Practical exercises will help students learn about wildlife and conservation.

Hands-on sessions on conservation to inspire students

ZSL Whipsnade Zoo has launched a new outreach programme for local primary schools, with the aim of encouraging students to learn about and protect wildlife both locally and globally.

The interactive workshops will explore a wide range of topics – such as habitats, endangered animals, climate change and plastic pollution – with separate sessions for both Keystage 1 (KS1) and Keystage 2 (KS2) students.

Cat Hickey, education engagement manager at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo said: “At ZSL Whipsnade Zoo we know that people are more likely to act for causes they feel a connection to and are passionate about; and we want to inspire as many young people as possible to work for wildlife.

“Our sessions are aligned with the national curriculum, and with a focus on real conservation action that students can take home, we bring important environmental topics to life – using real-world examples from ZSL’s global conservation projects, from tackling illegal wildlife trade to boosting rare dormice numbers in the UK.”

Each session is hosted by a member of the zoo’s Learning team, who will provide insight into the role that zoos play in conservation. The team hopes that these sessions will spark students’ interest in STEM subjects and help them understand the close link between wildlife health and human health.

Workshops will run Monday to Friday, from the 1 September to 31 May.

Image (c) ZSL Whipsnade Zoo.