February 17, 2004
An Evening with Jim Fowler
Jim Fowler came to Mystic Aquarium February 8. We made sure to take Johann so that he could see the animals. Two video cameras were set up to show close-ups on the big screens in the Marine Theater, so we got a good look at all of the animals, despite the fact that we were pretty high up in the seats.
After a brief introduction and several clips from “Wild Kingdom”, Jim had his assistant, Andy, bring out the first animal. The golden eagle promptly christened the floor, but we hadn’t seen anything yet. The second animal was a baby Chinese alligator. While Andy was walking around to show the alligator to the audience, the alligator strategically relieved itself in the direction of the event sponsors (a science club) and the aquarium president. The spray startled everyone. Andy almost lost it completely. Jim joked that maybe Andy forgot to let the alligator out to take care of something before the show. I no longer envied the science club’s front row seats. Anytime anything went wrong, Jim used the moment and turned it into a joke, which he attributed to his time spent with Johnny Carson on the “Tonight Show”. Jim and Andy then put the alligator to sleep by lying it on its back and rubbing its stomach.
Next they brought out an alligator snapping turtle and talked about it, which was less eventful, but just as informative. The lion cub surprised everyone. Some people decided to leave at this time with small children. Jim said it was interesting these parents would choose that moment to leave, because the lion cub was right there and its instincts were to chase its prey. It was getting late, but even if Johann had been acting up, I wouldn’t have tempted the cub, leash or no leash!
The last animal was a Burmese python. It took two handlers to lift it out of the crate. Jim called on children from the audience to come down and line up in front of the snake to measure how long it was. Everyone got to touch it. Then Jim called on the parents to help put the python back into the crate. Fewer hands went up to volunteer for that, which proved Jim’s point that we are conditioned to like the fluffy, cute animals more, but that all animals and their habitats need conservation efforts to protect them. In his usual style, Jim made it fun and educational. He also made a point of explaining the endangered status of each animal we had just fallen in love with.
Jim acknowledged he was preaching to the choir, but still made his statement about the importance of conservation. The new angle in making the case for conservation is to demonstrate how it can improve the average Joe’s life in the city doing the daily grind. They are repackaging conservation issues in this renewed focus on preserving Mother Earth to get away from the negative images rabid conservationists and environmentalists have created in the past. This is no longer a fringe radical group’s concerns, but an important global issue. They have invented new terminology and concepts such as sustainable consumption and sustainable development. Consumption and development are accepted, but there also comes with that the responsibility of only taking what we need and giving back so there will be something for tomorrow. Jim said he was worried that none of the presidential candidates have addressed conservation in their platforms. Although it will take time to get these new phrases to become household words, I’m glad this “new” message is being put into the mainstream of society so that conservation issues don’t get lost in the shuffle.
Because the lecture went longer than projected, we skipped the reception that followed. Johann was ready to go home. We all were tired and hungry. Once Johann wound down from the excitement of the evening, he was out like a light. It was quite evident that Johann loved the event and it made an impression on him. On the way home Johann pretended to bring all the animals with us, including the animals featured in the TV show clips. Johann was worried about all the animals getting into the caravan alright. The python was so heavy to carry through the parking lot to the apartment building. And it was pretty crowded in the elevator, but we managed. I’m just glad none of the animals kick in their sleep. :)
A few more pictures from the evening are available in the Jim Fowler Evening Gallery.