive two tickets and depending on their membership, the opportunity to buy additional tickets for $15 each.
- $35 membership – 2 tickets
- $75 membership – 2 tickets w/option to purchase 2 additional tickets at $15 each
- $250 membership – 2 tickets w/option to purchase 6 additional tickets at $15 each
- $500 membership – 2 tickets w/option to purchase 12 additional tickets at $15 each
- $1,000 membership – 30 person tour
- $2,500 membership – Private, behind-the-scenes tour for small group
Great Ape Trust tours will occur on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Group sizes are limited to 30 people per day. Due to the more advanced nature of this experience, Great Ape Trust requires that visitors be at least 10 years old.
The visitation program was designed by Great Ape Trust scientists to work in concert with their ongoing research into ape intelligence, language, tool use and culture. In addition to a presentation about the scientific work conducted on The Trust’s 230 acre campus, the two-and-a-half hour tour will include an orientation on the plight of great apes in the wild and an overview of Great Ape Trust’s global conservation efforts. If weather permits – and the apes wish to participate – an introduction of great ape residents will be provided to visitors.
Great Ape Trust Background
When completed, Great Ape Trust will be the largest great ape facility in North America and one of the first worldwide to include all four types of great ape – bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans – for noninvasive interdisciplinary studies of their cognitive and communicative capabilities.
Great Ape Trust is dedicated to providing sanctuary and an honorable life for great apes, studying the intelligence of great apes, advancing conservation of great apes and providing unique educational experiences about great apes. Great Ape Trust of Iowa is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization and is certified by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA). |
Great Ape Trust is certified by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums
