Program Overview

Introduction to the RIZE Program

The RIZE program is a unique service learning and research initiative born from a collaboration between Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo and Fairfield University. This program is designed to address the specific needs of the zoo through student-led research projects.

Program Overview

RIZE projects are directly selected by zoo staff to address their specific needs, providing the necessary student manpower, equipment, and resources to carry out these vital projects. Students work on a variety of initiatives, from behavioral monitoring to exhibit enrichment, with projects lasting anywhere from a single semester to several years.

Achievements of RIZE Students

Since 2014, RIZE students have accomplished the following at Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo:

• 18 posters presented at AZA meetings in Orlando, Salt Lake City, San Diego, Indianapolis, Seattle
• Over 2000 research service hours
• Over $30,000 in grant and scholarship money
• Media Coverage (e.g. AZA Connect Magazine, Connecticut Post Newspaper, Fairfield Magazine)

Philosophy of the RIZE Program

The RIZE program is based on the philosophy of service learning, an educational approach in which students apply academic knowledge and skills to address the goals and needs of disadvantaged communities. The program extends this concept to animal species in zoos, recognizing them as communities in need due to exploitation and marginalization on a global scale.

RIZE Projects

RIZE has worked on several projects for CT's Beardsley Zoo, including:

Prairie Dog Colony

• Investigated increased aggression within the captive prairie dog colony
• Used liquid fog and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to collect data
• Found that the colony had split into two distinct coteries, with aggression stemming from competition for food access
• Successfully minimized aggression by strategically placing separate food sources within the range of each coterie

Anteaters

• Investigated why small engine noises seemed to bother the anteaters
• Recorded the female anteater, Pana, reacting to a child's loud trilling sound
• Compared anxiety-inducing sounds to non-stressful sounds and found that stress-inducing sounds shared a strong harmonic structure
• Hypothesized that these sounds resemble baby anteater calls, to which female anteaters are especially sensitive

Red Wolves

• Investigated whether the female wolf was pregnant
• Assessed potential changes in the female's morphometrics indicative of pregnancy
• Used ImageJ to non-invasively examine photos of the female taken over several months
• Confirmed that the female was pregnant, and she gave birth later that spring