Whipsnade Zoo Free for Teachers on World Teachers’ Day

The UK’s largest zoo is offering the nation’s educators a big day out this autumn, to celebrate World Teachers Day, with free entry for all teachers.

Whipsnade Zoo, run by the global conservation charity ZSL, is offering free entry for teachers on Sunday 5 October, where they can enjoy a day out exploring the Zoo’s educational programme, amazing wildlife, and see for themselves how access to nature is a powerful learning tool for students of all ages.

Set atop the Dunstable Downs, Whipsnade Zoo is surrounded by the lush countryside of Bedfordshire. Despite this abundance of green spaces, it doesn’t mean that every child in the region has equal access to nature – especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds – and ZSL is on a mission to change this.

The conservation charity’s Right to Nature campaign is urging the UK government to make access to nature a statutory right in all schools, to help improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people, improve their understanding of and connection to the natural world and even help schools’ attendance rates and behaviour.

During their free visit to Whipsnade Zoo, teachers will be able to see how their students can benefit from time in nature while marvelling at the Asian elephant herd and young pride of African lions and hearing how Whipsnade is saving a critically endangered pupfish from extinction.

Every day staff at Whipsnade Zoo witness the transformative power of time spent in nature for people of all ages. But even when schools want to connect children with nature, not all can. ZSL’s campaign is calling on the government to provide teachers with the funding, training, and resources they need to create wild spaces and build partnerships that connect children with nature. For more details and to sign ZSL’s petition, visit www.zsl.org/NatureAccess.

Image © Whipsnade Zoo