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.

Page 6

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”