The continued existence of wildlife and wilderness is important to the quality of life of humans.
-Jim Fowler
We are pleased to announce our Evening Lecture Series for 2022! All Evening Lectures will take place via Zoom on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m..
Registration is $10/lecture. Registrations for individual lectures can be found below.
Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo's Evening Lecture Series is sponsored by AARP and brought to you by the CBZ Volunteer Council.
Registration is $10/lecture. Registrations for individual lectures can be found below.
Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo's Evening Lecture Series is sponsored by AARP and brought to you by the CBZ Volunteer Council.
2022 Evening Lecture Topics
Wednesday, April 20 @ 7:00pm - Moonlight, Music, Romance and Friend Zone!? Fairfield University RIZE students
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Join us on Wednesday, April 20 at 7:00pm as we hear about the research that RIZE students from Fairfield University have conducted this year at the Zoo.
Fairfield University’s U Rize program students in conjunction with Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo are studying zoo animal behavior. Students studied who comes out when the sun goes down. By setting up camera traps around the Zoo, students observed and collected data on the wildlife that wanders Zoo grounds after the visitors have left. Students also studied acoustic enrichment for various Zoo animals. The breeding behavior of the White-naped Crane was documented. And, can caiman and mata mata turtles co-habitat. About RIZE: RIZE is service learning research program which began at the Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo and Fairfield University. Unlike most research conducted by universities in zoos, RIZE projects are selected by zoo staff and based on zoo questions and needs. Because resources such as time and money are often limited in zoos, many questions regarding animal behavior are left unanswered and anecdotal observations by keepers left undocumented. RIZE students work for zoos in carrying out projects that the zoo considers important but yet undoable due to resource limitations. RIZE brings students, equipment and other necessary resources to the zoo to work on projects that range from behavioral monitoring to exhibit enrichment and can last anywhere from a single semester to several years in duration. |
Wednesday, May 18 @ 7:00pm - Anteaters & Highways Dr. Arnaud Desbiez
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The Giant anteater is an iconic South American mammal listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The scrub forests and grasslands of the Brazilian Cerrado biome have been traditional strongholds for Giant anteaters. However, during the last 35 years, more than half of the Cerrado has been converted into pasture or agricultural lands. Worse still, remaining habitat is becoming fragmented and dissected by an ever increasing network of roads and highways—and these roadways are inflicting significant damage on local animal populations, including the Giant anteater. In fact, the Giant anteater is now among the species most killed on roadways in the Cerrado. Dr. Arnaud Desbiez has launched Anteaters & Highways, a four-year effort to collect anteater road interaction data and help protect the species in the wild. Research findings will be used to develop landscape and road management guidelines and mitigate the impact of road mortality on anteater populations in the Cerrado.
For the month of May, a portion of all proceeds of our Anteater adoption boxes purchased will go to Anteaters & Highways. Purchase yours today! |
Wednesday, June 15 @7:00pm - Red Panda Network Terrence Fleming
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Learn about how the Red Panda Network is saving this adorable, charismatic endangered animal. Terrance will explain their integrated, landscape-level approach to conservation that is built on the support and participation of local communities. Their conservation programs extend to over one million acres of forest and 50% of Nepal’s red panda range! The Red Panda Network involves community partners in 10 districts in Nepal with over 75 Community Forest User Groups in adopting sustainable forest management practices.
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Wednesday, July 20 @7:00PM - Nowhere is a Place – Travels in Chilean Patagonia Gerri Griswold
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Take a virtual trip to Join Gerrie Griswold as she shares breathtaking images from this ethereal travel destination tucked along the tail of the Andes near the bottom of the world. Meet the people, animals and numerous microclimates that define this mythical place.
Register for lecture. |
Wednesday, August 17 @7:00PM - Right Under Our Noses Working Dogs 4 Conservation
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Obtaining crucial data on wild species can be extremely challenging, and a variety of problems may prevent finding cryptic animals in diverse environments. The unparalleled abilities of canine olfaction offers a way to increase proficiency in non-invasively collecting information on endangered, rare and hard to find species and detect and remove threats to wildlife. At the forefront of the conservation dog field, Working Dogs for Conservation (WDC) has been selecting, training and deploying dogs that ‘live to work’ for projects worldwide.
Register for lecture. |
Wednesday, September 21 @7:00PM - Voice of the North: What Loons Are Telling Us About a Changing Arctic Tamara Zeller
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Join Tamara Zeller form the US Fish and Wildlife Services for a series of short youth-produced films about loon research in Alaska and the collaborative efforts of scientists to learn more about these iconic species. Films will touch upon loon migration, habitat changes, and challenges facing loons in an evolving arctic climate. We will also show a film about the loons of Connors Lake in Anchorage, and the story behind efforts to conserve them.
Register for lecture. |
Wednesday, October 19 @7:00PM - The Orchid Thief of Fakahatchee, saving endangered orchids Mike Owen
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Many have either read or heard of the “Orchid Thief” book written by Susan Orlean in 1998 which details the theft and destruction of many endangered orchids in the nearby Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park located in the Western Everglades. Come hear Mike Owen, the Park biologist central to the story, speak about the many beautiful, endangered orchids, including the Ghost which lives in the park. Mr. Owen has studied and researched these orchids for over 28 years.
Register for lecture. |
