Magical Day for Children with Storybook Characters, Sponsored by Connecticut Children’s Pediatric Care Alliance with Hartford HealthCare
 
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – August 4, 2023 -- Once upon a time in a zoo not so far away, there was a day for all children to dress up like their favorite storybook characters! On Saturday, September 9th, the Zoo will turn into a magical land, with a day full of fun activities, including princesses, superheroes, story time at multiple locations on grounds, face painting, glitter tattoos, coloring, and animal presentations. 
 
Seven different costumed storybook characters will be on Zoo grounds from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Characters include: Ariel, Belle, Merida, Dead Fool, Captain Marvel and Spiderman.Visit the Peacock Pavilion Stage at 11 a.m. & 2 p.m. for a performance of ‘A Princess Tea’ Book and Lyrics by Chelsea Dacey, Presented by The Legacy Theatre (Branford, CT). The day of fun and fantasy is sponsored by Connecticut Children’s Pediatric Care Alliance with Hartford HealthCare. 

BRIDGEPORT, Conn., July 31, 2023–-Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is proud to announce the winners from its fifth non-juried photography exhibition, “Photography Goes Wild.”  More than 100 photos were submitted from the Zoo’s many dedicated amateur and professional photographers, and hundreds of votes were received online for a People’s Choice winner. This year, two Youth Categories were included: up to 12 years old, and 13 to 17 years old. 
 
Photographers were invited to submit up to three photos of animals from Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, from current or previous years. Judges were Jesse Thompson, co-owner of Milford Photo; Roger Salls, owner of Roger Salls Photography; and Jack Bradley, Zoo volunteer and instructor of Zoo classes on animal photography. Judge for the Youth Category was Ashlie Steinau of Ashlie Steinau Photography. 

​Teen Program Students Recognized for Achievements  at Trumbull Agriscience & Biotechnology Center

​BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – July 18, 2023 –The Zoo’s Conservation Discovery Corps (CDC) program promises to provide area teens with experiences in local conservation and field work, while offering the opportunity to work beside wildlife biologists. For two CDC students, Trumbull High School rising seniors Sophia Carletto and Noah Green, their work at the Zoo is just one part of their commitment to animals and science. 
 
In addition to their regular coursework in the high school, both attend the Trumbull Agriscience & Biotechnology Center. They were honored at the end of the school year with awards which recognized their extraordinary commitment to animal science. With Sophia’s focus in Wildlife Management and Noah’s in Natural Resources, they both participate in the Supervised Agricultural Experience, with their CDC hours at the Zoo contributing to the required time commitment. Both Sophia and Noah were honored with Proficiency Awards, for in-depth projects that exceeded academic expectations. ​

​BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – July 11, 2023 – The Entomological Society of America (ESA) has more than 7,000 members who share a passion for insect science, so when Connecticut Beardsley’s Zoo Educator Andrew Connolly reached out to their Governing Board with a request to apply a common name to an unnamed cockroach, they wanted to know more. The ESA Common Names database is an essential reference for anyone who works with insects. It includes more than 2,000 common names and is searchable by common name, scientific name, author, order, family, genus, and species.
 
It was while researching the characteristics of the Zoo’s Trinidad Cave Cockroach that Connolly became convinced that he was looking at something very similar to the Trinidad Cave species, but there were some odd differences. Specifically, the physical characteristics of the cockroach, such as coloration and wing transparency, did not match what was known for the Trinidad Cave Cockroach. What Connolly saw was more characteristic of a spotted pattern, leading him to look more closely. ​