ANIMAL COMMUNITY
INSPIRING A NEW GENERATION OF WILDLIFE PROTECTORS As a not-for-profit organisation, Zoos Victoria values the support of its animal-loving community. This includes a valued partnership with PETstock who are inspiring and educating a new generation of wildlife champions.
T
hrough storytelling, education programs and research support, PETstock is helping Zoos Victoria to work toward its greatest goal: to fight extinction. Now in year two of a three-year partnership with Zoos Victoria, PETstock – and its charity foundation – is dedicated to supporting conservation work and animal care and welfare, while educating the next generation of conservationists. One of the ways PETstock is working towards this collaborative aim is by funding educational readers for Victorian primary schools. The Zoos Victoria Readers are designed to make kids more aware of their local wildlife – and, importantly, to care about it. These captivating readers, filled with engaging stories, were provided to
14
schools in time for Term 2 (which began in April 2022) and are supported by a range of online workshops and teaching resources, to help teachers create meaningful lessons about wildlife. “We are believers in leaving the world a better place than we found it, and inspiring our youth to do the same can only be good for the planet,” says Dion Collard, Head of Marketing, Operations and Communications at PETstock. In-store colouring activities and competitions are also part of PETstock’s commitment to supporting Zoos Victoria. Mel Wyatt, Zoos Victoria Senior Manager, Education, says, “One of the first steps in protecting our wildlife is knowing that it exists in the first place. Often with Australian species that tend to be either nocturnal and secretive in behaviour, or more rarely encountered,
we only begin to understand our own local wildlife diversity at an older age.” The readers will ensure Foundation to Year Two students are well informed about the Critically Endangered animals. “The readers have been brought to life through eliciting the story and connection of our Threatened Species team members working directly with these species in their wild habitats. I cannot wait for children to read them,” Mel says. Another example of how PETstock’s support has made a significant difference to Zoos Victoria’s work is by establishing the role of Animal Welfare Research Officer – a position that Amy-Rose Fraser has passionately undertaken. “Collaboration is so important in the world of animal welfare and
IMAGES: JO HOWELL
WORDS Sonya Gellert
