At 9 a.m. on a cold, rainy Saturday when many kids are sleeping in, about 30 middle school-age students are gathered in an unheated building, permeated by the distinctive scent of hay and animals.

The building smells like a horse barn, one of the girls notes, and it's a pleasant scent if you love animals. But the creatures housed here are African elephants, and this barn is part of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium.

A huge elephant and a noticeably smaller one peer out of a gated door, waving their trunks at the youthful visitors.

Think all elephants look alike? Not to these students, who confidently announce that visitors are watching -- and being watched by -- Moja and her not-yet-full-grown daughter, Victoria, 8. Moja, they add, is pregnant, and students can't wait for the birth of her newest calf, which is due this spring.

Elephant keeper Kyle Wojcik confirms that students have correctly identified the two elephants, and he asks if they have any questions he could answer.

Students have many questions and observations, for they aren't you're average zoo visitors. They are enrolled in the zoo's KidScience program.

Seventy-two students from 30 Western Pennsylvania middle schools are enrolled in the year-long science enrichment program. From October through May they attend classes for three or four hours every other Saturday morning plus daily classes for three weeks during the summer.

In KidScience students are learning scientific methods and principles related to conservation biology.

It starts with observing the behavior of zoo animals, like Moja and Victoria, and learning how to identify them. This year's students are observing the elephants and making notes about their characteristics and behavior. They're also working on determining what kinds of plants grow well on the "green roof" atop the Water's Edge exhibit for polar bears and sea otters.

A past class of KidScience elephant-watchers took part in the design and testing of elephant radio collars that were actually used to keep track of the movements of elephants in Africa. The goal is to teach students how to conduct wildlife research and habitat conservation programs.

"We are all very interested in animals," said Andrew Birsic, a sixth-grade student at Carson Middle School in the North Allegheny School District. While he and others enjoy watching the animals and getting behind-the-scenes access to animal care areas that the public seldom gets to see, students were discussing the need to take tough courses like calculus and physics in order to reach their goals.

"Many of these students want to be veterinarians," said Mandy Revak, KidScience coordinator. "Others talk about doing animal research or becoming zookeepers. We will focus, during this course, on possible majors" in college and the types of training they would need to pursue careers in animal care.

Ms. Revak has a degree in animal behavior from Bucknell University.

"Some of the students who thought they would like to be animal keepers have already learned that may not be for them," Ms. Revak said with a chuckle. "They've learned that it involves a lot of cleanup, shoveling and hosing down."

Students can pick their favorite animal to study and observe.

While Elizabeth Powell of Brentwood Middle School enjoys time spent with the elephants, "I want to be a zookeeper and I want to work with sea otters."

For Kenny Harrison of Manchester Academic Charter School, "reptile research is my specialty," he announced solemnly. Last year he did his research project on the behavior of the panther chameleon.

"I found they are more active than people give them credit for," Kenny said. At home he has a pet bearded dragon, and at the zoo he was the first in line to pet Squeeze, a red tailed boa constrictor used in educational programs.

Many students, including Kenny, sign up for a second year of KidScience.

A new program, ZooYou, for high school students, has been added to the zoo's educational program so that students can continue to study and observe zoo animals. KidScience started in 2001, so it's too early to tell whether the students will actually become keepers or veterinarians. Some of the earliest students are now juniors and seniors in high school.