Conservation charity helping young people choose All Our Futures

A Devon charity is inspiring young people to change the world – and they’re doing it for free.

Wild Planet Trust is launching new sustainability workshops for schools. The six free workshops – called All Our Futures – aim to empower children and young people to make good choices for the future. Group Education Manager Steve Nash explained:

“As educators, we understand that the most important role for a teacher is to prepare pupils for the world beyond the classroom. It’s becoming ever clearer, however, that our world is changing. Our wildlife and wild places are in trouble and we believe that the choices we make now will have a tremendous impact on the world and its wildlife.”

The All Our Futures workshops have been developed to give young people the information they need to help solve looming environmental problems like climate change, plastic pollution and the use of resources.

Steve: “The workshops are free for the simple reason that these are hugely important topics. The more people we can get involved and taking action, the greater the impact we can have. Conservation is all about how people value nature and we want to show that it’s something we can all take action for, regardless of age or background.

“From climate change to throwaway fashion, plastic pollution to alternative agriculture, our new, free sustainability workshops will help teachers engage, inspire and empower their classes to be the change we need, to live the future we want.”

It’s particularly appropriate that a major zoo like Paignton has created these workshops. Steve recently became the first educator in a UK zoo to achieve UN accreditation for Climate Change Teaching: “At Paignton Zoo, young people can come face-to-face with the species that could be saved by their actions. Seeing animals in the flesh helps them understand how their choices have effects on the other side of the world.”

The workshops launch at Paignton Zoo and Living Coasts, but the intention is to offer them at Newquay Zoo in the future. Workshop topics include climate change, plastic pollution, palm oil and sustainable choices, with options available from Key Stages 1 to 5. For more information, visit https://www.paigntonzoo.org.uk/education-clubs/school-visits/all-our-fut... or contact PZEducation@wildplanettrust.org.uk. Workshops are free but normal education admission rates apply.