Making a Trade
MAKING A TRADE
Trading natural objects at the Dallas Zoo Nature Exchange is fun and easy. Here's how:
1. BRING IT IN AND SHARE
Bring in your natural collected items into the Nature Exchange. The trained staff at the Dallas Zoo will ask you some questions about your object:
- What is the object?
- Where did it come from?
- Why is it special?
- What role does it play in the nature world?
All collectors are encouraged to further their knowledge of nature by doing some research in an adjacent resource library.
Please note that collecting natural objects is not permitted inside the zoo. You must do your collecting somewhere else, learn about the objects, and then bring them with you to the zoo.
2. EARN POINTS
"Points" are awarded by a staff member based on a set of criteria that includes how much the trader knows about the item, the ethics of the collection, uniqueness (regional availability), as well as , of the. Some of these criteria will be fixed based on the ethics of collecting and regional availability, the condition and cleanliness of the object, and also the trader's enthusiasm, initiative, and determination.
It is important to understand that traders can have a direct impact on the value of their exchange. Even the simplest object can be awarded a high point value if the collector shows initiative. In searching for things to collect and trade, individuals learn to observe, to ask questions, and to think independently.
Visitors who have nothing to trade at Nature Exchange can still earn points by completing a nature quiz. Trading points are awarded at the trading desk based on how much the visitor learned.
See a video of busy traders at the Nature Exchange
3. YOUR ACCOUNT
"Points" earned for trades can be used immediately, or they can be banked in the Nature Exchange computer trading data bank and used in the future to "buy" items in the collection at the Nature Exchange's swap shop.
4. TAKE IT HOME
Traders can take their traded items home with them to add to their permanent collections, or they can bring them back in to trade for other items at a later date. It is important to remember that "points," although they become a form of currency, do not equal money. If the Nature Exchange gave away or lost 100,000 "points" tomorrow it would not have to close up shop. The trader's positive experience within the Nature Exchange's learning environment always has the highest priority.
5. SOME IMPORTANT NOTES
The Dallas Zoo Nature Exchange emphasizes the quality of a collection over quantity-you don't need to bring in 100 samples of quartz when 1 or 2 pieces will do. You certainly don't earn more points for bringing in many of the same object.
Also, the Nature Exchange will not trade any items regulated by the U.S. Endangered Species Act, CITES, the State of Texas, or other local, national, or international agreements. Accordingly, we will immediately confiscate items such as eggs, nests, feathers, etc.
See Rules and Guidelines for more information.
