Year 11 Biology Zoo Excursion Report

The Year 11 Biology Field Day at Perth Zoo gave students the chance to experience Biology beyond the classroom and see firsthand how fieldwork and conservation come together in the real world. Throughout the day, students took part in activities led by zoo educators, including motion-sensor monitoring, behavioural observations and biodiversity fieldwork techniques.

One of the highlights was spending time observing the primates and developing classification keys based on their unique characteristics and behaviours. It quickly became clear that true biological fieldwork requires patience, close observation and attention to detail, something students could only fully appreciate by watching the animals in action.

Students also explored the Zoo’s important conservation work through the Native Species Breeding Program and enjoyed several behind-the-scenes experiences, including learning how termites are collected to feed numbats (up to 20,000 termites per animal each day!).

The students enjoyed connecting their classroom learning with real-world research and conservation practices.