The Philadelphia Zoo is launching a new conservation lecture series that combines educational talks with exciting field experiences. Always different, always informative and always fun, Wildlife Matters Presents offers you the opportunity to learn about a wildlife topic and participate in a related hands-on experience. From radio-tracking animals in the wild to building backyard habitats, there's something for everyone!

The short-beaked echidna, a unique egg-laying insect-eating mammal that inhabits many different ecosystems of Australia, is the subject of the program's debut session. Dr. Peggy Rismiller, senior researcher at the Pelican Lagoon Research & Wildlife Centre on Kangaroo Island, Australia and longtime Philadelphia Zoo conservation partner, discusses these unusual relatives of the platypus and the conservation challenges they face. Co-presenting with Dr. Rismiller is Philadelphia Zoo Small Mammal House lead keeper Todd Sinander. Todd's interest in echidna husbandry led him to participate in an Earthwatch trip to Australia in 1995 where he first met Dr. Rismiller. Since then, he has been integrating his knowledge of the Zoo's echidnas with those in the wild and has developed significant expertise in captive husbandry and reproduction management techniques.

The lecture is followed by a behind-the-scenes look at the Zoo's echidnas, their specialized exhibit and a chance to try real field research equipment to gain a deeper understanding of wild echidna populations.

To register, email peckham.valerie@phillyzoo.org. Registration deadline is August 26.