Create a wildlife reserve
You’ll need
- Hula hoops
- Short pieces of rope or string
- Sticks (or something to mark out small spaces)
Take action to look after the natural world.
Park rangers
- Everyone should talk about nature reserves and national parks. Think about how they were set up and what they aim to do. Highlight that there is usually something special or unique to that area that the reserve or park will be based around.
- Everyone should split into pairs or small groups. Each group should create their own micro wildlife reserve or national park.
- Each group should explore the area and find something that will be the centrepiece of their reserve or park.
- Each group needs to mark the edges of their reserve or park, using a hula hoop, rope or something similar to form a boundary around their centrepiece.
- Each group should talk about why they chose that area and why it should be protected. They should showcase their micro wildlife reserve or national park to the other groups.
Reflection
This activity was all about valuing the outdoors and helping your community by noticing things in your local environment that you want to protect. Why do we need to protect areas of nature? What would happen to people, plants and animals if we didn’t protect them? How do you feel when you spend time out in nature? Everyone selected a different area to protect, which had something special or unique. How did you choose the area for your micro nature reserve or national park? Why did you feel like that was something worth protecting?
Safety
All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.
- Outdoor activities
You must have permission to use the location. Always check the weather forecast, and inform parents and carers of any change in venue.
- Gardening and nature
Everyone must wash their hands after the activity has finished. Wear gloves if needed. Explain how to safely use equipment and set clear boundaries so everyone knows what’s allowed.
To make things easier, you could mark out the nature reserves ahead of time and allocate one to each group.
For more of a challenge, create a task in the style of ‘The Apprentice’ and ask the groups to turn their showcase into a pitch. The best pitch will win funding for the creation of a nature reserve.
Ensure the area that is being used is suitable for all your access needs.
All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.
Encourage the participants to mention entrance fees as part of their showcase to the group and then think about the pros and cons of charging people to enter.
Ask the young people to research different species of bugs or insects before creating their nature reserve, and then get them to create a nature reserve for that specific species.