Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo has a proud history of over 90 years as Connecticut’s only Zoo. As an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and participant in its Species Survival Plan (SSP) programs, we are committed to the preservation of endangered animals and are actively developing strategies that will protect species and preserve their wild habitats. Through education, conservation, research and recreation, Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo provides a wonderfully wild experience for students and families.
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Check around our website, plan your visit and we’ll see you soon!

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo Mission Statement

​Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is dedicated to acquainting a diverse public to the delicate balance that exists between living things and their environment.

Animal exhibits, plantings, graphics, and Zoo programs are to be represented in such a manner as to give the visitor a sense of awareness and concern for the intricate beauty and fragility of our planet.

This mission is achieved by a master plan comprised of the following goals.

1. Education, through staff involvement and training, outreach programs, workshops, lectures, docent volunteers, natural animal exhibits, informational and interpretive graphics, and research by utilizing staff, universities and other zoological facilities.
2. Conservation, through participation in in situ and ex situ endangered species programs such as the Species Survival Program, Zoo Conservation Outreach Group, etc. Also through professional animal and veterinary care and a comprehensive animal management policy.
3. Recreation, through state-of-the-art exhibit design, well-run visitor services (i.e., food and gift concessions, rides, rest rooms and parking) and maximizing the natural and park-like setting by formal and informal landscaping.

The AZA Vision

AZA zoos and aquariums are places where people connect with animals. We are therefore dedicated to excellence in animal care and welfare, conservation, education, and research that collectively inspire respect for animals and nature.

To learn more about the AZA and to visit their website, click here!

2015 Annual Report

click here

Board of Directors

Members of Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo’s Board of Directors provide advice and support to the Zoo. They bring skills, experience and talents to assist the administration with operations and help raise awareness and funds for the Zoo.

The Board also assists in promoting the Zoo’s activities.  They all share an interest in conservation, education and fun.

President
Sean-Michael Green

Co-Vice Presidents
David Norton
People’s United Bank

Kim Rodney
Connecticut Community Bank, N.A.

Treasurer
Craig K. Elkind

Secretary
Barbara Miller
Brody Wilkinson PC
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Board Members
Bernadette Baldino
Bridgeport Public Library

Shane Beardsley
Howard Hughes Corporation

Joseph Burke
Liberty Bank

Mitchell Cohen
Ernst & Young

Gerry Craig
Retired, C.N.A. Insurance Companies

Charles Dumais
Cooperative Education Services

Thomas Flynn
Alvarez and Marsal

Jennifer M.F. Hillgen-Santa
Hillgen-Santa Financial Group

Michael Kaufman
Day Pitney LLP

William Kelleher
People’s United Bank

Claudette Kunkes
Private Practice, Clinical Psychologist

Catherine Ladnier
Compliance Consultant

Duane Lovello
Yale University

Kathleen MacGhee

Gina Malheiro 
City of Bridgeport

Robert F. Matthews
RFM Group

Christopher McHugh
BlackRock

Robert Mitchell
Mitchell & Sheahan, PC

Bob Natt
Retired, Alegeus Technologies

John Oliveto
Fletcher-Thompson, Inc.

James Reynolds 
Ganim Group

Harvey Rosenbloom
Retired, Saks Fifth Avenue

Bruce T. Silverstone
Aquarion Water Company

AmyMarie Vizzo-Paniccia
Bridgeport Councilwoman, 134th District