Below are a selection of locations that we are visiting in February, please check with each venue for times and ticket information. Leighton House Museum - 1st and 10th February Natural History Museum - 4th, 14th and 18th February. Steam Museum - 12th February Wimbledon Museum - 12th and 13th February Frankley Library - 14th February. Ben in the Glen Patchway Library - 14th February. Sold Out Sonning Common Library - 14th February. Margam Country Park - 15th February. Springtime

Below are a selection of locations that we are visiting in August, please check with each venue for times and ticket information. Bamburgh Castle, Bamburgh   - 1st August. Northcote Library , London - 1st August. Story Creators RHS Wisley, Woking -  1st, 2nd and 12th - 16th August.  Stamford Hill Library, London   - 1st August. Animal Explorer Thamesmere Library, London - 1st August. Story Creators York Gardens Library, London -  1st August. Story Creators Clapton Library, London - 2nd August. Animal Explorer Ealing Road Library, Wembley -  2nd August. Build A Dinosaur  Fulham Library, London -  2nd August. Story Creators  Kingbury Library, London -  2nd August. Build A Dinosaur  North Lanarkshire Heritage Centre, Motherwell -  2nd August. Natural History Museum, London  -  3rd , 5th , 12th and 23rd August.  Oakwell Hall Country Park, Birstall  -  4th August. Abbey Wood Library, London -   5th August. Story Creators  Blackheath Library, London -  5th August. Story Creators  Dalston CLR James Library, London -   5th August. Animal Explorer Blackburn Central Library, Blackburn - 6th August. Story Creators  Darlaston Library, Sheffield -  6th August. Story Creators  Darwin Library, Darwin -   6th August. Story Creators  Hall Place and Gardens, Kent -  6th and 21st August. Harlesden Library, London -  6th August. Build A Dinosaur  Lollard St Adventure Playground, London -  6th August.  Tadcaster Library, North Yorkshire - 6th August.  Story Creators  Willenhall District Library, Willenhall  -  6th August. Story Creators  Willesden Green Library, London -   6th August. Build A Dinosaur  Berkeley Castle, Stroud  - 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th August. Tudors Eccles Library, Saltford -  7th August. Story Creators  Fleet Air Arm Museum, Ilchester -   7th, 14th, 21st and 28th August Pendleton Library, Salford - 7th August. Story Creators  Syon Park, London   -  7th, 14th, 21st and 28th August. Animal Olympics  Brownhills District Library, Sheffield -  8th August.  Story Creators  Canford Heath Library, Poole - 8th August.  Story Creators  Battersea Library, London -  8th August.  Story Creators  Battersea Park Library, London -  8th August.  Story Creators  Hamsterley Forest, Roddymoor - 8th and 20th August. Eltham Library, London -  9th August. Story Creators  Floors Castle, Kelso -  10th August and 24th August. The Zagaro and Castles Willows Activity Farm,  St. Albans . - 10th and 11th August  Crimdon Dene,  Park Dean Resorts, Hartlepool - 11th August  Wemyss Bay, Park Dean Resorts, Wemyss Bay - 11th and 25th August  Coldharbour Library, Eltham -  12th August.  Story Creators  Summerlee Museum, Coatbridge -  12th August.  Barnard Castle Library, Barnard Castle - 13th August. Story Creators  Shildon Library, Shildon - 13th August. Story Creators  Wyre Forest, Bewdley - 13th and 28th August. Native Species  Compton Verney House , Stratford Upon Avon 14th and 15th August  Cupar Library,  Cupar - 14th August.  Story Creators  Duloch Library , Dunfermline - 14th August.  Story Creators  Rothes Hall Library , Glenrothes -  14th August.  Story Creators  Dunfermline Carnegie Library,  Dunfermline   - 15th August.  Story Creators   Jennie Lee Library , Lochgelly - 15th August.  Story Creators   Margam Country Park, Port Talbot - 15th and 29th August. Speedy the Snail  and Bug Hunt Seven Stories, Newcastle   - 15th August.  Story Creators   Valleyfield Library , Dunfermline   -  15th August.  Story Creators   Seaham Library, Seaham - 16th August.  Story Creators   Shoreditch Library, London - 16th August. Animal Explorer Southfields Library, London - 16th August. Story Creators   City Central Library, Stoke On Trent - 19th August.  Story Creators  Swindon Library, Swindon - 20th August. Story Creators  Thirsk Community Library, Thirsk - 20th August. Story Creators  Walkden Library, Worsley -   20th August. Story Creators  Cockerton Library ,  Darlington - 21st August.  We're Going On An Animal Hunt - SOLD OUT Darlington Library, Darlington   - 21st August. We're Going On An Animal Hunt Denbies Wine Estate Ltd, Dorking -  21st August.  Longton Library, Stoke-on-Trent - 21st August. Story Creators  Gosport Discovery Centre, Gosport - 22nd August. Story Creators  Acacia Adventure Playground, London - 23rd August.  Alice Halt Forest, Farnham -  23rd August. Native Species  Newby and Scalby Library and Information Centre, Scarborough - 23rd August. Story Creators  Lullingstone Castle, Kent - 24th and 25th August. Habitats  Croome National Trust, Worcester - 27th August.  Bridgemary Library, Gosport - 28th August  Beddow Library, Portsmouth - 30th August. Story Creators  Bentilee Library, Stoke-on-Trent , 30th August. Story Creators

