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Goodheart Launches Sustainable Schools Initiative

As part of our animal sanctuary’s evolving Education & Outreach Programme, we have launched an exciting new project aimed at helping the next generation tackle climate change and global warming.

This is thanks to a £1,000 Community Grant from Tesco, which has allowed us to improve our outdoor learning provisions in order to host school trips specifically focusing on the link between environmental issues such as climate change and our current food systems.

What is Sustainable Schools?

Here at Goodheart, we’re passionate about creating a more sustainable future, not just for ourselves and our animal friends, but for the planet too. Our aim is to educate and inspire younger generations to form a connection with the natural world and take steps to protect it. 

As well as covering topics such as food sustainability and animal agriculture, we’ll also look at how day-to-day choices can be a big part of driving positive long-term change. All of this will take place in the beautiful surroundings of our 92 acre sanctuary, which is home to over 300 rescued farm animals as well as local wildlife species.

What’s included in a Sustainable Schools Visit?​

We can tailor visits to suit your needs, however our standard format would be as follows:

Welcome

We’ll start the visit in our Indoor Classroom, with a talk all about who we are as an organisation and what we’ll cover throughout the day.

wildlife cams

We have several cameras set up across our sanctuary to give us a sneak peek into the natural behaviours of some of the wild animals living on-site without disturbing them. After our welcome talk, we’ll present some of the exciting footage from these alongside discussions regarding how humans are affecting the lives of these native species through climate change and how we can reduce these impacts.

Sustainable school trips wildlife cams

Sanctuary tour

Before lunch, we’ll take a walk around the sanctuary, meet some of our rescued farm animals, and discuss topics such as animal agriculture.

Sustainable living workshop

After lunch, we’ll head over to our Outdoor Education Area where we have a number of organic vegetable beds as well as a habitat area. Through a fun and hands-on workshop based around sustainable living, we’ll look at the benefits of growing your own food and supporting local wildlife in order to lower your carbon footprint.

Finally, we’ll end the visit by crafting our own bird feeders or seed bombs which pupils can take away with them, allowing the opportunity to support and observe wildlife at home.

Topics we’ll explore:

  • How food habits have changed over the last few decades (increased demand for meat and dairy products) and where our food comes from.
  • The benefits of locally sourced and organic produce and growing your own crops at home.
  • Intensive agricultural practices such as factory farming and the impacts of this, for example the use of pesticides on ecosystems and link between intensive farming and zoonotic diseases such as COVID-19.
  • The impact of climate change on different species of animals, from farmed animals to native wildlife.

Price, dates and location​

price

Sustainable Schools sessions are £5 per child with 2 supportive members of staff accompanying free of charge.

when

Sustainable Schools Visits can be booked from April through to October. Visits start at 10:15am and finish at 2:00pm.

where

All visits take place at Goodheart Farm Animal Sanctuary, Milson, Kidderminster, Worcestershire DY14 0BE. Visit this page for full details on our location.

If you have any questions about booking a school trip, please email  visit@goodheart.org.uk or click the button below to send us a trip enquiry now.

Important Information & FAQs

  • Unfortunately, this experience is not accessible for pushchairs, wheelchair users or those unsteady on their feet. We are working hard to develop our accessibility at the sanctuary and we thank you for your patience.
  • All of our school trips and educational visits are hosted by our Visitor and Education Manager, who holds an enhanced DBS check which can be presented if required.
  • Please dress appropriately for the weather on the day – waterproofs or sun cream! And wear sturdy footwear such as walking boots or wellies as the ground can be muddy.
  • This session may not be suitable for individuals who have allergies, please email visit@goodheart.org.uk if you have any questions or concerns
  • This school visit is to support the learning of climate change issues and not to entirely cover the curriculum

Thank you

A big thank you to Tesco for awarding us the £1,000 grant money, which has gone towards wildlife cameras, gardening equipment, and classroom supplies such as seed bomb kits to support our learning outcomes.

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