Investigating Sustainability

Understanding how we can all protect our natural resources

Key Stage 3 & Key Stage 4

Science & Geography

------------------------------------------------------------- Teacher’s Guide

-------------------------------------------------------------- This Teacher’s Guide complements the Investigating Sustainability Student Workbook 1 (before your visit)

and Investigating Sustainability Student Workbook 2 (during your visit). These workbooks are designed to

help support KS3 and KS4 science and geography lesson content focused on sustainability, and includes

resources to use before, during and after a visit to ZSL London Zoo.

This Teacher’s Guide includes:

National Curriculum Links

Part 1: Pre-Visit Student Workbook Answers.

The Part 1 student workbook can be carried out in the classroom to introduce sustainability to your

students. The tasks within it encourage student-led research and focus predominantly on

sustainability in practice – developing student understanding of what the term sustainability means,

and looking at how organisations can employ sustainability practices (using ZSL as an example).

Part 2: ZSL London Zoo Student Workbook Answers

The Part 2 student workbook is designed to complement a visit to the zoo. The tasks within it tackle

specific issues where unsustainability can affect marine and forest habitats. Using Palm Oil as a case

study, students also explore the concept of consumer-driven change and understand more how

their choices affect global issues.

Post Visit Task Teacher Notes.

The post visit task at the end of the second student workbook gives students the chance to apply

their knowledge to create sustainable strategies for your school.

The Climate Change and Animals bookable education session at ZSL London Zoo directly correlates to this

content and would expand upon what the students learn with these free resources.

If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us at learning@zsl.org.

The Discovery & Learning Team ZSL London Zoo

2014 National Curriculum Links

PART 1: Before your visit to ZSL London Zoo

The Investigating Sustainability student workbook (PART 1) is designed to complement a lesson on

sustainability, with a strong focus on student-led research. Answers are written in red in the

following pages.

We recommend that students have access to the internet during the lesson to guide their

research, but it can also be used to complement your own lesson plan. Relevant website links are

included in the answer section below.

Following the research component, a plenary activity is included on the last page of the

workbook to encourage a discussion about how the students themselves can become more

sustainable at home and school.

Science KS3 Science KS4 Geography KS3

WORKING SCIENTIFICALLY

ask questions and develop a

line of enquiry based on

observations of the real world

alongside prior knowledge and

experience

BIOLOGY

Material cycles & energy

the dependence of almost all

life on Earth on the ability of

photosynthetic organisms, such

as plants and algae, to use

sunlight in photosynthesis to

build organic molecules that

are an essential energy store

and to maintain levels of

oxygen and carbon dioxide in

the atmosphere

Genetics & evolution

The importance of maintaining

biodiversity

CHEMISTRY

Earth and atmosphere

production of carbon dioxide

by human activity and the

impact on climate

Earth as a source of limited

resources and the efficiency of

recycling

WORKING SCIENTIFICALLY

The development of scientific

thinking

appreciating the power and

limitations of science and

considering ethical issues which

may arise

explaining everyday and

technological applications of

science; evaluating associated

personal, social, economic and

environmental implications; and

making decisions based on the

evaluation of evidence and

arguments

BIOLOGY

Ecosystems

the importance of biodiversity

positive and negative human

interactions with ecosystems

CHEMISTRY

Chemical & allied industries

the viability of recycling of

certain materials

Earth & atmospheric science

the Earth’s water resources and

obtaining potable water

Human & physical geography

Understand how human and

physical processes interact to

influence, and change

landscapes, environments and

the climate; and how human

activity relies on effective

functioning of natural systems

Geography KS4

People and environment:

processes and interactions

Resource management and

biodiversity – How humans use,

modify and change natural

ecosystems in ways that may

be sustainable or unsustainable.

At least three specific

examples at local and regional

scales should be chosen to

illustrate how this may lead to

beneficial (e.g. agriculture and

food production, identifying

new energy resources) and/or

detrimental outcomes (e.g.

desertification, loss of

biodiversity, soil degradation)

for human well-being.

