Since taking on the duty as Conservation Programs Coordinator for the Roger Williams Park Zoo, I have had many fantastic opportunities in my career. I have traveled to Papua New Guinea to help conduct biodiversity surveys discovering new species in remote forests that have never been surveyed before. I returned in 2004 to introduce conservation curriculum to third world schools in remote Papuan villages. I have been working on the front lines of the global amphibian crisis to save amphibians in Panama, and have been working in partners with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service propagating and reintroducing federally endangered insect species for 14 years now, just to name a few.
Nothing has been more rewarding than my work with the federally endangered American burying beetle. This project has exposed me to some of the best professionals in the field and many have become my good friends over the years. I can not say enough about the beetle team past and present, a group of people, far too many to name, not only here in the eastern portion of this species range, but out west as well. All dedicated to one single cause, the recovery of the critically endangered American burying beetle.
In a conservation world often dominated by efforts to save more charismatic mega fauna it is refreshing to see more efforts underway to save the little pieces of the ecosystem, the ones often deemed creepy and crawly that get little recognition for the valuable role they play in the ecosystem. It is also refreshing to see, and know, so many dedicated people are working on conservation projects aimed at saving entire habitats. This approach benefits all the flora and fauna, great and small. The loss of our valuable pollinating species such as Honey bees and butterflies are finally starting to get some national attention. As a conservation biologist it hurts to often see beneficial species like snakes and insects often lose their life to the hands of humans, humans who feel justified in doing so and feel like they have just done mankind a huge favor.
The American Burying Beetle Project, to me is a beacon of home for all the so called “CREEPY CRAWLEYS” out there. I hope this project continues to be a model for new projects aimed at the recovery of other endangered insect species. The whole science of invertebrate conservation is fairly new and there is so much more we need to learn. One key part of these kinds of efforts is education. It is important that people understand the vital role every creature plays in the natural world in order for them to truly appreciate it.
The American burying beetle has just gained a new and very powerful advocate, Jane Goodall. The project was chosen to be featured in Jane Goodall’s new book, Hope for Animals and There World; Bringing Endangered Species Back From the Brink. As one of my colleagues put it “she (Jane Goodall) is the mother Theresa of conservation” and boy is she. When Jane Goodall speaks people listen, she is well known and respected in every corner of the globe. I recently had the distinguished honor to join Dr Goodall and her amazing staff for a book signing and book release celebration in New York City. It was a thrill to be in the presence of such an amazing woman, one who was a childhood hero of mine. Dr. Goodall was very intrigued by the American burying beetle and especially the fact that it cares for its young, a very unusual trait in the insect world.
Dr. Goodall is helping to bring worldwide recognition not only to the American burying beetle, but the importance of all the so called Creepy Crawly’s in the ecosystems and the need for invertebrate conservation measures worldwide.
All my best,
Lou Perotti
Every other Wednesday this summer, as part of our highly successful ZooCamp theme Everything Poops: The Science of Scat, campers learned about fascinating insects called dung beetles. Found on every continent except for Antarctica, dung beetles are an important part of nature’s clean-up crew. By eating or burying other animal’s waste, they recycle nutrients back into the soil. Different species of dung beetles use dung in different ways – some tunnel underneath it, some live inside it and others roll balls of dung that they remove from the pile. One camper, Hailey Simon, turned what she learned about “roller” dung beetles into a comic strip. Here she characterizes a species in which the male offers the female a ball of dung. If she accepts, she rides atop of it while he rolls it to a secure location where they will dine upon the dung and/or lay eggs inside of it. When those eggs hatch, the young will also feed upon the dung until they are fully grown and the cycle starts anew.
was dedicated to recreating exhibits as well as teaching the keeper staff new ways to enrich the lives of their animal collections at the Summit Zoo. My time at Summit Zoo was shorter, but just as rewarding. I had been in contact with the curator at the Zoo and she directed me to the topics she wanted me to focus on. I worked with six keepers; four of them were newly employed and had only been working at the Zoo for a few weeks. My main goal was to show the new keepers the basics of enrichment and training, more orientated toward the Zoos avian and reptile collection. I brought a few enrichment items with me that the Zoo wanted but couldn’t afford to purchase. These were refillable stainless steel cages and rings that could be used with or without food. I demonstrated how to use the enrichment items and we offered them to each different species of bird. We also showed the newer keepers a variety of enrichment ideas. Some were techniques the experienced keepers had used before at the Zoo while others were new ideas I had researched. We created an artificial “jungle” for the Amazon parrots by cutting non-toxic leaves and branches and hung them in the cages. We created dirt piles for the tortoises, agouti, and coati to dig through and scent-mark. We also scattered scent trails of spices for the tortoises. To the keepers delight two of the tortoises poked their heads out and began exploring their exhibit. I also made a presentation to teach the keepers about animal training. Some of the birds had been trained before, but the majority never had. We had daily training sessions where the keepers worked on establishing a relationship with the birds and learning how to target and station the birds. We discussed the goals of the keepers and ways in which they could achieve those goals. Some of the birds were learning quickly, while others were uninterested or cautious to approach the keepers. We also talked about any problems they were currently having with the birds and if training or enrichment could help alleviate those problems. I had a great time at both zoos; the work was difficult and at times overwhelming, but definitely very rewarding. The time I spent there seemed very short and there are still many improvements that can be made at both zoos. I would love to go back and hope this will be the beginning of a great relationship between RWPZ and these institutions. I will be encouraging my fellow keepers to keep these projects in mind when they apply for this program next year!
