Zoo Miami is one of the world's premiere zoological parks, one of the world's largest zoos, and is the only tropical zoo within the continental United States. Zoo Miami's primary mission is to encourage an appreciation for the world's wildlife and to help conserve it for future generations. In pursuit of this mission, the zoo engages both in ex situ conservation breeding of captive animals from around the world, and in situconservation projects - both locally and internationally.

In this field trip, scientists from Zoo Miami's Conservation and Research Department will provide guests with a tour of the zoo and an overview of Zoo Miami’s in situ and ex situ conservation programs.

Zoo Miami is home to more than 3000 animals among 500 species, and nearly 200 of these species are managed under Species Survival Plans through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. On a guided tour of the zoo's captive collection, field trip participants will learn about global conservation challenges facing animals in the zoo's captive collection, and will learn how Zoo Miami is helping to safeguard these species from extinction.

Zoo Miami is situated within South Florida's critically endangered pine rocklands ecosystem - home to more than 50 threatened or endangered plant and animal species. Field trip participants will learn about the ecology and conservation of this threatened ecosystem, and will see Zoo Miami's ongoing conservation projects with threatened plant species, imperiled butterflies, Gopher Tortoises, and Florida Bonneted Bats.