TEACHER’S GUIDE NOTES are included throughout this answer book in the red boxes

Investigating Sustainability student workbook PART 1: To be completed before your visit to ZSL London Zoo

ANSWERS Page 1-2

What is Sustainability? Read the following text and answer the questions that follow:

In your own words, describe what “sustainable” means: Answer should include (in students own words):

It is able to be maintained at a certain rate or level

It improves, or at the least does not harm, the environment (environmental protection)

it benefits people (social welfare)

it saves or makes money (economic development)

“Sustainable = able to be maintained at a certain rate or level”

If something is sustainable it means that it can, in theory, go on forever (or at least a

very long time) at the same level. When we talk about ‘living sustainably” it means

that we live in a way that meets our needs (such as having enough food to eat,

building homes, creating roads etc.) WITHOUT compromising the environment, or

the ability of people in the future to meet their needs.

As well as being maintainable, sustainable methods must take into account all

three of the following criteria:

1. environmental protection: it improves, or at the least does not harm, the

environment

2. social welfare: it benefits people

3. economic development: it saves or makes money

For example, cutting down ancient rainforest trees for timber is not considered

sustainable because it harms the environment: rainforests are extremely important

for controlling our weather, giving us clean air to breathe, and providing a home for

countless species. Removing them would have a very negative impact on the

global environment and also therefore us and people in the future. However,

planting trees in a suitable area to harvest them for wood, then planting new trees

to replace them could be considered sustainable, because, there is then a

continual supply of trees to use, and there is much less impact on the environment.

Why is living sustainably important to….

1. You? Answers should incorporate at least one of the following points, focusing on benefits to us in the

present, such as:

Maintains our environment (e.g. reducing risk of flash floods, climate change, lack of clean

air to breathe)

More reliable as unsustainable methods will run out (e.g. fossil fuels for petrol.

Living sustainably is often cheaper (e.g. because will need less water, electricity, heating)

2. People in the future? Answers should incorporate at least one of the following points focusing on how it impacts the

future, such as:

Maintains the environment for people to live in (e.g. reducing risk of flash floods, climate

change, clean air to breathe in the future)

It will ensure that people in the future have everything they need to live (e.g. food, fuels,

electricity).

Unsustainable methods will run out (e.g. fossil fuels for petrol). Sustainable methods will still

be available for people in the future

If we invest in sustainable living now (e.g. insulation or solar panels in homes) living costs for

people in the future will be lower (because will need less, electricity, heating etc.)

3. Animals? Answers should focus on how environmental damage from unsustainable development could be

avoided if we choose to live more sustainably, such as:

Protect habitats for animals to live in

Reduce effects of climate change which could affect species

Only one of the following projects COULD be considered sustainable, which is it?

Clearing rainforests to use the trees for timber or paper

Installing solar panels on houses

Clearing ancient woodland to build houses

Creating more landfill sites to store waste

Constantly fishing in one area and taking as many fish as possible

Burning fossil fuels to create electricity

Why is this project sustainable? This question helps students apply the key elements of “sustainability” – answers should focus on

how this use of solar panels meets the key elements of a “sustainable project”.

Maintainable:

o Solar panels collect sunlight (a renewable resource) and turn it into electricity. (Fossil

fuels are a finite resource therefore will run out one day).

Environmental Protection

o No pollution/greenhouse gases are emitted in the process of generating solar

power. (Many traditional forms of electrical generation release carbon dioxide and

other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere)

Benefits to people & local economy

o Economical - There are no on-going costs for the power it generates – after

installation. Sunlight is free. Therfore reduces gas and electricity bills.

o People can be more self-reliant – no need to depend upon a power company for

all electricity.

Page 3

The Forest Stewardship Council

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a non-governmental organisation (NGO)

which works to promote responsible management of forests. FSC runs a global

forest certification system which allows consumers to identify, purchase and use

timber and forest products produced from well-managed forests.

