Laura Leggett stands in front of a Hattiesburg Zoo sign with a boa constrictor draped over her shoulders
Laura Leggett from the Hattiesburg Zoo

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Perkinston Campus will host a Science Café on Native Wildlife in Mississippi on Tuesday, September 24, at 6 p.m. in the Barry L. Mellinger Student Center. 

Laura Leggett, an expert from Hattiesburg Zoo’s Education Department, will discuss a variety of animal species with the audience and will have animal ambassadors available for up-close viewing and touching.  Animal ambassadors may include king snakes, American alligators, gopher tortoise, barred owl, great horned owl, box turtles and red-tailed hawks. 

Leggett has worked at the Hattiesburg Zoo for three years. She started in the animal care department and took over the position of outreach coordinator in February 2018. She has a bachelor’s degree in biology from The University of Southern Mississippi. Animals and the conservation of wildlife have always been her biggest passions, and the Hattiesburg Zoo has given her an incredible platform to share this passion with others.

During the Science Café, the audience will be encouraged to participate in a discussion about the variety of animal species in the state, their habitats, and conservation efforts to protect those species that are threatened or endangered.

Science Café offers those with minimal background in science the chance to meet and discuss scientific issues in a relaxed social setting. The Learning Resource Center on MGCCC’s Perkinston Campus has partnered with The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Library, Harrison County Library System, Long Beach Public Library and Hancock County Library System to offer these events.

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