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.
Wild Planet Explorers is an online environmental education programme for 3 to 18-year-olds supporting the Learning for Sustainability agenda 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.
Wild Planet Explorers offers two age-appropriate programmes (3-9yrs and 9-18yrs)which can be presented anywhere, anytime.
Each programme comprises of 8 engaging videos presented by Joanna McFarlane, plus accompanying resources, links and activity/project ideas. The Junior programme uses animal characters e.g. Orsom the Octopus, Cassius the Crab, Jungo the Tiger to help share biology and conservation stories. In both programmes, children also earn certificates for two different awards.
Links and resources are designed to reduce the amount of time teachers spend searching for information.
Teachers 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.
For pricing and more information on each programme, see below and visit
8 sessions: £300 for 6 months’ access
8 sessions: £300 for 6 months’ access
Both programmes: £575 for 12 months
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 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.
Now, her fun and engaging sessions are available anywhere, anytime through a new online global environmental education platform. Schools, nurseries, after school clubs, groups and families can access two age- appropriate programmes, each comprising 8 videos presented by Joanna herself, along with the accompanying activities and resources.
o 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 enable ALL young people to become
Successful Learners
Confident Individuals
Responsible Citizens
Effective Contributors
Wild Planet Explorers Juniors and Kids programmes support 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:
Each session, presentation and award within the programme also offers opportunities for learning and improvement across all areas of the curriculum:
The Juniors programme consists of 8 fun, interactive, engaging and educational sessions about the global threats to nature. It also 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.
Teachers can watch the videos and use the resources to design their own class delivery. Or they can simply show the videos to the children and facilitate the included activities.
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
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 videos, discussion and interactive resources. Teachers can watch the videos themselves and design their own class delivery, or they can show the videos directly to the children and help facilitate the activities as directed in the resources and on screen.
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
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