My name is Zoe Reitz, and I am in the KidScience program at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. KidScience is a year-long program in which middle school students learn about conservation biology. We are members of the zoo's research team and help with actual studies being done at the zoo and even around the world!

Normally, we have group activities and talk about a recent environmental issue that is in the news, such as rainforest deforestation and its effect on wildlife. We also talk about happenings at the zoo, like the new elephant family room.

We spend most of our time outside observing animals and their behaviors. For example, right now some of our team members are designing an enrichment device for a snow leopard. An enrichment device is something that challenges an animal to perform a certain task.

We are working with the snow leopard's keeper to make sure we are using the appropriate materials and to determine if our design would be adequate to put in the animal's exhibit. Our device will be used to encourage the snow leopard to be more active.

The device includes a large plastic ball with a rope going through it. The ends of the rope will be attached to both sides of the outdoor fencing. The snow leopard will be able to push the ball back and forth and get more exercise. We will give our enrichment device to the snow leopard, observe its reaction to it and present the results to our class at school.

KidScience has been a great experience for me. If you are interested in science and animals, you will like the KidScience program as much as I do! If you want to know more about it, check out the zoo's Web site pittsburghzoo.org under the conservation section.