Animal Bio Explores Behind the Scenes at Dickerson Park Zoo

Photo taken by Sarah Englis

Left to right front row: Brooklyn Smith(11), Evalin Zubenko(12), Emma Pearson(11), Taylor Meeker(10), Annabelle Hart(11), Madisyn Taylor(11), Cailey Dye(12), Hadison Wingo(12), Brooklyn Mauldin(11), Olivia Phelps(11), Jeri Mcdougal(12), Reese Wells(11). Left to right second row: Ashley Adams(11), Kyndal McCleary(12), Madyson Christiano(11), Kaden Baker(11), Erica Feith(11), Brielle Mahr(11), Brooklyn Pippin(25), Karlee Marion-Swan(11), Haylee Potter(10), Mattilee Wilson(11), Destiny Ewing(10) Left to right third row: Jon Peak(10), Waylon Wright(10), Eli Sanders(10), Kellan Kirkpatrick(11), Grant Fuller(10), Keith Nolan(10), Liam Draper(12), Isaac Walters(12), Mackenzie Cavin(12), Trenten Baumann(11), Christopher Wood(11), Zachary Hessing(11)

The Animal Biology class at Fair Grove High School, led by science teacher Sarah Englis, recently took a field trip to the Dickerson Park Zoo where they applied their classroom experience into the zoo’s environment.

“The purpose of this field trip is to see what it’s like behind the scenes of the Dickerson Park Zoo,” stated Waylon Wright (10). The students got to see how the animals at the park are taken care of and how the workers interact with the animals’ habitats. 

Keith Nolan (10) mentioned, “Out of this field trip I have gotten real life applications to the things I have learned in class. I am now able to have a better knowledge of what is going on in the wildlife and at the zoo.”  

On the field trip to Dickerson Park Zoo, the students got to get a special look at how everything is operated. Nolan stated, “During the field trip we got to do a behind the scenes look into the zoo and how they took care of the animals there. It was super awesome to be able to see how well the animals there are actually treated.” While the students were there they were given a paper to fill out with information about the animals that they saw. The goal of this was for the students to see how the work they have done in class goes hand in hand with the real world.

The students were given the chance to see how wildlife is treated in the zoo and along with that came some of their favorite parts of the trip. Liam Draper (12) stated, “I have gotten a ton out of this field trip by learning how everything in the zoo works behind the scenes.” 

Nolan added, “My favorite part of this field trip was getting to spend time with friends and observe the animals. While we were at the zoo, we did a scavenger hunt. It was very nice to get to work with friends to complete the activity and learn fun facts.”  

Wright said, “My favorite part of the field trip was getting to see the behind the scenes of the giraffe enclosure. The only male giraffe at the zoo weighs 2,000 lbs, and bent railroad steel by leaning on it.” 

This annually recurring trip to the Dickerson Park Zoo by the Animal Biology class continues to allow students to observe more about the wildlife they learn in the classroom.