FSC's “tick tree” logo (above) is used on product labels to

indicate whether products are certified under the FSC system.

When you see the FSC logo on timber and other wood products,

such as paper, it means that the product is made from

sustainably grown trees, and its production has not contributed to

the destruction of the world’s forests.

Complete the table below, by researching FSC and identifying

the ways in which they fit the three criteria for a sustainable

company: environmental protection, social welfare and

economic development.

Environmental

Protection

How their work

helps protect the

environment

Trees that are harvested are replaced or allowed to regenerate

naturally

Parts of the forest are protected entirely, in order to protect rare

animals and plants

Forests managed in a way that conserves biodiversity and

ecosystems

Social Welfare

How their work

helps to benefit

people

Protects the rights of indigenous people to use the forest. If they

have sacred sites in the forest these are exempt from felling

Gives an assurance that future generations will be able to enjoy

the benefits of the forest

Forest owner must use local workers to run the forest, and provide

training, safety equipment and a decent salary

Economic

Development

How their work

supports economies

The forest owner is often obliged to support the community in other

ways, such as through the development of schools

FSC is a market-based initiative which also ensures better

conditions for the forest and the people whose livelihoods depend

on it.

Students can find these answers by researching the FSC website: http://www.fsc-uk.org/

Page 4

Sustainability at ZSL The Zoological Society London (ZSL) is one of the world's leading conservation

organisations, working in many areas around the globe to help animals and

people to exist together. We also practice what we preach back at home,

by trying to minimise the negative impacts of our zoos and activities on the

environment as much as possible. We received two awards in recognition for

our work on sustainability in 2013. Below are details of two ways we try to be

more sustainable.

Think about these two environmental issues and fill in the gaps in the table.

WASTE REDUCTION

Only 2% of waste from ZSL

zoos goes to landfill*

WATER USAGE REDUCTION

ZSL London Zoo has halved water

use over the last 10 years

How does this

make ZSL a more

sustainable

charity?

Environmental Protection

How will this help the

environment?

Landfills can cause pollution;

less waste to landfill means

less pollution

Being more efficient with water

means that it is not being taken from

fresh water habitats before it can be

replenished, and uses less energy (in

water treatment plants)

Social Welfare

How will this help people?

Landfill sites are unpleasant

places to live around. Less

landfill waste means less

landfill sites.

Fresh water is a finite resource. By

using less water there is less strain on

the local water supplies especially in

times of drought

Economic Development

How will this save the charity

money?

Waste which goes to landfill

incurs a tax of £80 per tonne.

The less waste going to

landfill means that ZSL pay a

lower amount of landfill tax.

By collecting rain water the zoo

doesn’t have to pay to use water

from water companies

How has ZSL has been

able to meet and maintain

these achievements?

Landfill diversion: ZSL

recycles, reuses or composts

98% of waste - for example

by: installing recycling bins

for staff and visitors; recycling

materials to build new

enclosures.

Restored old Victorian reservoirs that

collect 150,000 litres of rainwater.

What could you do at home to be more

sustainable like the ZSL zoos?

Recycle all rubbish

Reduce the amount of items

we are using

Reuse items e.g. water

bottles, clothes

Have showers instead of baths.

Do not leave the tap running

Collect rainwater and/or use dirty

dish water to water garden

Only use washing machines and dish

washers when they are full.

Students can find ZSL specific answers by researching this page of the ZSL website:

http://www.zsl.org/news/zsl-wins-two-sustainability-awards

For other sections, students are expected to apply their knowledge of sustainability to answer the questions.

*The 2% which goes to landfill is made up of asbestos (which is

being removed from ZSL’s many historic buildings) and other

waste streams which cannot be recycled or is contaminated so

preventing it being recycled.

Page 5

Sustainable Enclosure Design Many of our animal exhibits are built and run in ways that make them

much less wasteful, minimising their environmental impact and their

cost.

Research the ZSL London Zoo enclosures below, and match them up with the sustainable

approach utilised at that exhibit.

