+1 (908) 503-3147
Zoophoria NJ
Reach Euphoria with Zoophoria
Zoophoria aims to provide the most memorable experiences to its clients through educational presentations carefully curated by the owner and lead educator, Samantha Slevens. Using her degree in Zoology from Delaware Valley University and her years of experience working as a wildlife educator, Samantha will educate children and adults alike through refreshingly clever content and programs specific to age groups and needs.
Our Services
Don't see what you're looking for? Let us curate a program specific to you!
Wildlife Programs
Great for schools, birthdays, scouts, and more!
This is one of our most popular services available. Our wildlife program will keep you on the edge of your seat with a hands-on experience like no other. Watch as our professional handler feeds and demonstrates some of the most amazing characteristics and behaviors found in the natural world. Learn how we can help animals by respecting our environment and learn how we can make small changes in our daily life that can extend to habitats that seem a world away. Everyone will have the opportunity to truly connect with the animals in this program as you may safely touch the animals where instructed by the handler. Curious what animals are available? Check out the "Our Animals" tab and select who you would like to make an appearance.
Teachers: We can cater our program to meet your NGSS curriculum standards! Let us know what topics you're covering and we will develop a program for you.
Scouts: Let us know what badge you are working towards and we can outline a program that checks your badge requirement boxes!
"Snake" an appearance!
Make life long memories with our snake photo op!
This is an amazing opportunity to connect with your guests/attendants in a less formal format than a wildlife program. Give them a memory to take home in the form of a photo with a snake! Guests can come and go as they wish while our expert handler will instruct clients on safe exposure to a large snake while educating them on their habitat and characteristics. Clients or your professional photographers may take photos. A general background can be provided, or you can provide your own!
*please note, there is no direct holding of the snake, only assisted touching*
Our Big Backyard
Explore the natural world outside your window!
Most interest in nature begins as children explore their environment. I spent many summers wading through streams looking for newts, bugs, and other critters. This unique program gives children the opportunity to learn how to explore the natural world safely as our expert educator guides them through the property looking for bugs, animals, and other natural phenomenon. Collect specimens and talk about them as a group. Nets and specimen observation jars provided for use during the program.
Looking for more? Add the upgrade and children will be provided with a nature journal to feel like a real researcher as we gather information about the amazing creatures and plants around us AND their own jars to make self sustaining ecosystems.
Animal Story Time
Great for libraries, preschools, and younger groups of children.
Join us for an animal story time. We will read a story book involving some of the preconceived ideas about animals and we will meet the animals after story time! Children will have the opportunity to interact with the animals while discussing the themes presented in the book. Many book options are available for a variety of ages.
Animal Art Class
Merge the worlds of art and science!
Animals are nature's work of art. For this program, children will be guided through an art project pertaining to the animals brought. Not only will children learn about and interact with animals, they can let their creative juices flow as we use natural materials to recreate mother nature's masterpieces!
Program includes outdoor field collection for materials that resemble the animals. For urban areas, materials will be provided. Price of the program includes materials needed for the craft or you can use your own! Craft can be adjusted to painting or drawing rather than mixed media.
This can be a great program for school art classes! We can develop the craft or teachers can work it around their curriculum. I will provide the animals of your choosing.
Careers in the Animal Field
This can be adjusted to any age group!
This program is great for middle school and high school students with an interest in animals/biology. We will explore the different career options, some options many do not know exist! Our years of experience in different animal fields will inspire students to pursue a career working with animals and we will outline some good steps to take to make their professional dreams come true! Meet your educator's favorite animal at the end of the program.
Threats to the Amazon
Learn what threats face the Amazon Rainforest in South America!
Samantha lived in the rainforest for four months learning about all the threats the miraculous jungle faces. Her program was done by the School for Field Studies and she was taught a wide spectrum of skills from field data collection to educating local communities about environmental issues. Students will learn about the environmental problems occurring and what we can do to stop them. First hand photos and videos provided. This course can be modified for a one time overview or to span multiple sessions. Meet a few Amazonian animals at the end of the program!
_edited.png)
Our Journey
From Passion to Career
Samantha has been an animal enthusiast her whole life. Her reptilian journey began at age 5 when she begged her parents for a bearded dragon. Her patient and supportive parents gave her the opportunity to explore this outlet and allowed her to have many exotic pets growing up. Her experience caring for them for many years lead to her first animal care taking position at an exotic pet store at age 14. After working there for nearly 6 years, she progressed to working as a wildlife educator for another leading education company in New Jersey. After gaining the experience for eight years, becoming lead educator/manager, and completing her Bachelor's Degree in Zoology, Samantha found her passion was teaching the public about misrepresented animals and how to protect them and their environments. She has volunteered as a research assistant all over the world studying animals like orangutans in Indonesia, elephants in Thailand, crocodiles in Costa Rica, horseshoe crabs in Dead Horse Bay, Rhinos in Zimbabwe, and she lived in the Amazon Rainforest of Peru for 4 months while completing a research program.
She also works closely with a third party who works with the Humane Society to bring animals to television and movie sets to safely appear in productions.
Welcome to the start of her own wildlife education journey, we cannot wait for you to see the magic unfold for yourselves when you book a program for your special event or classroom.