The Living Rainforest > About our Charity > Education in context, education in action

Education in context, education in action

The Living Rainforest offers a unique educational visit for people of all ages and abilities to learn how the future of tropical rainforests and other ecosytems is closely connected to human lives and lifestyles.

The Living Rainforest's education programme can be separated into two phases:
Phase 1: Creating an ecosystem experience
Phase 2: Exploring the relationship between people and nature

Phase 1

Creating an ecosystem experience with interacting plants and animals, interpretation and events to give people a 'first hand' experience of a unique sensory environment.

This phase is already well established. Some achievements:

providing a much-needed home for numerous illegally-traded animals confiscated by HM Customs, including Montane Chameleons (Tanzania), Reunion Day and Dull Day Geckos (Indian Ocean), Home's Hingeback Tortoises (W Africa) and Golden Mantella Frogs (Madagascar)
expanding the number of free-range animal species, including Plumed Basilisks (South America), Water Dragons (SE Asia), Cuban Tree Frogs (Cuba) and Reunion Day and Dull Day Geckos
breeding free-range butterfly species including the Postman, Zebra and Glasswing (C & S America)
redesigning the Leaf-cutter Ant (C & S America) display
enhancing the heating and water quality of the aquatic displays
improving the display of epiphytes in the tree canopy
updating the trail guide, including a user-friendly map
introducing hands-on workshops on fair trade chocolate, leaf-printing, arachnids and more
developing the talks programme, including the challenges facing indigenous peoples in the Peruvian Amazon, orchids and bromeliads, and fossil fuels
expanding the events programme, including night tours, Peruvian music and an Easter tropical egg hunt
redeveloping the website and electronic communications

Phase 2

Exploring the relationship between people and nature.

This phase has brought major developments looking at human needs, economies and cultures within the wider context of humanities place in nature, including:

a 'Sustainable Future' tour
a 'Rainforest Medicines' tour
a major campaign to improve and extend our buildings, and interpret them as part of the overall experience

Future challenges include:

exploration of humantiy's changing relationship with nature through social and economic history
promotion of learning from cultures which already demonstrate sustainability in practice

Audiences

The Rainforest's education work is aimed at both formal and informal audiences.

Around 20% of visitors are 'formal' school groups making use of TLR as a versatile educational resource for teaching the National Curriculum (Science, Geography, Art and Citizenship)
The remaining 80% are 'informal' day visitors, many of whom have never before visited a rainforest environment
In the future, we anticipate that more visitors will be 'virtual', receiving news, reports, educational material and fun activities for children via our website.