The continued existence of wildlife and wilderness is important to the quality of life of humans.
-Jim Fowler
Thank you to everyone who attended this year's Evening Lecture Series, and a huge thank you to our sponsor, AARP CT, as well as the Zoo's Volunteer Council! We hope to see you again next year!
2021 Past Evening Lecture Topics
Wednesday, April 28 @ 6:30pm - Social Studies! Taking a look at Zoo animal social behaviors! RIZE students
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Join us on Wednesday, April 28 at 6:30pm 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. They have studied Cohabitational Compatibility Between Two Newly Introduced Goeldi’s Marmosets, Determining the Origin of Aggression and Cannibalism in Brook Trout Fingerlings, Exploring ways that Black Handed Spider Monkeys identify food, Behavioral Observations of Two-Toed Sloths and How Do Red Wolves Recognize Humans? Learn about the research and results from their “social studies.” 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 19 @ 7:00pm - Monarch Magic Court Whelan
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One of the world's most astounding wildlife events occurs each year in Mexico's Central Highlands, featuring the most delicate of creatures. As we enter a grove of fir trees on a remote mountaintop, the trunks and branches appear to be blanketed with rusty autumn leaves. A closer look reveals they’re quivering. Then, as the sun emerges from behind a cloud to warm them, hundreds of thousands of monarch butterflies take to the sky—so many that we actually hear the beating of their wings, which glow translucent orange against the blue sky. Experience this moving phenomenon as Court Whelan takes us on a virtual tour of monarch magic.
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Wednesday, June 16 @7:00pm - Return of the sea Otter! Todd McLeish
Join natural history author Todd McLeish as he discusses North America’s cutest mammal, the sea otter, and describes his adventures studying the animals from California to Alaska. Nearly driven extinct for their thick fur, sea otters have rebounded throughout much of their range on the Pacific Coast but are still threatened by sharks, killer whales, oil spills and other factors. Todd’s book about sea otters was named by Forbes Magazine as one of the top 10 books about nature of 2018.
Wednesday, July 21 @7:00PM - Wonders from Down Under! Karen Sullivan
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Australia has some of the world’s most unique wildlife. Many species cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. Join wildlife and nature photographer Karen Sullivan as she brings the amazing animals and scenery of Australia right into our living rooms. Karen has dedicated herself to photographing nature and wildlife subjects with a focus on then sharing her images and information about them with others through her lectures and photographic exhibitions. Karen will detail information about the animals she photographs and their environments, including personal stories from her experiences in the field.
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Wednesday, August 18 @7:00PM - red wolves rediscovered Dr. Kristin Brzeski
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As few as 24 wild red wolves are known to exist, but canids with red wolf genetics were recently found along the American Gulf Coast. Dr. Kristin Brzeski will offer a history of red wolf conservation and what a recent discovery of red wolf ancestry along the Gulf Coast means for future conservation actions. A brief discussion of red wolf taxonomy will include implications of a recent red wolf taxonomic review that found them to be a unique species. Dr. Brzeski also touches on her research addressing red wolf x coyote hybridization and how the rediscovery of red wolf ancestry in coyotes in Texas and Louisiana reshapes our view of hybridization between the species.
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Wednesday, September 22 @7:00PM - Life in the slow lane Sarah Kennedy, The Sloth Conservation Foundation
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Sarah Kennedy, Director of Education and Outreach at The Sloth Conservation Foundation (SloCo), will join us from Costa Rica. Sloths are the ultimate creatures of habit. They are perfectly adapted for life high up in the canopy of tropical rainforests where they have little need to ever descend to the ground. However, the rainforest habitat that the sloths depend on is becoming more and more disturbed. Saving these incredible animals from extinction requires innovative and long-term conservation solutions that will target both the human and sloth populations, with the goal of developing sustainable ways in which humans and sloths can coexist. Learn about these amazing animals and the incredible work being done by SloCo to achieve this goal.
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Wednesday, October 20 @7:00PM - TRACKING WILDLIFE IN THE WEST KURT ZIAS
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Wildlife Biologist Kurt Zias discusses how scientists use animal tracking skills to monitor rare and endangered mammals. This ancient practice developed by early hunter-gatherers is now making a comeback in the realm of natural history. Kurt will recount his experiences tracking wolves, wolverines, and mountain lions in the West. Animal tracking fundamentals will be covered, including track and scat identification, giving viewers the tools to begin tracking wildlife in their own backyards.
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All 2021 Evening Lectures will take place via Zoom on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m., with the exception of April. April's Evening Lecture will be held on Wednesday, April 28 at 6:30 p.m., in conjunction with Fairfield University. A $10 donation is suggested. Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo's Evening Lecture Series is sponsored by AARP and brought to you by the CBZ Volunteer Council.
