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Far left: Dr. Jennifer Encouraging Conservation Leaders
Langan, assisted by
Shelley Halach, prepares Beyond turtles, otters, and other wild creatures, Chicago Zoological
a walleye to receive a Society staff focus their efforts on conservation projects relating to an
transmitter that provides animal of a different sort: the human one. “To inspire conservation
information about the leadership by connecting people with wildlife and nature” is our mission,
ecology and health of and we try to give those in local communities a sense of pride in the nature
game fishes and helps around them. Through our education programs, we show that everyone can
conservationists from be a conservation leader.
the Forest Preserves of
Cook County protect fish Our educators offer a variety of hands-on programs that introduce
spawning areas. children and families to local nature, science, and the challenges and
Left: Langan and rewards of conservation. Children from ages 3 to 12 are invited to
veterinary student Ruth participate in the free after-school and weekend Zoo Adventure Passport
Shepard position a North (ZAP!) program, which features trips, monthly classes, and a cleanup
American river otter for event in the nearby Zoo Woods. Middle school students learn more about
X-rays as part of a health conservation and science through Zoo Explorers Club, while high school
assessment. The otter students receive college-readiness assistance and much more through
received a transmitter the King Conservation Science Scholars program. Society educators also
that allows biologists to support nature-based activities at Eden Place Nature Center in Fuller Park.
track and study how this
species is recovering in Options abound for members of the community to get involved and
Cook Country. make a difference in their neighborhood. Curator Andy Snider encourages
adventurous families and individuals to explore parks and natural areas and
emerald dragonflies, an endangered to sign up to volunteer through FrogWatch USA, a national program that
species that was believed to be extinct teaches volunteers to identify local frogs and toads through breeding calls,
until a single specimen was captured then asks them to record their observations at local breeding sites. A huge
near the Des Plaines River in 1988. amount of citizen science data has been collected over the years through
Additional populations have since been programs such as FrogWatch. In fact, the reports made by FrogWatch
discovered elsewhere in Illinois, as well as volunteers help biologists track changes in frog and toad populations
in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Missouri, throughout the United States.
but the species remains endangered.
Conservation isn’t about making monumental changes in your
Warblers also need help. Warbler life. You can make simple changes and have a huge impact on your
populations across the United States— environment. Everything you do every day bolsters conservation efforts
and especially through our area and in your local community.
northward—are dropping significantly
due to loss of habitat, a lack of a good To find opportunities for getting involved in local conservation projects
food source, and an increase in the in northeastern Illinois and surrounding areas, just go to our Chicagoland
feral cat population. We’re continuing Enviornmental Network at ChicagoEnvironment.org.
to see where we can get involved in
some of these local projects. We want BROOKFIELD ZOO | SPRING 2017 17
to give back to the community. █