Schools’ webinar next to bear enclosure

Our schools’ webinar has been a huge success with more than 1,400 primary aged students from across the South East joining to celebrate World Water Day. 

The webinar was held at Wildheart Animal Sanctuary on the Isle of Wight, next door to the bear enclosure. 

The students joining the webinar learnt about where our water comes from, how we fit into the water cycle and sustainable water saving practices we can all take on. 

Wildheart Animal Sanctuary is the perfect example to showcase examples of rainwater harvesting, as the bear pond is fed by water captured by the roofs of the café on site. 

Lawrence Bates, CEO at Wildheart Animal Sanctuary said: “The rainwater harvesting system means we can reuse rainwater elsewhere around the Sanctuary, cutting down our costs and putting that money into what really matters - the welfare of the animals we rescue.” 

Southern Water have also created a SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Scheme) Safari at the Sanctuary, which by gathering rainwater from the highest point of the Sanctuary is utilising gravity to create a rainwater curtain, children’s mud kitchen, and wetland plant area at various locations across the site. There are also permeable pathways too.  

Kim Twine, Education Partnerships and Programmes Manager at Southern Water said:  

“Our aim is to raise children’s awareness of how precious our resource of water is and to empower them to make small behaviour changes to ensure water resilience for the future. 

“We were so pleased to be able to hold the webinar at the Sanctuary, seeing sustainable practice in action helps to bring the message to live for the children. Plus, the bears coming out to play during the webinar made it a truly memorable session for all involved” 

As part of our New Wave Education programme, we have downloadable content for teachers and deliver sessions ourselves in schools. We also fund outdoor learning sessions called Our River Our Water, delivered on our behalf by the Rivers Trusts. 

In the past year we have reached more than 105,00 young people across our various education programmes. As part of this educational offer, we have also offered free online live assembly webinars for primary schools to celebrate key ‘water’ related calendar events. 

For more information visit Educational Resources - Southern Water