![]() ![]() "Because students are only taking a few courses, they can fit that into an already busy academic program," Koprowski said.įor students interested in a career in the timely and important efforts of international conservation of biodiversity, the certificate is meant to enhance their competitiveness for positions as zoo and aquarium caretakers, scientists or education specialists, as well as field biologists, endangered species biologists, and wildlife and fisheries biologists working for government agencies or international conservation organizations. Two courses are required: zoo and aquarium conservation and conservation genetics, in addition to an elective course chosen from a list of 16 options. The certificate, consisting of three courses and an internship, can be tailored by students to fit their major and/or minor and career goals. Modern zoos and aquariums have an important educational function, of providing the opportunity for people to experience the natural world while living in areas that do not have easy access to wildlife." "They haven't had the experience and exposure with animals in the wild, but they come in just as excited and impassioned with the topic of conservation. "We're seeing more students coming to our major with that kind of background," Koprowski said. It was his first chance to see animals up close and learn about their challenges. Koprowski grew up in Cleveland, and his interaction with animals as a child was with the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. "Zoos are fully involved in the area of conservation, of breeding the animals rather than bringing them in from the wild, studying the physiology and health of animals in their care and performing research in the field with those species." Zoos today have gone beyond that, to feature more naturalistic environments and to provide visitors with a sense that they are involved in the conservation of animals," said John Koprowski, professor and associate director of the School of Natural Resources and the Environment. "Many of us still remember when a zoo was a bear in a cage with a bowl of water. Most zoos have internship programs, including the Reid Park Zoo, Phoenix Zoo and the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. Through the undergraduate certificate in zoo and aquarium conservation, students will have the opportunity to participate in such efforts during an internship they design with a zoo or aquarium - local or distant - that is accredited through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. ![]() The Phoenix Zoo is raising species native to Arizona for release to the wild, including the black-footed ferret, Chiricahua leopard frog, Gila topminnow and desert pupfish. ![]() In Arizona, for example, the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson is involved in Saving Animals From Extinction, or SAFE, to raise awareness about the vaquita, a critically endangered porpoise species in the Gulf of California. Zoos and aquariums worldwide have joined with local, national and international agencies to protect animal species. A new certificate developed in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' School of Natural Resources and the Environment will introduce University of Arizona students to the increasingly important role that zoos and aquariums play in wildlife conservation and management, and help them understand how to maintain sustainable wildlife populations in a zoo setting. ![]()
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