To kick off Sea Turtle Week, the Wild-Live Streaming (WLS) initiative made a visit to Richmond Park Academy, as part of its efforts to raise awareness about wildlife conservation amongst young people.
This event was designed for Year 10 students who are preparing to choose their A Level subjects, making it the perfect time to bring the exciting world of biodiversity and conservation into the classroom. This event featured Alberto Queiruga, the Conservation Coordinator of the Cabo Verdean NGO Biosfera on São Vicente Island (West Africa).
The students showed great interest in Biosfera’s monitoring and protection methods for sea turtles, sharks and sea birds, which led to engaging discussions over live Q&A sessions with Alberto. The Q&A sessions also had a strong career focus to fit with the interests of the Year 10 audience, highlighting the diverse pathways available in biology and conservation, including Alberto’s own journey from university to his current position.
Connecting young people with nature and raising awareness of how to protect it is crucial as we seek to preserve the biodiversity on our planet. The WLS initiative's visit to Richmond Park Academy was an excellent example of how outreach visits by biologists can inspire and educate young people about real-world conservation efforts, by linking them directly to NGO leaders.
The WLS initiative has attended four schools so far, most recently Brentfield Primary School and Highams Park School, and are looking forward to their next event in July with Bridge Academy.