Help for Students and Teachers
- How do I get answers to questions about a species or an animal at the Zoo?
- Our website has factsheets and background information about many of the 400 species represented by 2,000 animals that live at the Zoo, including giant pandas, Asian elephants, cheetahs, and bald eagles. Start here or search our site (see the upper right corner of any page). If you don't find the information you're looking for, we encourage you to look on the websites of other organizations accredited by the
Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Unfortunately, our staff don't have time to answer each of the many questions we receive each day. - I'm supposed to interview or shadow someone at the Zoo. Can I?
- Unfortunately, no. The keepers and veterinarians are busy enough taking care of the animals—feeding them, cleaning their enclosures, doing routine checkups, and more. We're unable to arrange student-staff interviews or job shadowing, or answer a list of questions about what it's like to work at a zoo. You can read some staff interviews and bios on our website.
- How do you design an animal’s exhibit? And how much does it cost?
- When it's time to design a new exhibit, we start by posing many questions. Best animal management practices according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the extensive knowledge of Zoo staff and other professionals determine the details of our animals’ exhibits. Costs are determined by a whole lot of factors; there's no simple answer. Try your hand at designing an exhibit for giant pandas.
- What is being done save giant pandas or another species from extinction?
- Our website has extensive information about our wildlife conservation programs, including giant pandas and Asian elephants. For other species, start here or search our site (see the upper right corner of any page). If you don't find the information you're looking for, we encourage you to look on the websites of other organizations accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
- What classes and training does the Zoo offer?
- The Zoo has education opportunities for people of all ages. We have children's classes and camps, adult classes, teacher training, internships and fellowships, professional training, courses for undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals, and more.
- I'm a teacher. Can you help me plan a field trip or lesson?
- We have a wealth of resources to help you plan a field trip, including exhibit programs and activity guides. We also have lots of classroom resources, including curriculum guides, wildlife explorer kits, and online activities.
See our extensive FAQs to learn about our field-trip resources.
