Zoo Becomes Home Of Sand Collection

A Chiropractor's effort to find a new home for his sand collection brought in offers from around the country, but instead he decided to keep it in Tulsa.

The News On 6's Rick Wells reports the collection will help kids learn more about the world they live in.

There is beach sand from St. Kitts in the Caribbean, part of an extensive collection of sand accumulated over 20 years by Dr. Gregg Coker with contributions from many of his patients.

Dr. Coker told The News On 6 he was looking for a new home for the sand and was he surprised.

"Gosh, I got probably 20 or 30 calls from California, and Virginia," said Dr. Coker.

Schools and other collectors, he found were eager for his sand collection. He settled on the Nature Exchange at the zoo because he said it would get the most exposure to the most number of kids.

Chris Young is the manager of the Nature Exchange at the zoo. The sand will join the rocks and skulls and geodes and all the other stuff they have to help kids learn.

"I thought what an awesome educational opportunity we've got right here in front of us," said Young.

She says they'll make a map and mark all the places the sand came from and students can come look at and discover the why's of each one.

The Nature Exchange is open from noon to 5 p.m., Thursday through Sunday at the Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum.