Wild Planet Explorers environmental education programme - In Person Visits

for nurseries, schools and GROUPs

Learning for Sustainability is an entitlement for all learners. It is a cross-cutting theme throughout the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), and should be embedded in the curriculum and ethos of all education establishments including pre-school.

Wild Planet Explorer’s face to face environmental education programme supports the Learning for Sustainability across the

CfE’s four capacities and four contexts of learning.

The programme is designed and presented by award-nominated biologist, conservationist and experienced environmental educator Joanna McFarlane who is based in Scotland.

HOW IT WORKS

Wild Planet Explorers offers two age-appropriate programmes which can be delivered in nurseries, schools, groups, home educator groups, events and festivals

The Junior programme (3-9 yrs) comprises of 12 different sessions (another 12 being developed!) presented by Joanna McFarlane and uses animal characters e.g. Orsom the Octopus, Cassius the Crab, Jungo the Tiger and interactive props, imaginative play and music to help share biology and conservation stories in a fun and engaging way. Please scroll down to see the current 12 sessions available below. Children also receive a Wild Planet Explorers certificate.

The older Kids programme for older primary and secondary students comprises of 8 interactive presentations covering the Global Threats to Wildlife. These presentations encourage discussion and debate. Please scroll down to see the 8 presentations available below.

For both programmes, children can also take part in two awards – the Forest Tiger Champion Award and 3P Pledge Champion Award.

Early Years Practitioners, teachers, group leaders and event organisers are welcome to email Joanna for support while using the programmes, e.g. with questions from children, to help with class or topic delivery, or for signposting to further information.

Please contact Joanna on jowildplanetexplorers@gmail.com for more information.

PRICES

Delivery of one face to face session or presentation

£80 + mileage if more than 25 miles away from KY11

Discounts may be possible with multiple session delivery on the same day.

Find out more

Junior programme (3-9 yrs)

Please scroll down to see the current 12 sessions available below. Children also receive a Wild Planet Explorers certificate after completing sessions.

Kids 9 TO 18 YEARS

The older Kids programme for older primary and secondary students comprises of 8 interactive presentations covering the Global Threats to Wildlife. These also include activities designed to be fun for the children. These presentations encourage discussion and debate.

Please scroll down to see the 8 presentations available below.

For both programmes, children can also take part in two awards – the Forest Tiger Champion Award and 3P Pledge Champion Award.

ABOUT WILD PLANET EXPLORERS

and its founder, Joanna McFarlane

Wild Planet Explorers was founded in 2015 by Joanna McFarlane, a qualified biologist and conservationist who has worked in wildlife research and conservation, public engagement and environmental education for over 25 years.

Over the years, Joanna has delivered face to face sessions, presentations and awards to thousands of children and families across Scotland in nurseries, schools, colleges, after-school clubs, Scout/Guide groups and home educator groups, as well as at a range of events and festivals.

Wild Planet Explorer sessions were a finalist in the Nature of Scotland Awards, What’s on 4 Kids UK Awards and Fife Chamber of Commerce Awards in Youth and Education, Community Engagement and Best New Activity for Children categories. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Joanna took her Wild Planet Explorers sessions online and this has continued through her online programme while Joanna continues to deliver her sessions in person.

PURPOSE OF THE WILD PLANET EXPLORER PROGRAMMES

To offer teachers and leaders a cohesive, trustworthy source of authoritative and engaging content on all the global threats to wildlife – both marine and terrestrial – so reducing time they spend searching for information and project ideas to deliver for Learning for Sustainability.

To encourage more children, their families and communities to care for, explore and take action for wildlife and habitats. To help them realise the difference they can make, whatever age they are, wherever they live, whatever their background.

To inspire careers in science – be it in biology, conservation or a career in the green economy and wider transition to Net Zero.

To help conservation charities, groups and campaigns reach more children, families and communities by surfacing their messages.

To give the children and teachers an opportunity to meet a real-life biologist and conservationist, and ask questions about a career in science and about the state of wildlife and habitats worldwide.

PROGRAMMES TO SUPPORT THE CFE

To enable ALL young people to become

Successful Learners
Confident Individuals
Responsible Citizens
Effective Contributors

Wild Planet Explorers environmental education programme supports the Learning for Sustainability agenda across the CfE’s four capacities and four contexts of learning.

