Zoo offers outreach education

Story by Cory Amick

State budget cuts are making it tougher for school students and other groups to come to Columbia's Riverbanks Zoo, prompting the zoo to expand its outreach education.

Matthew Corbacho, a recent graduate of University of South Carolina Upstate, is heading up the zoo's "Riverbanks on the Road" program. That allows people of all ages to learn about different types of animals without actually making a field trip to the zoo. So far, Corbacho has conducted seminars for schools, churches and Boy Scout troops. He estimates that he has reached over 150 individuals thus far in his time with the program.

Joanne Anderson, a second grade science teacher at Saint Joseph's Catholic Elementary School, said "Riverbanks Zoo's program is ideally geared for elementary schools when it is difficult for us to get out on field trips. The opportunity was tremendous for our school."

School districts' trimmed budgets do not allow as many field trips for students. So, Corbacho and the zoo decided to take animal education on the road. "Riverbanks on the Road" offers multiple lessons that adhere to the South Carolina state standards of education, which compliments the science children already learn in public schools.

Animal education teaches participants about the two major categories of animals, vertebrates and invertebrates. According to Corbacho and the South Carolina state standards of education, wildlife is classified as either being a reptile, amphibian, fish, mammal, bird or insect.

"I knew I'd be teaching animals, and he brought the six different classifications of animals into the classroom. It was tremendous, very interactive and very hands-on," said Anderson.

"Riverbanks on the Road" is available to anyone, and seminars may be conducted any day of the week at a reasonable hour. However, schools have been the primary customers thus far. Lessons last between 45 minutes and an hour.

Lessons are available to classroom-size audiences, as well as assembly size forums. Class-size presentations cost $125 with each additional class scheduled the same day costing $75, and assembly presentations cost $225.

The program offers three main lessons to audiences. "What Kind of Animal is That?" teaches about the five different groups of vertebrates: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. "This is My Home" informs audiences about the different types of ecosystems around the world, and another program called "To Eat or Not To Eat" teaches about the various facets of food chains.

Corbacho said, "the kids' favorite is Miss Piggy, a Texas tortoise," but others include Madagascar hissing cockroaches; spotted salamanders, SC's state amphibian; a hedgehog; a bearded dragon; various snakes and a blue-tongued skink. Mainly, he displays the animals and teaches about their various traits, such as defense mechanisms.

Riverbanks Zoo also offers animal education courses at its facilities. Jolen Sindelir, Coordinator of School Services at the zoo, organizes and teaches various courses in the zoo's education building. The zoo also conducts an overnight program, from seven at night until nine in the morning, to teach natural science to schoolchildren.

According to Corbacho, the best part about the program is watching kids interact with animals in the classroom. He said, "we still want school groups to come to the zoo, but this is a way for the zoo to fit into anybody's schedule."

"Riverbanks on the Road" focuses on informing participants about the different types of animals and how they interact within their ecosystems. Therefore, a lot of the program is instruction, but questions, games and participant interaction are a big part of it too. For example, Corbacho helps schoolchildren understand the physicality of cold-blooded animals through a "flashlight or umbrella exercise."

The "flashlight or umbrella exercise" is a simple way of tangibly interpreting the anatomy of cold-blooded animals. Corbacho asks schoolchildren what a cold-blooded animal is. Then, he asks: if it were hot outside, would you want to stand under an umbrella or a flashlight?

This simple exercise allows young children to easily understand how cold-blooded beings think.

So far, Corbacho's main customers have been schools. In fact, Joseph Keels and Lonnie B. Nelson schools in Richland County are repeat customers, as well as Claude A. Taylor Elementary in West Columbia. "Riverbanks on the Road" is not limited to proximal entities.

Corbacho has conducted a seminar as far away as Kannapolis, North Carolina.

Riverbanks Zoo is trying to promote animal education and conservation. Zoo employees are aware of the fact that budget cuts render schools less able to make field trips to it. Thus, "Riverbanks on the Road" is offering anybody the chance to partake in animal education.

Corbacho said, "it allows the zoo to come to you."