A Bronx Zoo Expedition
Most of them probably visited there as little kids, but these Huntington High School teenagers were just as excited years later to spend time at the Bronx Zoo.
Members of the group are enrolled in Honors Living Environment, a science course taught by Lori Pyzocha-Kenny. "Each year I bring a group of students to the zoo to explore the topics of ecology and conservation with the hope of inspiring the zoologist, conservationist and vets among the students," she said.
There's something about a zoo, especially the Bronx Zoo that brings out the little kid in everyone. "The trip is always exciting and packed full of so much learning that I always leave wishing it was longer than one day," Mrs. Pyzocha-Kenny said. "The kids can be seen running from exhibit-to-exhibit exploring what each exhibit has to offer."
The 265-acre zoo opened in November 1899. The land now occupied by the zoo and the nearby New York Botanical Garden was once owned by Fordham University. The college sold the grounds to the City of New York for the sum of $1,000 with the requirement that it be used for a zoo and garden.
"When I was younger, three things inspired my love for biology, namely using a microscope, performing dissections and exploratory field trips like the zoo," Mrs. Pyzocha-Kenny said. "I believe that if I want to inspire young minds, that it should be incorporated into the curriculum."
Huntington senior Tara Narine, who is interning with the science program, helped coordinate the trip and created a scavenger hunt to identify a list of animals at the fabled facility.
The Bronx Zoo is currently home to more than 4,000 animals. The Huntington students were fascinated with what they found during their daylong expedition. "This year was, without exception, outstanding and inspiring for every student," Mrs. Pyzocha-Kenny said.
"We left Huntington hoping to capture the popular critter, the 'Egyptian Cobra,' who had recently escaped her enclosure, but she was quite stealthy and remained missing," Mrs. Pyzocha-Kenny said. The snake was later found in a non-public area of the reptile house and returned to its home.