ANIMAL MATTERS
BY CAROL SAROGLIA, AUSTRALIA ZOO
To all earths’ creatures both great & small, our children are by far, the most important of all The fight against wildlife and habitat consumption starts with understanding, develops with compassion and endures with respect. The daily focus of an educator is to engage and impress; to educate and inspire; to leave a lasting impression; to create that critical sense of urgency and initiate calls to action. When you spell it out like that, quite frankly, it can seem more than a little daunting, but sometimes the most simplistic of concepts are the most effective. Natural connections - you don’t have to work at these, you don’t have to come up with a list of pros and cons, they exist, they connect, they endure - they just work! Children and animals have a natural connection. Animals are the magnet and children are the willing ions – animal magnetism you could say. Now what child in some part of their life didn’t dream of being a zookeeper? The sense of adventure, new and unique experiences – we probably all have!
Children and animals have a natural connection.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carol Saroglia, Education and Volunteer Manager Australia Zoo – Carol is an experienced educator, with an extensive background in both wildlife sciences and business management. Carol and the experienced education team at Australia Zoo bring amazing wildlife adventures to the young and young at heart every day.
ZoO KeEpEr
FoR A DaY
4-15
YeArS OlD
fUn-fIlLeD dAy oF aDvEnTuRe
Book online now for the winter school holidays
1638 Steve Irwin Way, Beerwah, Qld, 4519 Open Daily 9.00am - 5.00pm
australiazoo.com.au
1803
We live with the premise that everything is accessible if we desire it. What if that wasn’t true? What if you couldn’t even see the colour of the sky, feel the grass beneath your feet, hear the sounds of the birds, smell the rain? There are children out there who can’t do any of these things – they’re unable to explore their world and experience the things we take for granted. As educators, we’re always looking for the opportunity to create the spark in the eyes and the minds of children - animals are a natural conduit and they have the innate capacity to stimulate a response, sometimes beyond all preconceived expectations.
LIFE MATTERS 57
