Watatunga Education

The aim of Watatunga’s education programme is to inspire young people to pursue further education in life-sciences and conservation by introducing them to the beauty and complexity of systems in the natural world. By transforming classroom learning about species extinction into memorable experiences with our spectacular endangered animals, we aim to spark children’s passion for protecting the world’s biodiversity. We bring young people together to work directly with animals and world class conservation experts and believe that we have a part to play in fostering their passion and optimism for building a sustainable future.

Watatunga Wildlife Reserve is uniquely placed to offer applied learning opportunities to young people. We are home to Europe’s largest collection of deer and antelope, many of which are severely endangered. At Watatunga, we create bespoke learning experiences for groups of up to 30 young scientists. Our team is passionate about bringing the curriculum to life and working with schools before and after their visit to help children understand the important applications of their learning and associated career paths.

The UK is short of 40,000 STEM graduates every year. By engaging young people with the stories of our animals and their threatened habitats, we demonstrate the important role that each one of them could play in the future of conservation. From the latest in conservation and zoo strategy to selective breeding and animal handling, we offer school groups an unforgettable experience that leaves them wanting more.

Our team is immensely privileged to work with many endangered species at Watatunga and are passionate about sharing the importance of this work with the conservationists of the future. We work with The Country Trust and local primary schools to develop our education offering and offer tailor-made activities that engage children through hands-on work with rare deer and antelope species.

A few examples of curriculum links are: