Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort (AWPR) has announced the launch of its first ever summer camp. AWPR’s summer camp will engage and educate local children about the environment in which they live and the complexities of the wildlife that call the desert home. The camp was created alongside a number of programmes that will be launched with the Shiekh Zayed Desert Learning Centre in 2010.
Running twice a month throughout June and July, the summer camp is open to children between 9 and 12 years old. The camp will provide hands-on experiences with animals. With class sizes limited to just 15 children with 3 teachers, the small student-to-teacher ratio will provide an interactive experience. Children will also learn about the park and the species and habitats contained within it. The objective of the camp is to embrace the passion children have for animals and show them how they can make a difference to the environment in which they live.
Children will be given a unique opportunity to take part in animal enrichment programmes, by feeding select animals, experiencing all kinds of wildlife in their natural habitats – from penguins to monkeys to giraffes. Students will shadow the animal trainers as they go about their daily activities, and who will be educating the children about the species they care for and are fully on board to answer questions and guide them through the day. Children will learn about the many different types of bird species and just how much it takes to care for an alligator!
His Excellency, Majid Al-Mansouri, Managing Director of Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort, commented on the launch of the summer camp: “The AWPR summer camp is designed to get children just as excited about wildlife and the environment as we are. We strongly believe in the concept of learning through experience, and we are confident that children will come out of the week with a whole new level of understanding about wildlife and all that it entails, from preservation to habitats and the various types of animal species. It is our mission to embrace the generations of tomorrow and ensure that we do everything we can to give them the knowledge, information and resources to truly understand how to care for the environment and the species within it.”
The summer camp is part of an ongoing education program at AWPR, and supports AWPR’s continued efforts in spreading wildlife awareness among schools and the student community in Al Ain. AWPR has also partnered with various Al Ain schools to coordinate visits to the zoo as part of their educational curriculum. With the increasing need for better understanding of our natural environment, the summer camp is intended to equip children with that knowledge through experience and fun-filled activities that are sure to occupy them during the long summer months.
Children will be able to register for the camp through their school or by directly contacting AWPR – limited group numbers mean that spaces will fill up quickly, so don’t miss out!
