Education
Adults
Meet others who share your passion for the natural world.
Enjoy an evening social with your friends during a Right Bite dinner. Roll up your pant legs for a sunrise excursion on a local waterway. Discover how your daily living can positively impact the natural world. Even dedicate yourself to learning something new.
Together, we can make a difference.
Sushi-Making Class and Right Bite Tour
Explore your talent for sushi rolling with experts from Plitt Seafood Company. They will lead you through the steps of creating your own sustainable seafood sushi and award prizes to the best “chefs”! Then join Shedd staff members for an aquarium tour to see fishes that play an important role in our Right Bite program. End the evening with coffee and themed desserts.
Sake, chopsticks and rolling mats included.
Wednesday, Jan. 27, 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Price: $50 a person ($45 Shedd members)
To register, call 312-692 3206 or e-mail adults@sheddaquarium.org.
*Must be 21 years or older to attend.
Right Bite Dinner at Naha
Indulge in a sustainable seafood dinner while getting the 411 on Shedd’s Right Bite program. Naha will offer an environmentally friendly menu of appetizers, entrees, wine and desserts created exclusively for this event. Right Bite-themed giveaway included!
Dinner begins at 6 p.m. Seating is limited and advanced registration is required.
Thursday, March 11, 6 to 9 p.m.
Price: $75 a person ($70 Shedd members)
To register, call 312-692 3206 or e-mail adults@sheddaquarium.org.
*Must be 21 years or older to attend.
Green Gardening
Looking to develop your green thumb? Join Shedd horticulturist Christine Nye in a hands-on workshop to discover the ecological impacts of your garden. Identify native plant species and meet some of the wildlife they attract. Then get your hands dirty as you contribute to the “hidden” gardens around Shedd (weather permitting).
Program includes a plant clipping to take home.
Saturday, April 24, 9 a.m. to noon
Price: $20 a person ($15 Shedd members)
To register, call 312-692 3206 or e-mail adults@sheddaquarium.org.
Right Bite Dinner at Uncommon Ground
Enjoy an adult evening of sustainability! We’ll start with appetizers and cocktails on Chicago’s first certified organic roof-top farm (weather permitting). Then we’ll pack Uncommon Ground (reserved just for us!) for a sustainable seafood dinner created exclusively for this event. Coupled with wine and dessert, this is an evening you will not want to miss!
Right Bite-themed giveaway included!
Wednesday, May 5, 6 to 9 p.m.
Price: $75 a person ($70 Shedd members)
To register, call 312-692 3206 or e-mail adults@sheddaquarium.org.
*Must be 21 years or older to attend.
Exuma Islands: Shedd Conservation Travel
Immerse yourself in the natural environments of the Exuma Islands of the Bahamas and leave your green signature with unique citizen-science activities. During daily snorkeling and island excursions you will survey reef fish and invertebrate populations, conduct rock iguana research, help restore beaches and more. Have fun with friends while you experience and protect fragile island environments.
Pre-trip prep: Saturday, May 1, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bahamas trip: Saturday, May 22, to Monday, May 31
Post-trip dinner: Friday, June 4, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Price: $2,195 a person ($2,095 Shedd members)
To register, e-mail adults@sheddaquarium.org
Professional Training Seminars
Join Shedd’s experienced professionals in exploring leading trends in animal training, animal health and environmental conservation. With more than 32,000 animals, including invertebrates, fishes, reptiles, birds and mammals, Shedd’s world-renowned facility offers an extraordinary working environment for these unique professional development experiences. 
Animal Health with Dr. Ilze Berzins
Discover Shedd’s approach to one of the last frontiers of veterinary medicine — aquatic animal medicine. This course will provide an extensive overview of the major groups of aquatic animals found in public aquariums and the programs established to ensure their health. Exclusive tours through Shedd’s state-of-the-art animal hospital and hands-on lab work will complete this experience.
Key topics include basic anatomy and physiology, major disease issues, how to diagnose problems (including the use of blood tests, radiographs and ultrasound), career opportunities and conservation medicine.
Animal Training Seminar with Ken Ramirez
Learn industry-leading animal training techniques,with unique access to Shedd’s diverse animal collection. These training methods can be adapted to any species, from marine mammals and a host of terrestrial exotic animals to pet dogs and cats.
