World Wildlife Day

3rd March is World Wildlife Day. This important day raises awareness of how amazing our world is and to celebrate the diversity of life. It also reminds us how fragile and increasingly vunerable our environment is and to raise awareness of how many creatures are on the risk of being extinct.  By educating our children on how they can help and conserve the planet is vital so that we can all play our part in protecting the planet for future generations.

This year the theme is flora and fauna in our eco-systems and the importance they play.

What’s New at WMSP for 2022…
West Midland Safari Park, Bewdley, Worcestershire has many new and exciting plans for 2022, including opening new areas of the Park, events for the school holidays and overnight stays at Safari Lodges with giraffes, rhinos and tigers.

The Park is continuing to implement its wildlife development plan which started last year with the introduction of luxury accommodation, alongside upgrading the animal facilities. New for April 2022 will be eight new lodges offering spectacular views of the Park’s tower of charismatic giraffes and crash of white rhinos.

The white rhino lodges will sleep six people and will be the only experience of its kind in the UK. The ground floor will provide an open-plan living space with a balcony offering ground-level views of the rhinos. Two bedrooms and a bathroom will be located on the first floor, along with a balcony providing panoramic views of the rhinos and Safari.

In the giraffe lodges, guests will be able to come eye-to-eye with the Park’s charismatic tower of eight giraffes from the balcony on the first floor, which is where the living room, kitchenette and dining room are situated. A bathroom and two bedrooms will be downstairs, providing accommodation for five people.

Additional to the giraffe and rhino lodges, plans are being submitted for a further four lodges, immersed within a brand-new Sumatran tiger exhibit. The single-story accommodation will be authentically integrated into the newly built tiger habitat, giving guests an immersive and unforgettable overnight wildlife encounter like no other.

The introduction of the new lodges also enables the Park to update and improve the habitats of the animals, giving them 24-hour access to both their indoor and outdoor environments. Staff will also be installing pathways so that day guests can go to see the giraffes, rhinos and African elephants on foot – a first for the Park in its 49-year history. These will be accessible from the Park’s current walk-through areas.

As well as the new lodges, the Park is expecting the arrival of a red panda – a male companion for Mei Lin, a female that arrived in August 2021. Both will be part of a European Endangered Species Breeding Programme (EEP), which aims to help conserve the numbers of red pandas which are listed as “endangered” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The Park also has plans for a variety of events during the school holidays, including an Easter event where children can take part in a trail to win chocolate and meet the Park’s new resident Easter bunny. Special activities will also be available for Whitsun and the summer holidays, plus the Park’s popular Spooky Spectacular, Lantern Festival and Santa Safari will also return.

Conway Centres the perfect place to immerse your students in nature
With four centres across North Wales and Cheshire, Conway Centres is the perfect place for children and young people to be immersed in everything nature and wildlife has to offer. Located in the stunning natural surroundings, by vast woodlands, water, valleys and mountains, children and young people will observe and learn about the natural habitats, animals and landscapes around them.

Delamere Discovery
The cosy Conway Centres: Delamere situated in the heart of Delamere Forest is the perfect place to enjoy the unique surroundings… by simply stepping outside the gate! Children will be instantly immersed in habitats diverse enough in nature to actively engage children in curriculum linked and structured activities for a truly meaningful learning experience.

This programme encourages children to explore & thrive in natural surroundings. Children will discover and learn all about the wider environment that they share with the animals, plants, rivers and mosses of Delamere Forest. Whether you want this programme to support with the science or geography curriculum, we can tailor the activities to support your school’s goals.
Perfect for KS1!

Earth Summit
The 2-day Earth Summit event available in February 2023 enables learners to understand how human actions have consequences for our planet. Tackling issues like climate change, consumable waste and conservation through art, dance, drama and music workshops. With Q&A’s from leading practitioners, this residential develops students’ knowledge and understanding of sustainability through positive action and supports students’ understanding of the UN goals.
Perfect for KS2 & KS3!

Pensthorpe Natural Park, North Norfolk
Inspire the next generation of conservationists and botanists at Pensthorpe Natural Park. Offering a fantastic day out for children of all ages, this 700 acre nature reserve has a variety of habitats for students to learn about, and allows them to immerse themselves in nature amongst the flora, fauna and creatures that call Pensthorpe home. With an award-winning indoor and outdoor play area, there’s plenty of fun to be had with its zip wires, 30ft worm slide, sensory musical play and underground tunnels.

Sealife Centres make a special trip for any child or adult and connect them with nature.  I remember my first trip to Oban 38 years ago with my eldest son when he was a toddler which was a memorable experience and has stayed with me all these years.  We then had the opportunity 34 years later to visit my youngest son in Australia and we visited the Sealife Centre in Sydney another memorable experience as we purchased the additional add on to feed the fish as well as visiting the aquarium.  Only ourselves and another family had bought the additional ticket and it was well worth the extra with a private boat tour we could get up close and personal with the fish.  Our guides were most informative and were happy for us to spend as long as we wanted looking at the fish and answering our questions about their research.

They have centres across the world and in the United Kingdom in London, Manchester, Scarborough, Birmingham, Brighton and Blackpool with plenty of hands on activities to educate and teach not just children but adults too about the world within our seas.   They also run extensive conservation programmes and undertake research so by taking a school trip here is not only of benefit to your students but will help support them, wand help them recover after two years or surviving the  pandemic.

Woburn Safari Park, Bedfordshire
Walk like an elephant!
Do you have fitness and walking goals for your class? Are you looking at wildlife conservation topics for your class? Now your school can combine these activities with a brilliant educational Elephant Walkathon Safari!

Get your students involved in learning about wild elephant conservation with a summer term Walkathon Safari at your school. Join forces with Woburn Safari Park and inspire the young conservationists among your pupils, as well as encouraging physical exercise AND fundraising for the International Elephant Foundation!

Simply register with the online form to take part; download the fundraising pack and sponsorship forms and you will have everything you need to get started.

All school classes taking part will be entered into an ‘elephantastic’ prize draw to win the ultimate school trip to Woburn Safari Park for 90 students, including a special elephant talk, a tour of the conceptual TUSK Garden, and an outdoor learning session.

Find out how the IEF are helping create a sustainable future, where elephants thrive, by linking people and elephants for their mutual long-term benefit. Read about some of the amazing conservation projects you’ll be supporting if you take part here www.elephantconservation.org/
Click here to find out more