Wild about Scotland

Pupils at Leverburgh School in Harris have experienced a series of interactive Scottish wildlife lessons thanks to a specially designed double-decker education bus currently touring Scotland.

Wild about Scotland double-decker in Harris visit

9 June 2015

The ‘Wild about Scotland’ bus visits have been developed by the Royal Zoological Society for Scotland (RZSS) and has been made possible through a partnership between Clydesdale Bank and the RZSS to support the charity in its conservation goals across Scotland.

Leverburgh pupils took part in a variety of interactive and fun lessons which focused on Scottish native species, their habitats and environments.

Lessons were delivered by a dedicated education team from RZSS.

Chris West of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said: “We believe connecting young people on Harris to the natural world is vital and the ‘Wild about Scotland’ outreach programme will further add to the curriculum based learning delivered each year by the society.

"Importantly, now more than ever, preserving and learning about the huge variety of wildlife living in Scotland, and how children may help make a difference in the conservation of that wildlife, is of huge worth.”

The customised double-decker has been transformed from a Stagecoach passenger bus into a fully functional and interactive mobile classroom with capacity to accommodate up to 26 children at once.

‘Wild about Scotland’ aims to engage a younger generation with Scotland’s wildlife – not just in forests or wild areas of Scotland, but also in their own back gardens.

The lessons covered the variety of insects on earth found locally; raising awareness of the Scottish wildcat; and looking if the beaver should be reintroduced to Scotland.