REDUCING GLOBAL HABITAT

DESTRUCTION

By using sustainable

materials such as FSC wood

and bamboo

REDUCING CONCRETE USED

IN CONSTRUCTION

By reusing waste materials

REDUCING ENERGY USED

By including an insulating

layer in the ceiling that UV

light from the Sun can

penetrate

REDUCING WATER USED

By installing a rain water

harvesting system

Tiger Territory

Penguin Beach

Gorilla Kingdom

Rainforest Life

(Clore Rainforest)

Students can find these answers by researching this page of the ZSL website:

http://www.zsl.org/about-us/sustainability-at-zsl

Page 6

Tiger Territory at London Zoo has many different features,

which help it to be more sustainable.

Think about each of the features of the enclosure’s design below and explain why they

could be considered sustainable.

Signs to encourage visitors to be more

sustainable at home

Encourages more people to be

sustainable themselves at home or work

Encourages support for the work ZSL is

doing to maintain sustainable practices

e.g. roundtable of sustainable palm oil

Rain water harvesting system

Utilises rainwater that would otherwise go

down the drain and be wasted

Reduces the amount of water needed to

be used from the water companies

Use of local products and suppliers

Keeps transport costs down

Funds local businesses

Keeps carbon emissions down from

importing/transporting products from

further away

Insulation

Reduces amount of energy needed for

heating

Keeps carbon emissions and running

costs down

Use of recycled

materials

Saves energy and

keeps carbon

emissions low as new

materials do not

have to be made

from scratch.

LED lighting

Use less energy

than regular

bulbs.

NO DIRECT ANSWERS FOR THIS QUESTION CAN BE FOUND ON THE ZSL WEBSITE

This question is designed as a plenary to test their understanding of sustainable concepts.

Encourage the students to think about why these features may be considered sustainable.

This section works well as a group discussion or a small group/pair work activity.

Discuss with the rest of your group how you think you (and your school) can be more sustainable.

Think about what you can do to challenge issues such as water usage, waste reduction, use of

plastics, recycling etc.

Remember, to be sustainable it must incorporate environmental protection, benefits to people &

economic benefits.

Group/pair work to discuss ways to live sustainably. At this stage students only need to note ideas.

You can direct students to the following websites for help with their research:

Forest Stewardship Council: http://www.fsc-uk.org/

Marine Stewardship Council: http://www.msc.org/

Rainforest Alliance: http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/

Fairtrade foundation: http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/

Information on sustainable palm oil: http://www.sustainablepalmoil.org/

After their visit to ZSL London Zoo there is a further activity which encourages them to look at this in

more depth.

For each of their ideas ask students about how it would meet the three requirements for

sustainability:

1. Environmental protection

2. Benefits to people

3. Financial benefits

Could include ideas such as:

Aim to buy more of their products from sustainable sources (see logos)

o Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) paper

o Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) fish

o Rainforest Alliance chocolate and coffee

o Fairtrade products such as bananas and coffee

o Products that contain more sustainably sourced palm oil

o Locally grown produce

o Recycled and recyclable products

Sustainable travel – car sharing, walking to school, taking the bus when possible

Landfill diversion: Reducing, reuse, recycle

o compost heaps for suitable waste,

o only cook what food you will eat,

o plan meals to avoid food waste

o Scrap paper piles to encourage people to reuse paper

o Setting up recycling stations at school – paper, plastic, glass etc

Reducing electricity usage

o Turn down heating – even just by 10C

o Turn off lights

o Unplug chargers, even when not in use

o Turn computers and TV’s off standby

How can we be more sustainable?

This workbook focuses on 5 enclosures at ZSL London Zoo (see below).

They do not need to be visited in the order shown in this booklet, but we would recommend

visiting the Aquarium and Penguin Beach consecutively as these questions are interlinked.

The last activity on the back of this workbook is designed as a plenary exercise to be completed at the end of the day or back at school after your visit.

