Wild About Scotland

Bus visits to teach about nature

Pupils from two West Lothian schools hopped on board the Wild about Scotland doubledecker bus to discover the wonders of Scottish nature.

The Wild about Scotland team is on a mission to travel the length and breadth of the country, engaging children with Scotland’s amazing native wildlife. The aim is to connect children to the nature on their own doorstep with a view to creating a lifelong appreciation and respect for wildlife and the environment.

And youngsters from Low Port Primary in Linlithgow and Windyknowe Primary in Bathgate enjoyed their chance to get on to the bus. It’s the 21st time the bus has visited a school in West Lothian offering more than 1700 children the chance to get closer to nature. The award-winning programme is run by the Royal Zoological Society for Scotland (RZSS) and is supported by Clydesdale Bank.

Pupils took part in a variety of interactive and fun sessions which focused on Scottish native species, their habitats and how RZSS is helping to conserve them.

The sessions, delivered by a dedicated education team from RZSS, include ‘ The Bonnie Beasts of Scotland’ – introducing amazing Scottish animals and their habitats found across our country; ‘Marvellous Mini-beasts’ - engaging pupils with the wildlife found on their doorstep as they go on a mini-beast safari in their school grounds;‘ Beavers and Wildcats’ – exploring the basic ecology of beavers and wildcats, the successful reintroduction of beavers into Scotland and what is being done to help save the Scottish wildcat;‘Seas, Forests, Mountains and Moors’ - looking at the main habitats in Scotland and discovering how animals adapt to each and ‘ Endangered Animals’ - focusing on the main threats to wildlife in Scotland and what personal action can be taken to help.

Barbara Smith, CEO of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said: “The Wild about Scotland bus is a great way to get people on board with the idea of conservation and protecting native wildlife. The outreach project is vital for teaching young people about the abundance of native species on their doorstep and actions they can take to help preserve them.

“Our focus on wildlife education has had a huge impact across Scotland. This project makes up a significant part of RZSS’s work and we hope to continue with this, and other similar projects, for the foreseeable future.”

Helen Page, group innovation and marketing director at Clydesdale Bank, said: “RZSS makes a vital contribution to the conservation of Scotland’s wildlife, both through direct preservation and its commitment to educating the public on endangered species, habitats and ecosystems. Since its first trip in 2014, more than 62,000 people have experienced the Wild about Scotland bus, including more than 1700 from the West Lothian area. We’re proud to be supporting the campaign in the new term, particularly as the bus gives communities the chance to engage with expertise from RZSS on Scottish conservation.”