Key topics include animal intelligence, human emotion and anthropomorphism, basic operant conditioning,informal interactions, husbandry training, social groups,advanced training techniques, aggression, advanced training games, problem-solving techniques and complex training.
Conservation Awareness with Michelle Jost
Explore an array of critical conservation issues facing the world and how our organizations can play a positive role. Receive information and resources on global and local conservation topics and options for individual institutions to decrease their carbon footprint. Interactive lectures with Shedd professionals will include demonstrations and tours of Shedd’s green side. Off-site field trips to leading Chicago green facilities will exhibit how key concepts can be applied to various types of facilities.
Key topics include global conservation issues, energy consumption, climate change, waste management, water conservation, food systems and sustainability at Shedd.
Monday–Friday, Sept. 20–24, 2010
Early registration fee: $1,275 (before June 9, 2010)
Regular registration fee: $1,500
Graduate credits are available through Western Illinois University
and must be arranged prior to seminar
Seminar fees include:
• Morning and afternoon coffee breaks
• Lunch each day
• Two social dinners (Wednesday and Friday)
• Two optional working dinners (Tuesday and Thursday)
• Course materials and exams
• Personal consultation time with instructors
• Admission to aquarium, Oceanarium, Wild Reef and Polar Play Zone
• Animal Training textbook by Ken Ramirez (Animal Training seminar only)
• Field trip to Chicago green facilities (Conservation Awareness seminar only)
To register, e-mail adults@sheddaquarium.org
Climate Control: A Shedd Eco-Social
Local waters, global connections! Enjoy a social evening promoting environmentally conscious action and its impact on the natural world and wildlife. Discuss your role in global climate control during an inspirational chat with Larry J. Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, as he draws from his just-released book, Last Chance: Preserving Life on Earth. Complement this global perspective with information on the City of Chicago’s climate action plan. Then enjoy up-close encounters with animals from local and global environments. Explore Shedd’s Waters of the World exhibits, sample sustainable seafood hors d’oeuvres and wine, and celebrate the positive impacts human behaviors can have on climate change.
Registration is closed. Join our e-mail list for news about upcoming programs.
Underwater Photography
In partnership with Scuba Emporium
Gain skills in capturing your underwater experiences while preserving the health of aquatic ecosystems. You’ll earn PADI underwater photography certification and test your new skills with a dive among the animals in the Caribbean Reef exhibit. Review your photos with some of Shedd’s experienced volunteer divers and swap underwater photography stories. Extend the experience with pre-course PADI materials and post-course Project Aware resources. Participants must be scuba certified. Personal camera equipment is recommended. Scuba gear and cameras are available for rent.
Registration is closed. Join our e-mail list for news about upcoming programs.
Aquatic Profiles: Shedd’s New Oceanarium
Each of us can uniquely and positively impact the natural world. Create your individual profile in Shedd’s newly renovated Oceanarium with exhibit tours, behind-the-scenes exploration and interactive experiences.
Sustaining Healthy Populations
Discover how Shedd sustains its population of whales, dolphins, penguins, sea lions and sea otters and how your decisions can help sustain healthy populations in the wild.
Changing Ecosystems
Explore how Shedd’s Oceanarium exhibit re-creates the Pacific Northwest ecosystem and how we can positively impact the environment’s changing ecosystems.
Registration is closed. Join our e-mail list for news about upcoming programs.
Hike and Help Camp Sagawau
Discover a freshwater canyon right outside Chicago! Spend the morning hiking through the canyon, an area that was once a coral reef. After we break for lunch, help restore this delicate natural resource by participating in a green work project, such as removing invasive plant species or planting native ones!
Registration is closed. Join our e-mail list to hear about upcoming programs.
Hike and Help Camp Sagawau is sponsored by the Sara Lee Foundation.
Canoe the Chicago River
Enjoy nature and discover the diversity of our local wildlife from a canoe on the Chicago River. Be the first to spot a beaver, fox, or kingfisher and you could win one of our environmentally friendly prizes!
Registration is closed. Join our e-mail list to hear about upcoming programs.
Canoe the Chicago River is sponsored by the Sara Lee Foundation.
Photos and Videos
Check out photos and video of Shedd's amazing animals on our Flickr group pool and YouTube page. Share with others and add your own!
