How can you get a taste of Zoology while still at school?
There are a number of exciting options available to explore:
Hands-On Science
www.otago.ac.nz/handsonscience
Hands-On Science is a week long summer science camp for senior secondary school students.
230 students from all over the country come and stay in one of Otago's residential colleges.
You do a science project of your choice every morning and in the afternoons there are other social and science activities to keep everyone very busy.
The Zoology project at Hands-On Science is one of the most popular, and it involves a lot of field trips such as:
- visiting the Orokonui Ecosanctuary
- building penguin houses
- weighing seal pups
If you like animals, and you're heading into Year 11, 12 or 13 in the coming year, Hands-On Science could be a great way to find out what it's like to study Zoology at Otago.
Tertiary Information Day
www.otago.ac.nz/about/open_days.html
Tertiary Info Day happens in early May every year at Otago, so keep this page bookmarked and check for updated info. A large number of people come from out of town to visit the Info Day as it's a way to see the university in action.
There are talks and presentations throughout the day, as well as tours of departments and an interactive expo… that's where you'll find Zoology.
Zoology has departmental tours as well, so it's a great opportunity to explore the department and ask lots of questions.
Science Festival
Every two years, Dunedin hosts the International Science Festival. As part of the festival the University of Otago runs a two day interactive Science expo in the St David complex.
This involves about 30 different displays and events all demonstrating cool stuff about science.
Zoology is in the thick of it, with live animals on display – one year Zoology had 7 kinds of amphibians in one room!
You can download interviews from Science festivals past at iTunesU's University of Otago section. You'll find them in the Science Matters folder.
Science Project Resources
A number of the scientists in the Zoology department have produced reports and studies that are really useful for school projects or units of study.
Check out lakes and stream research involving Zoology staff members here:
Catchments Otago
Hamish Spencer's work with the Liggins insitute can be found here
Secrets in the Seaweed
Research by Phil Bishop, Kelly Hare and Alison Cree that assists the conservation of native amphibians and reptiles is discussed here
Reptile Racetrack