Richard Louv’s book, Last Child in the Woods, catalyzed a call to action for the Minnesota Zoo and inspired the vision for this project. The episodic nature of the trail and interactive features connect people more deeply with nature and animals with the aim of improving physical and mental health of children and adults. The Trail utilizes and re-purposes the existing abandoned monorail infrastructure to create a new type of experience by engaging with the Zoo’s landscape from above. While carrying out the Minnesota Zoo’s mission to “connect people, animals, and the natural world to save wildlife,” the Treetop Trail invites visitors to meaningfully connect with nature and animals, raise questions, and to spark an interest in conservation. The elevated Trail provides multiple access points, rest areas, overlooks, and interpretative elements that frame powerful views of the surrounding landscape— both the existing animal habitats, and the less-developed, natural environment of the northern section of the trail. The project ambition, as it re-centers and connects visitors, is to inspire them to take action in their own communities.