Creature Feature

October 4 & October 20, 2023 at 10:15 a.m.

Stories about animals speak to the minds and hearts of young children in a way nothing else can. Students ages 2 through 6 and their caregivers will learn simple science facts and build empathy toward animals through early childhood best practices such as movement, pretend play, and storytelling. Children will also get to meet and touch a real Ambassador Animal who was a character in the puppet story!

The story of the day will be chosen based on which Ambassador Animal is ready to meet guests that day. Neither the story or the ambassador animal will be known until right before the program.

Some of our story themes include what foods different animals eat, which animals hatch from eggs and which don’t, and how animals’ move their bodies, etc.

Animal Body Coverings

October 4, 2023 at 11:15 a.m.

Why do animals look different from one another? How do those differences help them survive? We’ll learn about animal adaptations through some of their most visible characteristics. This auditorium program includes an Ambassador Animal guest, but is a no touch opportunity.

Topics covered include:

• Mammal and bird adaptations and the many uses of hair, fur, and feathers
• Animals with exoskeletons and how these specialized body coverings help them survive and thrive
• How reptilian scales provide protection in harsh and not-so-harsh environments

Care for Animals

October 20, 2023 at 11:15 a.m.

Providing care for all the animals at the zoo is a huge and complex task, and it takes a dedicated team of professionals. But animals who need our help are all around us. From our household pets to the wild animals who share our world. Come learn about how we care for animals at the zoo, and how we can help improve the lives of animals everywhere. This auditorium program includes an Ambassador Animal guest, but is a no touch opportunity.

Topics covered include:

• How we meet the physical and mental needs of the animals in our care at the zoo
• Zoo-care lessons we can all take home to enrich the lives of our pets
• What people can do to make sure wildlife can coexist with us in the habitats we both need

Animal Populations: Conservation Biology Activity

October 20, 2023 at 10:30 a.m.

Participate in a hands-on activity that explores how a biologist studies wild populations and how they determine approximate numbers of individuals within that population. Created for ages 11 - 17 years old.

Topics covered include:

• Techniques that biologists use to learn what kind of animals or plants exist in an area
• What do scientists mean when they say an animal or plant population and the math involved in these types of investigations
• Why understanding population numbers is important to conservation and how we use this information in zoo populations too!