Investigating Sustainability student workbook

PART 2: To be completed during your visit to ZSL London Zoo

ANSWERS

Enclosures included in this Sustainability Workbook:

Pages 1-2

Looking after life underwater

Read the information boards at the Aquarium and Penguin Beach to help you answer

these questions about how humans can impact freshwater and marine habitats

(positively and negatively).

As you walk through the Aquarium, fill out the diagram below with NEGATIVE IMPACTS that

humans can have on marine and freshwater habitats:

If you see this logo on fish in the supermarket what does it mean?

The fish has been sustainably sourced (Marine Stewardship Council logo)

Start at the Aquarium. Before entering, discuss with pupils their initial ideas with human

activities that threaten and negatively impact freshwater and/or marine organisms and

environments.

Negative impacts

man-made barriers blocking waterways e.g. dams & weirs

uncontrolled tourism

overharvesting of fish and corals for souvenirs, pets or

traditional medicine

pollution

e.g. from rubbish, chemicals from

agriculture

Habitat loss e,g, removing rivers

or waterways for human use, mining or oil

extraction

overfishing

destructive fishing practices

e.g. dynamite fishing

global warming/climate

change

introduced species

On leaving the aquarium exhibit you can gather students together to discuss their

findings in the aquarium. Pick one of negative impact issues (depending on the area

of the curriculum you wish to explore) to discuss in more detail, including the practical

ways the students could reduce this negative impact.

Name three ways that ZSL is helping to make the use of marine and freshwater environments more

sustainable:

Students will find information with the Aquarium on a number of ZSL research and community

projects worldwide that help protect habitats and work with local people to maintain that

protection. They can chose three of the following:

Protecting eels in the UK – researching ways to help eels in UK habitats, e.g. eel ladders to

help eels climb man made barriers such as dams and weirs

Project Seahorse – setting up conservation areas in South East Asia, and working with local

communities to develop more sustainable fishing and trading practices

“Net-Works” - project that works with local communities to recycle old/broken/discarded

fishing nets into carpet tiles in Danajon Bank

EDGE coral reefs programme – protecting coral reef species through research, protection

and local community support

Chagos Project – creating Marine Protected Areas and running community programmes

Helping to enforce regulations to stop the illegal import and trade of organisms

State three ways you can help to promote sustainable use of marine and fresh water

environments?

Students can chose three of the following:

only buy sustainably sourced seafood (MSC logo above shown on packaging)

take part in beach clean ups

tell your friends and family how they could help

recycle and dispose of your rubbish sensibly

do not buy souvenirs/medicines/pets/plants illegally or from unsustainable sources

Go see the Penguins at Penguin Beach.

How are the zoo keepers helping to care for the penguins sustainably?

Feeding them sustainably sourced fish

Where in the zoo will you find this sustainable resource being used to benefit the visitors?

The Terrace restaurant sells only sustainably sourced fish

Try to visit one of the Penguin Beach Live! presentations at 11:30 or 13:30 (also at

16:30). These are not essential to answering the questions, but will give the students

a chance to learn more about sustainable fishing techniques, and how penguins

and other marine animals are affected by unsustainable practices.

This section uses palm oil as a case study in the importance of sustainable practice.

This section is aimed at highlighting to students the importance of finding sustainable methods

for crops such as palm oil, and encouraging discussions on how the students can help.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Indonesia (where the Sumatran tigers are found) has one of the highest rates of deforestation in

the world.

When unsustainably sourced, palm oil can have huge negative impacts on the environment.

There is little doubt that the expansion of oil palm plantations in Indonesia has played a leading

role in the destruction of vast areas of rich tropical forest.

It’s advantages as a vegetable oil and biofuel means that palm oil is important for the

economy. However expansion cannot continue if this is at the cost of ancient ecosystems. It is

vital that oil palm industry moves forward in a sustainable way.

Pages 3 – 4

What is the issue with Palm Oil?

