Local zoos launch appeal for help from business community

Local businesses are being asked to back a ‘Together for Wildlife’ campaign and help build a new flagship education centre for the region.

Banham Zoo – where the centre will be based – and Africa Alive, in Lowestoft, are seeking to raise £500,000 for the project.

It will be developed by The Zoological Society of East Anglia (ZSEA), the charity behind the award-winning zoos.

The centre will help drive forward ZSEA’s hugely successful education programme with schools across the county. The campaign – its biggest ever – is appealing to businesses and the community to support the Society’s ongoing education and conservation programmes.

As part of the campaign, the new facility will feature viewable science labs, classrooms, and interactive learning spaces, providing students and visitors with a unique, hands-on experience and allowing them to engage directly with the conservation efforts taking place in their local area.

The campaign will also see ZSEA launching a new Corporate Partnership Programme, aimed at national and local businesses in East Anglia who are committed to, and have a vested interest in, sustainable development and driving positive environmental action.

Other campaign activities include a Win for Wildlife competition, with a chance to win a safari, and Walk for Wildlife, a large-scale sponsored walk to be held in 2025.

A key campaign message is that individuals and businesses can all play a vital role – no matter how big or small – in protecting the natural environment and the diverse range of wildlife that it supports.

While both zoos are renowned for providing a great family day out, they increasingly play a crucial role in conservation through education, providing children with the opportunity to learn outside the classroom.

As communities grapple with the challenges of protecting their natural environments, ZSEA is also working on several conservation projects, ranging from initiatives to protect the region’s local waterways or supporting endangered species, through to breeding programmes and contributing to projects in the wild around the world.

The two zoos also have membership schemes that allow people to directly support their work in conservation and education and in return, receive special access to the zoos and the animals.

Ian Bartlett, CEO of ZSEA said: “This campaign will help us in our mission to ensure the environment and wildlife around us is enjoyed, respected and protected.

“Our new education facility will be the centrepiece of our fast-growing education programme, as we prepare the next generation of conservationists and guardians of the planet.

“The campaign will also enable us to continue and expand the vital conservation work that we do. Finally, individuals and businesses can boost their own sustainability ambitions and play a big part in their local communities by getting actively involved.

“The pandemic and rising costs have had a significant impact on zoos across the country and while we continue to operate, we need to make sure that our future, and the future of our animals, remain secure. We are unveiling a new Zooprint for the Future strategy, with conservation and education at its heart, and with the support of our members and sponsors we believe we can make a real difference. I hope that we can call upon your support”.

Education

Thousands of schoolchildren engage with Banham and Africa Alive every year and in 2021, ZSEA and The Wensum Trust formed a partnership to work together in developing scientific learning and conservation education across the curriculum.

This has led to the formation of a ‘ZOO SCHOOL’ curriculum at Kinsale Junior School in Norwich, allowing key stage 2 students hands-on conservation education. In addition, ZSEA has worked with the University of Suffolk since 2019, supporting degree students in conservation-related courses with on-site lectures.

With a new home education project launching this month, ZSEA will also be able to reach over 5,000 remote educated children across Norfolk and Suffolk, engaging them with the natural world and bringing science to life.

Over the past few years, ZSEA’s education programmes have won three BIAZA zoo awards for summer clubs at each zoo and for a digital education project. The newly launched Together for Wildlife campaign will support these ongoing projects as well as a new one with the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust, due to start later in the year.

Conservation

In the UK, ZSEA is involved with several important projects, including a breeding programme for the White-Clawed Crayfish, the UK’s only native crayfish which is under threat from river pollution and the invasive American Signal Crayfish. Working with Norfolk Rivers Trust, Banham Zoo established a hatchery and a breeding programme in 2022 and last year released the first batch of White-Clawed Crayfish hatchlings into Norfolk rivers.

Overseas projects include working with the Lemur Conservation Association in Madagascar. Their work involves protecting and restoring vital ecosystem to secure the future of critically endangered lemurs.

Ian adds, “Whether in the UK or overseas, conservation projects in the wild are critical to maintaining our natural environment and Together for Wildlife will not only ensure that this vital work can prosper but will allow local businesses and individuals to play a vital role.”

Please email Ian.Bartlett@zsea.org for more information about how your business can help the campaign.

fundraising@zsea.org

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