Conservation in Action 2025 (EXTERNAL SHARE) - Flipbook - Page 46
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1,944 VOLUNTEER HOURS INSPIRING GUESTS
In 2025, we launched our new volunteer programme. With an accessible focus on guest engagement,
we wanted to create opportunities for people in our local communities to both support the zoo and our
vision, whilst also being able to gain experience in a 昀椀eld that can often be deemed hard to break into.
We ended 2025 with 24 volunteers, spanning all ages, backgrounds and experiences. Our volunteers
are a bright, dedicated and passionate community, and showcase this daily. The volunteers supported
the charity with a combined 1944 hours spent on site, engaging with guests. One volunteer has already
moved into a paid role at the zoo after demonstrating incredible drive during his time as a volunteer, and
as we look forward to the future of the programme, we hope to see similar successes.
“My role as a volunteer supports the zoo’s mission by helping create a positive
experience for visitors and engaging with the public helping spread awareness
about conservation and encourage visitors to think more responsibly about
wildlife and the environment.”
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In the 2024-2025 academic year, we reviewed and restructured our Home
Education provision, developing a more learner-led o昀昀ering. We introduced
‘Animal Deep Dive’ workshops and Themed Workshops which explore a variety of
conservation-based topics.
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15,650 STUDENTS THROUGH
CONSERVATION WORKSHOPS
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We also launched our Home Ed Homestead - an experiential opportunity for
learners to cultivate a sense of guardianship over a dedicated gardening space
whilst learning about key principles of native species protection, for which we
were delighted to be awarded a silver BIAZA award for Diversity & Inclusion.
This relaunch resulted in a 1169.23% increase in bookings in 24/25. Learner
nature-connectedness (NC) was measured at the beginning and end of each
workshop and 96.4% of learners who placed their feelings on a nature-connectedness matrix felt a mid
to high level of NC by the end of the workshop they attended. When receiving feedback from parents /
guardians about the provision, 100% of participants reported an increase in awareness of conservation
topics after attending a workshop. Feedback from parents has revealed that learners “gained so much
con昀椀dence” and an “improved… understanding of social situations” as a direct result of attending the
workshops, with one parent suggesting that “Listening to [their] child’s questions about the social animals
at the zoo has helped [them] to better understand their [child’s] inner world”, positioning our o昀昀ering as
one that strengthens key social skills, improves nature connectedness and increases the opportunity for
learners to behave in a pro-environmental way.
