Welcome to Week 4 of GO WILD!
Welcome to week 4 or day 4 if you are having One Wild Week!
Just like last week we have all the resource links, running order suggestions, discussion topics, useful questions and additional links right here for you to access and share.
This week is going to Get Active! As we discover, plan and create space for wildlife. We know from last week what the threats are to wildlife so let’s look for some solutions and get active putting them in place.
GO WILD – Week 4 – Get Active! – RESOURCE PACK
Resource pack includes:
- Week 4 – Step-by-step Guide for Educators
- Printable resources
- Links to video content
Step 1: Introduction Video
Today’s introduction video will get your pupils thinking about how to be green, moving on from the threats faced by wildlife to the solutions that we could all be a part of.
Please ask your pupils to have a pen and paper to hand while watching.
• Share the introduction video
Resources & links:
Step 2: Get outdoors
There are a few bits of information that will help your pupils with their activities today.
- What species are in the local area that they could be helping?
- What species could safely make a home in the local area that aren’t already there?
- What features already either exist naturally or have been added by people that are already
- helping wildlife locally?
So ask your pupils to get outside to think about the answers to these questions by completing the first section of the design a wildlife garden activity. While they are outside they may also like to complete a wildlife survey to collect more data for their wildlife records.
- Share survey resources
Resources & links:
15 minute ideas for immersing yourself in local nature (rECOrd)
Step 3: Writing Instructions
We have created a variety of guides to help our guests create space for wildlife where they are. Some of our guides have videos and written instructions, like our ‘how to make a bug hotel collection’, some just have videos.
- Share How to make a bug hotel collection
Can your pupils help us to complete the set of guides by creating written instructions for one (or more if they would like) of our video guides. They can use our bug hotel collection as a guide or they can create their own design.
- Share How to make a yogurt pot feeder
- Share How to prepare the ground for wildflowers
- Share How to make wildflower wellies
- Share How to build a hedgehog house
Resources & links:
How to make a bug hotel collection
How to make a yogurt pot feeder
How to prepare the ground for wildflowers
Step 4: Design your own garden
Brilliant, so we now have some great new guides to help create space for wildlife to go with our other how-to guide collections.
- Share Create a wildlife garden
- Share How to build a bird box
- Share How to make a toad abode
- Share How to make a bat box
We’re sure that your pupils can think of even more great ways to help wildlife locally so it’s time to get creative designing a wildlife garden. You may like to task your class with creating a space in school grounds, at home or a local public space that you have permission to use. The space does not have to be large – a window box is a great place to start.
Having seen and written their own how-to guides, your pupils may want to amend their part 1 of the design a wildlife garden activity. Once they have done this ask them to complete parts 2 and 3 of this activity.
Part 2 could be completed digitally or as a 3D model if your pupils would like to get super creative.
- Share Design a wildlife garden activity
Resources & links:
Step 5:Water water everywhere
Did your pupils remember to add water to their wildlife space? Water is crucial for survival and something that can really easily be added to help wildlife. Ask your pupils to look again at their garden design plans and add a water source for their local wildlife if they haven’t already. If they have added water ask them to make sure that it is safe for both humans and wildlife. If it is deep could an animal get out easily? Will it dry up quickly and need refilling a lot?
Our friends at rECOrd have created a guide to create a ‘sparrow spa’ that we hope will inspire your pupils.
- Share Sparrow spa video (rECOrd resource)
Step 6: Lets get organised
Now that your pupils know what they would like to do to make space for wildlife let’s get organised. Organisational skills are vital to conservationists – we will be exploring this further in the next session of this programme when we look at careers – but it’s never too early to start developing conservation skills.
Share our Wildlife Connections wall chart with your pupils and ask them to plan and timetable the action and tasks that they need to complete to create their design. Before starting this task you might like to discuss some of the factors they might need to consider:
Possible discussion questions include:
- Who currently uses the space? When is it used?
- Do you need permission to make changes to your chosen area? How long might that take?
- When would be the best time (of day/of year) to complete a task to minimise disruption to wildlife and people?
- What materials do you need? Do they need collecting beforehand? How long might that take?
- Who might like to help? Many hands make light work! And you might inspire others to make their own wildlife spaces too.
- Who are you going to tell about your wildlife garden when you have finished? (We definitely want to see what you create but who else might be interested or inspired?)
- Is there any aspect of the design that can be completed or started straight away?
Resources & links:
Step 7: Action!
Hopefully your pupils identified a part of the plan that could be started straight away. So why not use the rest of the day to allow your pupils to get active and started on putting their plans into action. If no immediate actions have been identified why not head out for a litter pick of your chosen area or the local area.
Step 8: And finally…
We really hope you have enjoyed this fourth session of our Go Wild programme and are looking forward to our final session next time. We would love to hear and see what you and your pupils have got up to today so don’t forget to share this with us and inspire other educator colleagues.
Join our Conservation Education & Engagement Facebook Community Group
Use #GoWildwithCZ
Before you go…
We hope you have enjoyed your fourth day of our Go Wild programme. Just a reminder before you go that if any of your pupils have questions or if you would like to delve a little deeper into the subject…
We have created a Go Wild virtual workshop to complement this programme. The session delves a little deeper into the world of our native species and the conservation work that is going on at Chester Zoo. We have designed this interactive session to fit in at any stage of the programme.
We also have our 25 minute Ask Chester Zoo workshops that are perfect to give your pupils the opportunity to ask any questions to us that may arise during the course of your Go Wild project.