Let's catch up!
What a year 2020 has been (and it is only September)! We would like to take this moment to thank you all for your continued support .
Darwin's theory of natural selection taught us that we need to adapt and overcome in order to survive and we have done just that in response to the situation we have found ourselves in over the last 6 months. We have made some positive operational changes by increasing the variety of ways we can interact safely with you to include fantastic digital sessions.
The care and safety of our staff, animals and customers is our top priority and we will continue to assess this evolving situation. In the meantime, ZooLab is working hard to be prepared and ready to return safely to face to face events as soon as we can.
Going digital
Over the last few months, we have enjoyed meeting a lot of you digitally through summer library sessions and care home videos. We expanded our public offering to include a Zoom Animal Kids Club (thank you everyone who took part), digital parties and a Live To Your Living Room, 1-to-1 Animal Encounter.
Moving forward into the new academic year, we have ensured that all of our workshops can be performed to the same high standards in our ‘Virtual Classroom’ that you have come to expect from a physical ZooLab workshop. Our team is also dedicated to producing resources to help hit cross-curricular outcomes including science, literacy and math.
Going digital has ensured you, our fantastic customers, don't miss out! With everything changing on a daily basis and the threat of local lockdowns becoming reality in parts, we hope that booking an online session helps to provide peace of mind and a little bit of normality amidst the uncertainty.
A big welcome to our new animal team mates!
Anya has welcomed a few new White’s tree frogs, they are HUGE!
Toby, the blue tongue skink. He will hopefully be attending visits with Lydia in the future
Jessica, ZooLab’s Bracknell Ranger has welcomed a few new creatures over the course of lockdown. Above is a few of the giant African land snails that she has bred herself - when they are bigger you will be able to spot them on the road.
She also has welcomed a baby scorpion...
... a few cockroaches
A full new tarantula team...
And, last but not least, meet Kubu! He’s not a ZooLab animal but we couldn’t resist sharing!
Happy Retirement!
Harry and Ron, living up the retired life.
Meet our team members!
Our amazing team of ZooLab Rangers are what makes us the UK's #1 for ethical hands-on animal encounters. We thought you might like to meet them.
Introducing…Alex
We have made the final of the SME Business Awards for Best Customer Service in the public vote - yay!
Nature heals! Hands up if you spent more time exploring your natural surroundings during lockdown. We did too, particularly during the early days - it helped us settle the worries around the uncertainty and to relax, taking our mind almost completely off the complex situation unfurling before our eyes. In Japan, there is a term for this - ‘shinrin yoku’: the practice of slowing down and immersing yourself in the outdoor environment (particularly forests), which is thought to have a whole host of different health benefits.
Change IS possible! The actions of humans adjusting their lives to be based at home proved to have a big environmental impact.Towns and cities all over the world stopped - allowing nature to reclaim areas that would otherwise be a no-go for many species: wild boar visiting towns across Europe, dolphins and seals in city rivers and unusual garden bird species suddenly became regulars in many urban settings. It has shown us what the world can be like!
Below are a selection of places that we will be working with in September, please check with each venue for times and ticket information.
Southwark Libraries will be hosting a ZooLab Crazy Crew Zoom session, 1st September.
Georgie will be joining Leamington Spa Library’s Silly Finale on Teams on 19th September.
Phil and Chris will be attending the Duxford Battle of Britain AIr Show Weekend on 19th-20th September at IWM Duxford.