What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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8 WHAT'S UP! JANUARY 14-20, 2018 Wonders Upon Wonders Massive wildlife museum brings world to Missouri BECCA MARTIN-BROWN NWA Democrat-Gazette I t's impossible for most people to afford to go "around the world in 80 days" — except in the novel and film of that name. But travelers to a new museum in Springfield, Mo., can transcend both space and time to stand in the middle of a 21st century diorama and smell the wild, feel the wind and see four species of mountain sheep. They can visit the African Savannah and get close enough to almost touch lifelike elephants, giraffes, rhinos, crocodiles and zebras. They can plunge to the depths of the ocean and explore a sunken shipwreck, now home to reef dwellers like eels, groupers and lobsters. And they can stand in the middle of an ocean habitat teeming with zebra sharks, leopard rays and sea turtles. And they can do it all not at a Disney park or Orlando attraction, but at Wonders of Wildlife, a nonprofit structure bigger than the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, opened last fall by Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops, in his hometown. "As fishing stories go, this is a pretty good one," the tale begins with a photo of Morris and his father, John, who inspired his passion for the outdoors and conservation. Morris grew up fishing on the White River with his family and started Bass Pro in 1971, selling tackle from a shelf in his father's Brown Derby liquor store in Springfield. "In a world increasingly disconnected from the great outdoors, it's more important than ever for people of all ages to connect with nature through fishing, hunting and outdoor recreation," Shelby Stephenson, a spokeswoman for the museum, says in answer to a question. Morris' goal, she says, is to encourage others to "protect wildlife for generations to come. Wonders of Wildlife shares this passion with visitors." COVER STORY The aquarium at Wonders of Wildlife includes more than 35,000 live fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds representing more than 800 species. Courtesy Photos Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium opened Sept. 22 in Springfield, Mo.