Take a look at the information boards around Tiger Territory to help you

answer these questions

Follow the journey of Hari, a wild tiger in Sumatra as you go through Tiger Territory. What human-

related challenges can wild Sumatran tigers face throughout their life?

The focus here is on human-related issues as opposed to natural challenges that the young tiger in

the information boards faces. Encourage children to read all of these boards to get a feel for the

journey of a wild tiger.

A summary board for the students can be found in the second top viewing area at Tiger Territory

entitled “Will Hari’s story have a happy ending?”

Key points:

DIRECT HUNTING – for their fur and Traditional Medicine

LOSS OF HABITAT – forest is being cleared for oil palm (and acacia) plantations timber and

paper, to make space of villages & towns.

CONFLICT WITH LOCAL PEOPLE – Increased human populations and smaller suitable tiger

habitats, means that local people and tigers are in much closer contact. This leads to tigers

deliberately killed because of retaliation (tigers eating livestock) or safety concerns (scared

they will attack villagers)or accidentally killed by electric fences farmers used to keep in

their livestock. What is Palm Oil?

A vegetable oil made from the fruit of a palm tree

Why don’t we grow Palm Oil in the UK?

Key here is *climate* - the oil palm trees need a tropical climate to grow.

This information is not found in

the interpretation here.

Encourage students to look at

the words and make the link

What do you think these substances could have in common? Why could this be a problem?

PALMOLEIN VEGETABLE OIL VEGETABLE FAT STEARIC ACID PALM KERNAL PALMATE

CETYL/PALMITYL ALCOHOL ELAEIS GUINEENSIS SODIUM ISOSTEAROYL GLYCERYL STEARATE

They are all different names for palm oil

This means that palm oil can be labelled in different ways on

different products

This is a problem because people do not know if the product

they are buying uses sustainable palm oil sources or not

This lack of transparency makes it harder for people to make

ethical choices about which products they buy

Name 3 everyday products that you use at home that contain Palm Oil

The interpretation boards give the following examples: Chocolate, Shampoo and Candles.

Additional supermarket products that can contain palm oil include some:

Cosmetics

Soaps

Bread

Cakes

Biscuits

Ready meals

Crisps

Margarine

Ice cream

Fruit juice

How is unsustainable palm oil farming threatening Sumatran tigers?

Palm oil is in high demand (it is in 50% of supermarket products )

Palm oil needs a tropical climate to grow

To meet growing demand for palm oil, huge areas of tropical forest a being cleared to

make space to grow the palm oil trees – and the animals that live within that habitat are

losing their homes – including the Sumatran tiger

This reduced habitat (and increase in people nearby) will also lead to more conflict

between local people and the tigers

Advantage or Disadvantage?

Huge areas of tropical forest need to be cleared to grow the tress for palm oil Disadvantage

The oil is very cheap to buy Advantage

Palm oil is in high demand Disadvantage

Palm oil is the highest yielding vegetable oil crop Advantage

The oil has particular properties which means it can be used in food, cosmetics,

and be used as a natural preservative

Advantage

Loss of tiger habitat mean there is more conflict between people and wild tigers Disadvantage

Less than half the land is needed to produce the same amount of oil as other

crops

Advantage

Over 50% of supermarket products contain palm oil Disadvantage

Organisations have grouped together to help produce and sell palm oil more

sustainably

Advantage

Products containing palm oil do not always clearly labelled Disadvantage

Many companies continue to destroy the tropical forests to meet the demand

for palm oil

Disadvantage

This question is good to discuss as a group after they have read all the information

on Palm Oil and its impact on rainforest species at Tiger Territory, drawing upon the

advantages and disadvantages of palm oil as a consumer product.

The key here is to get students to think about the supply and demand chain,

the use of sustainable palm oil and how consumers drive trends in business. If

we, as consumers, are more ethical in our choices, businesses will quickly follow

suit to meet that demand.

More information on this topic can be found at

http://www.21stcenturytiger.org/tiger-conservation/palm-oil/ ,

http://www.sustainablepalmoil.org/ and http://www.rspo.org/.

