The Wild-live Streaming team rounded off 2023 with a visit to Oaklands School in Bethnal Green, a stone’s throw away from QMUL’s Mile End campus. We were delighted to introduce the work of Turtle Foundation, a conservation NGO working in Indonesia and on the island of Boa Vista in Cabo Verde. In Cabo Verde, Turtle Foundation carries out a range of conservation activities focusing on sea turtles and their habitats, from patrolling beaches and protecting sea turtles to environmental education and outreach. We were joined by Airton Jesus (originally from the island of Santo Antao, Cabo Verdean), a field coordinator from Turtle Foundation, who has over ten years’ experience working in sea turtle conservation in Cabo Verde. Airton was among the first Cabo Verdean’s to have engaged with sea turtle conservation in the country and has been a Student Ambassador with QMUL since 2012!
During the session, students watched videos that introduced the conservation work done by Turtle Foundation in Boa Vista. Footage of baby turtles and sandy beaches never fails to capture imaginations, but the students were also given an insight into the breadth of work Turtle Foundation is responsible for. As well as the critical work they do protecting sea turtles, Turtle Foundation carries out a range of community programmes and is developing a number of innovative approaches to conservation, including its anti-poaching team featuring drones and detection dogs! The students followed up with an interesting set of questions, prompting a discussion including how conservation resources are distributed and how the data generated by NGOs are used to inform conservation.
A key aim of the Wild-Live Streaming initiative is to increase awareness of conservation projects among British students. While only 38% of the students knew what an NGO was at the start of the event, this figure rose to 96% by the end. It was also clear from the students’ questions and curiosity that the event had successfully generated an interest in wildlife conservation.
This event marks the end of an exciting year for the Wild-Live Streaming team. We held multiple events in schools across London, featuring five members of staff from three conservation NGOs. Footage from all the events is available on the Wild-Live Streaming website and YouTube channel, which we hope will generate further interest in the work of the fantastic NGOs that have participated so far. We would once again like to thank all the staff and students from the schools that have taken part, and all the contributors from our NGO partners. We look forward to hosting more interactive sessions in 2024.