The Curriculum ‘the totality of all that is planned for children and young people throughout their education’

Opportunities for
personal achievement
Interdisciplinary learning
Ethos and life of the
school as a community
Curriculum areas and subjects

The two age-appropriate programmes offer content and project ideas for Sustainable Development Goals and STEM education. They are regularly updated in response to teachers’ feedback and to reflect current affairs in wildlife, environmental conservation and sustainable development across the globe.

Each session, presentation and award within the programme also offers opportunities for learning and improvement across all areas of the curriculum:

Arts: The programme topic ‘Global threats to wildlife’ deals with an emotive subject, so lends itself well to the expressive arts – be it creating an artwork, presentation, song, dance, drama or other form of artistic expression.
Health and Wellbeing: Mental and Emotional Wellbeing, Social Wellbeing, Planning for Choices and Change, Food and the Consumer
Literacy and English: Listening and Talking, Reading, Writing
Numeracy and Mathematics: Information Handling
Religious and Moral Education: Christianity – Values and Issues, World Religions – Values and Issues
Sciences: Planet Earth, Biological Systems, Materials and Forces, Topical Science
Social Studies: People, Past Events and Societies, People, Place and Environment, People in Society, Economy and Business
Technology: Digital Literacy, Food and Textile Technology, Technological Developments in Society and Business, Craft, Design, Engineering and Graphics, Computing Science.

JUNIORS 3 TO 9 YEARS

The Juniors programme consists of 12 fun, interactive, engaging and educational sessions about the global threats to nature. Another 12 sessions are in development for delivery in 2024.

The programme explores how children, their families and communities can take action to help nature through sustainable choices.

It brings amazing animals and their habitats to life in a memorable way for younger children. Joanna shares animal biology and conservation facts through fun activities, imaginative play, background music, games and interactive and visual props.

OUTLINE OF SESSIONS

LESSON 1 Orsom the Octopus – octopus and squid biology, sewage-related marine pollution, 3P Pledge Champion Award (certificate)

LESSON 2 Cassius the Crab – biology of crabs and other marine life, plastics in the marine food chain

LESSON 3 Deepa the Dolphin – dolphin biology, fishing nets and bycatch

LESSON 4 Ava the Albatross – albatross biology, unsustainable fishing

LESSON 5 Jungo the Tiger – biology of tigers and lions, deforestation, palm oil, tiger decline and Forest Tiger Champion Award (certificate)

LESSON 6 Frogs and Toads – frog and toad biology, habitat loss and building homes for frogs and toads

LESSON 7 Red and Grey Squirrels – squirrel biology, impact of invasive species

LESSON 8 Bees, Wasps and Honeybees – their similarities and differences, the importance of pollinators

LESSON 9 Roddy the Robin and his Feathery Friends – the amazing lives of robins and how to help some of their declining friends.

LESSON 10 Introduction to Climate Change and Global Warming – the basics for children and how they can help.

LESSON 11 Big Spotted Cats – Cheetahs, Leopards and Jaguars – their biology and the importance of knowing where they live for their survival.

LESSON 12 Spindelia the Spider – their biology and why we should love them not be frightened of them.

Practicalities

Each session is around 40 – 60 minutes long.
These sessions require space for layout of props and for children to move around freely.
15 minutes is required between sessions to re-set up, if delivering multiple sessions on one day.

Kids 9 TO 18 YEARS

The Kids programme is designed for older children, and encourages discussion and debate. It consists of 8 interactive and engaging presentations about the global threats to nature and how children, their families and communities can take action to help it through sustainable choices.

The sessions explore the key threats to wildlife through discussion and interactive resources.

OUTLINE OF SESSIONS

LESSON 1 Introduction to the global threats to wildlife

LESSON 2 Marine degradation – marine pollution, the 3P Pledge Champion Award (certificate)

LESSON 3 Climate change – its impact on wildlife; the circular economy model

LESSON 4 Unsustainable consumption – fishing

LESSON 5 Habitat loss – deforestation, palm oil, Forest Tiger Champion Award (certificate)

LESSON 6 UK habitat loss and degradation – decline of UK species, causes, impacts and how children can help, for example frogs and toads, pollinators

LESSON 7 Invasive species – in UK and across the world; the impact on native wildlife

LESSON 8 Illegal wildlife trade – impact on wildlife

Practicalities

Each presentation and discussion is 1 hour long.
Wild Planet Explorers will supply all resource sheets for the sessions.

REMINDER OF PRICES

Delivery of one face to face session or presentation

£80 + mileage if more than 25 miles away from KY11

Discounts may be possible with multiple session delivery on the same day.

FIND OUT MORE AND CONTACT:

Email enquiries: jowildplanetexplorers@gmail.com