When back at school students can research these websites to discuss their

answers in more detail.

Unsustainable palm oil production is seriously threatening Sumatran tigers, and other many

species whose habitat is lost when rainforests are cleared to grow palm oil crops.

What can we, as consumers, do to help protect these species?

How consumers can help:

Consumers drive trends in business, and companies will pay attention to things that

affect which products consumers buy.

If we all support companies that use more sustainably sourced

palm oil by buying their products over others that do not (look

for RSPO logo or information about their sustainable policy on

the packaging) then other companies will quickly start using

sustainable palm oil to sell more of their product.

Tell companies you want them to use sustainable palm oil sources anmd why so

they know the factors that affect consumer choice

Tell other people about the problems, and the importance of choosing sustainable

palm oil to help encourage this trend.

Why stopping the use of palm oil is not the answer:

o If it is stopped completely there is still a demand for vegetable oil and biofuel,

and so another crop would still need to be grown.

o Palm is the highest yielding vegetable oil crop and so less space is needed, so

less habitat is destroyed compared to other crops less than half the land is

needed to produce the same amount of oil as many other vegetable oil crops.

o Instead alternative farming methods need to be found that do not harm the

environment.

Encourage pupils to complete the task then discuss in small groups the reasons for

students’ opinions.

Students can choose any ONE of the areas mentioned in the table above. Their

reason for supporting this person/cause is based on the student’s own opinion, but

suggestions of what their reasoning may be are below.

When discussing any potential negative issues, encourage students to understand

that there are many different aspects involved in conservation, and one alone will

not meet all the criteria. It is important when designing a conservation strategy that

many factors are considered, benefitting local people as well as the species in

question. Ensuring people and wildlife have all they need to live is key to successful

conservation – and sustainability.

Page 5

SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION?

Take a look at the “Hard Choices” information board near the

exit of Gorilla Kingdom to help you answer these questions

about ways to conserve species.

There are six different areas of conservation mentioned that could help protect gorillas.

Fill in the table below using this information.

Name Conservation Work How does this benefit gorilla conservation?

Edgar Education Encourages children to respect their environment

Manix Jobs More conservation jobs for local people

Lyndsay Management Concentrate on strategic planning and fundraising

Joseph Forest Security Vehicles & communications equipment to protect the park

(i.e. more protection for the forest and it’s wildlife)

Carla Field Workers More funding for the field station and its staff

Michel Partnerships with

businesses

Help existing companies to harvest timber sustainably and sell their

produce for a fair price

Which of these areas of conservation work do you think is the most sustainable?

Why? (Make sure you include in your answer the three key themes for a sustainable

project: environmental protection, benefits to people and economic benefits)

Are there any potential negative impacts with this conservation method that would need

to be overcome?

1) EDGAR: Education - Encourage local kids to respect their environment

Environmental benefit = if more people know about the conservation problems then

they will have more respect for wildlife and are less likely to harm it.

Benefit to people = increased access to education

Economic benefit = increased access to education may mean choosing jobs in

conservation or sustainability which will bring economic benefit to the community

Negative Impacts to overcome = Educating children benefits future generations, but

not would not necessarily have an immediate benefit. Needs to go in conjunction

with more immediate actions, such as also educating adults within the community

and sustainable alternative incomes (sustainable farming techniques for example).

Could also argue that it is does not directly benefit people and economy as much

as other choices. In order to do this, conservation education could be coupled with

other support to schools (raising funds for school equipment, more teachers etc.)

2) MANIX: Jobs – More conservation jobs for local people

Environmental benefit = if local people are working in conservation, they are more

likely to protect the forest. Alternative incomes mean they would not need to cut

down trees/kill animals to make money

Benefit to people = more jobs in the community means they have an income to

support their families

Economic benefit = more jobs means more money within the community

Negative Impacts to overcome = it is not a sustainable approach alone because it

does not benefit the entire community. More jobs may need to go in conjunction

with education, training and scholarships to ensure people were able to make

positive impact to conservation and supported adequately to be able to carry out

these important jobs effectively.

