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News Bites continued

PROGRAMS Growing STEM

Science, technology, engineering, and
math (STEM) are a major part of our King Conservation
Science Scholars program, through which dedicated high
school students learn about these topics. But we want to
give all teens the STEM-based tools to become conserva-
tionists, just like the King Scholars are. That is why the King
Scholars coordinated and hosted the Teen Conservation
Leadership Conference for the second year.
From July 11 to 13, nearly 400 Chicagoland teens
interested in STEM gathered at Illinois Institute of
Technology for lectures, panels, and workshops presented
by scientists and educators, including staff from Shedd Researchers have been debating potential girae species’ relationship, imapcting conservation eorts.
Aquarium, The Field Museum of Natural History, and
Lincoln Park Zoo. Keynote speaker Chad Pregracke,
founder of the Living Lands & Waters river cleanup The Long Road Ahead
organization, discussed his experiences living on the CONSERVATION
A recent story in the news suggested that four distinct
species of giraffes exist in Africa instead of one species
with several subspecies, as had previously been thought. Researchers
from the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and colleagues tested
DNA from nearly 200 giraffes across the African continent and found
significant enough differences to classify four different species. However,
the scientific community does not yet concur. For instance, the
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the worldwide
organization of conservation scientists that classifies all flora and fauna,
has not recategorized separate giraffe species.
Scientic topics and careers came to life for these high school Scientists care about whether a type of animal is a separate species or
students during the Teen Conservation Leadership Conference. subspecies because they can more accurately determine if any particular
group of a type of animal—whether a species or subspecies—is
Mississippi River. Breakout sessions helped teens learn threatened and then work toward its conservation.
about real-world employment and higher education. Although giraffes are beloved and popular animals, they are among
Participants were able to meet with conservation the least studied mammals on Earth, and clearly more information is
and STEM organizations and professionals and make needed so we can understand them and protect them. Regardless of the
connections for their future career choices. number of distinct species, we do know that the total wild population
No conference would be complete without a day trip. has plummeted to fewer than 100,000, a decline that prompted IUCN
We welcomed the participating teens to Brookfield Zoo to change giraffes’ status from “least concern” to “vulnerable” and to
to give them a close look at STEM in action. They were reclassify the Niger giraffe and Rothschild’s giraffe as “endangered.”
immersed in guided tours, animal meet-and-greets, and Want to help them? Go to CZS.org/ShareTheCare and support our
events planned just for them. reticulated giraffes Arnieta or Potoka via our Share the Care program.
The conference was supported by the King Family
Foundation; the Astellas USA Foundation; Baxter
International Inc.; ELKAY Manufacturing Inc.; Motorola
Solutions Foundation; Nalco, an Ecolab Company; S&C
Electric Company; UL; and Wells Fargo.

8 GATEWAYS | NEWS BITES