Zoo news:
Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo will launch “Cool Blue Bridgeport” a virtual and on-grounds educational program on climate change in combination with free admission to the Zoo every Saturday for Bridgeport residents. Awarded as a grant from the City of Bridgeport through the American Rescue Plan, the Zoo will provide free admission every Saturday to Bridgeport residents, beginning on Saturday, December 11, and continuing through June 25, 2022, limited by ticket availability. Bridgeport residents must register for free tickets online at beardsleyzoo.org, using the code “COOLBLUE.” A photo ID with proof of residence will be required at the gate, either a driver’s license or a Park City ID.
Cool Blue Bridgeport (CBB) will provide programming throughout the school year, with a focus on climate change, climate action, and learning from the traits and adaptations of animals. Activities to promote youth and family learning will take place at the Zoo on Saturdays, as well as online to make learning accessible whenever it is convenient to Bridgeport families. CBB will engage families and young people through learning programs, hands-on activities, online videos, and design challenges.
The program includes:
· A Cool Blue Bridgeport Action (CBBA) Passport for Bridgeport families. Families will be offered conservation-themed activities both on site during their visit as well as online.
· The CBBA Passport will take residents on an exciting journey focusing on animals at the Zoo, their adaptations and climate dependencies.
· Bridgeport’s rich history as a port city and shoreline community will be incorporated by educators linking climate change to local geography and landmarks.
· The CBBA Passport will introduce students and families to new animals, new events, and new programming to assist them in exploring the Zoo in ways never before possible.
· Upcoming activities for the year will include various lectures, 10 Virtual Wild Assemblies with Bridgeport Public middle and high schools, Teacher Nights at the Zoo, and STEM/STREAM Design Challenges.“Climate change is happening all around us,” said Zoo Director Gregg Dancho. “Bridgeport is subject to the same challenges facing urban populations globally when it comes to climate change. We see it in the form of more frequent extreme storms, damaging winds and flooding, rising sea levels, and altered migration patterns in many animal species. The good news is that there are things that we can all do to help.”
Guests must register for tickets, whether free or paid, on the Zoo’s website at beardsleyzoo.org. In accordance with the state of Connecticut COVID-19 guidelines: we strongly recommend that guests continue to wear masks while visiting the Zoo, but when guests are outside and can maintain social distance, masks may be removed. In the Rainforest Building and other indoor areas, or when social distancing cannot be maintained, masks are required. Everyone over the age of two, except for those with medical conditions that preclude wearing them, should have a mask available.
About Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo
Let your curiosity run wild! Connecticut’s only zoo, celebrating its 99th year, features 350 animals representing primarily North and South American and Northern Asian species. Guests won’t want to miss our Amur tiger and leopards, maned wolves, Mexican gray wolves, and red wolves. Other highlights include our new Spider Monkey Habitat, the Rainforest Building, the prairie dog exhibit, and the Pampas Plain with Giant anteaters and Chacoan peccaries. Guests can ride on the carousel, grab a bite from the Peacock Café and eat in the Picnic Grove. Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is a non-profit organization approaching its 100th year at a time when the mission of helping fragile wildlife populations and eco-systems is more important than ever.
