Our mission at Fota Wildlife Park is all about Biodiversity and Conservation, and our Education Department provides unique opportunities to share this with the schools and groups who visit us.
We are passionate about protecting and maintaining thousands of species of animal and plant life, and conservation programmes across Europe enable us to participate in vital breeding and animal management opportunities.
In the end, we will conserve what we love and respect.We will love and respect only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught or allowed to experience
Fota Wildlife Education Department
Challenging Future Generations
We know that wildlife matters! Our team are committed to raising awareness about the plight of many endangered species, and we can help our younger visitors to understand their roles in protecting the world they are growing up in. Lynda Sweeney, Head of Education at Fota Wildlife Park, explains,
“When people think about extinction, they assume it’s about exotic, tropical locations and animals rather than anything on their own doorstep. We create awareness around the impact that certain activities – habitat destruction, poaching and pollution – have on the world, and we ensure that everyone coming to the Park realises that we all – directly or indirectly – contribute towards species loss. It’s the reason why organisations like Fota exist.”
An educational tour at Fota Wildlife Park is much more than a fun day out. We challenge students to think about their own lifestyles, and practices such as recycling and reusing can be seen in action throughout the Park. We believe in making sustainable changes, and our visitors are encouraged to use public transport or car-share to travel to us, as well as reducing and recycling waste while on our site and at home. Many students develop a new understanding of these practices when they see the impact they have on the natural habitats of so many amazing creatures around the world, and we believe that this translates into a desire to take greater care of the world and it’s natural resources.
You can talk to us about what you expect from your Educational Tour at Fota Wildlife Park when you contact the Education Department.
We can adapt and develop our courses and tours to suit the age range and requirements of your group, and our content is designed to suit your specifications. Our excellent Education facilities allow us to move activities indoors if the weather is bad during your visit, and we combine theoretical and practical elements in every course or tour that we facilitate.
You can find out more about the wide range of educational tours, courses and outdoor activities options we offer when you visit our Schools, Adult Education, Camps: Play & Learn and Sandford Award sections. For school tours and further information on courses please email: education@fotawildlfe.ie.