Run by Paradise Wildlife Park, this art education project teaches children and schools about endangered species, what the threats are facing the natural world, what we can do to prevent animals and plants from going extinct and also about the importance of recycling and keeping environments clean from rubbish.
They are able to do this by giving each school that takes part a different endangered animal from a particular continent. The first year of the project was based around Africa and had 12 schools take part, hence 12 different animals. These included Giraffes, Lions, Vultures and Pangolins.
Paradise gave the schools four months to produce life sized animals out of purely recycled products, before they then brought them to Paradise Wildlife Park to exhibit them for the summer. Over the May bank holiday, the school children and teachers come to Paradise explain to visitors about their animals and protecting the environment.
Paradise Wildlife Park have both primary and secondary schools that take part and at the end of the competition, schools can either make a donation to Paradise’s conservation work in order to take the art back, members of public can purchase the art. Through this and also through the children fundraising, the project raised £1,500 in its first year. For the pieces of art that don’t get purchased, the zoo will then recycle all of the products once again.
The project has seen schools set up environmental or green clubs to teach the students about wildlife and the environment more. It has also grown in popularity and is expanding with each year. Paradise were due to have 24 schools taking part in 2020 until Covid 19 caused the competition to cancel. Next year 2021, they will also be running the project at their sister park, The Big Cat Sanctuary meaning that schools in four different counties – Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Essex and Kent will be taking place.
Paradise Wildlife Park submitted this project to the BIAZA Awards Education category for 2020 and won a Bronze award.