3) LYNDSAY: Management – Concentrate on strategic planning and fundraising

Environmental benefit = this could raise even more money to achieve more and

implement more environmental protection strategies

Benefit to people = some of this money could be used to benefit the community

and people – buying/building things that they need

Economic benefit = more money coming into the community

Negative Impacts to overcome = fundraising alone is not a guaranteed income and

is reliant on people giving money. Therefore it could run out (i.e. not sustainable). This

could be overcome by using the money generated through fundraising to fund a

sustainable conservation project.

4) JOSEPH: Forest security – More protection for the forest and it’s wildlife

Environmental benefit = more security would mean the gorillas are less likely to be

killed by hunters.

Benefit to people = if local people were employed as forest security, this would

increase job opportunities

Economic benefit = more jobs means more money coming into the community

Negative Impacts to overcome = It is not a sustainable approach alone because as

soon as the security is absent, the gorillas will be targeted again. The gorillas are

sometimes hunted by local people because they need the money to support their

families. Just providing security for the gorillas will not help local communities, unless

it is run in conjunction with other conservation methods.

5) CARLA: More field workers – More funding for the field station and its staff

Environmental benefit = more field workers would mean that more research could

be carried out, and so we will have a better understanding of how to protect the

gorillas.

Benefit to people = if local people were employed as field workers, this would

increase job opportunities

Economic benefit = more jobs means more money coming into the community

Negative Impacts to overcome = it is not a sustainable approach alone because it

does not benefit the entire community. However, by including awareness and

community outreach roles with local field staff would help make it a more

sustainable approach.

6) MICHEL: Partnerships with business – Help existing companies to harvest timber sustainably

and sell their produce for a fair price

Environmental benefit = there would be reduced impact on the forest habitats so

the gorillas and other wildlife could still live in it.

Benefit to people = local companies would be supported, and so still able to make

money, and provide jobs to the local community

Economic benefit = by adopting more sustainable methods, these companies could

run more efficiently and save money. Supporting such companies will also help them

to grow

Negative Impacts to overcome = It is not a sustainable approach alone because it

does not address the issue of hunting. If ran in conjunction with other approaches

that also increased awareness and forest protection, it would offer more

environmental benefits.

On leaving Rainforest Life, promote a discussion in the group about their ideas on

utilising the rainforests in a sustainable way, this could be extended into a project on

return to schools in relation to science or geography KS3 curriculums.

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Who needs trees?

Use the information in Rainforest Life to help you answer these

questions about how sustainable choices can impact on rainforest

habitats.

Look at the information signs around Rainforest Life. What do these numbers represent?

17% carbon emissions from deforestation

26% carbon emissions from electricity

16 number of football pitch sized area of rainforest being lost each minute

8,581,924 number of football pitch sized areas of rainforest being destroyed each year

25% proportion of our medicinal ingredients which originate from the rainforest

1% amount of rainforest plants and trees currently tested for medical benefits

Considering those numbers, do you think the rainforests are being used in a sustainable

way?

No – citing any reasons that incorporate the facts and figures above

Think of 3 things you could change about your daily life to live in a more sustainable way:

Any ideas that relate to reducing waste, and using water and energy more efficiently.

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How can we be more sustainable?

The focus here is not on generalized ideas, but practical solutions.

This activity is designed as a plenary exercise to be completed at the end of the day or

back at school after your visit. It builds upon the last task in their pre-visit workbook.

Encourage the students to look back on those ideas, and also to look at how the school

currently deals with these problems. Are there ways they could be more sustainable?

Based on what they have learnt during their visit to London Zoo, can they now turn those

ideas into a project for the school to adopt?

Encourage them to think about how they would implement this project – e.g. instead of

just saying “recycle more”, look at how it would work in practice – e.g. “set up recycling

bins for paper and plastic in every classroom, ensuring these are then sent to be

recycled”