Below are a selection of locations that we will visit in June. Please check with each venue for times and ticket information. 1st & 29th - Cayton Bay - Park Dean Resort, Scarborough 3rd, 10th, 17th & 24th - Cliveden - National Trust, Slough 7th - West Fife Show, Fife 7th - Earthfest, London 13th - Natural History Museum, London 14th - Macmerry Gala, East Lothian 15th - Alnwick Castle 17th - 19th - The Big Bang Fair, Birmingham 21st - Natural History Museum, London 21st - 22nd - IWM Duxford, Cambridgeshire 22nd - Newquay - Park Dean Resorts, Cornwall 25th - 29th - Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire

Below are a selection of locations that we will visit in April. Please check with each venue for times and ticket information. 4th April - Natural History Museum   8th - 9th April - EK Shopping Centre  8th - 10th April - Michelham Priory 9th April - Robert Burns Birthplace Museum   12th April - Cannock Chase Forest  14th April - Sonning Common Library  14th April -  Trebah Garden 14th April - Wigan Library 15th April - Cockerton Library  15th April - Darlington Library 16th April - Alice Holt Forest  16th April - High Lodge Forest   25th April - Garston Library

Today, we are exploring another African country — Kenya! Featuring a range of biomes and habitats — including national parks and reserves, mountain forests, grasslands, scrublands and woodlands — Kenya is home to an array of fascinating animals. 1. The lilac-breasted roller has 12 different feather colours. Kenya’s colourful national bird is a symbol of love. Their bright feathers are even used to decorate wedding dresses. 2. The Tana River red colobus can only be found on a 37-mile stretch of land. This species is endemic and one of the twenty five most critically endangered primates in the world, with only 1000 left in the wild at last count in 2019. 3. Kenya is home to one of the most dangerous species of crocodile. The Nile crocodile is responsible for 275 to 745 attacks per year in Africa, with 63% of these attacks resulting in fatalities. 4. However, something much smaller is the most deadly Kenyan animal. A big threat in a tiny package, mosquitoes are carriers of some of the deadliest diseases around, such as malaria, dengue fever and West Nile virus. 5. The Grevy’s zebra is named after a French president. French naturalist Émile Oustalet discovered Grevy’s zebra and named it after her president, Jules Grévy. 6. Taita Hills region is home to the Boulengerula taitana The Taita African caecilian is a limbless, worm-like amphibian. 7. The Malindi-Watamu ecosystem is home to 150 different species of coral This reef is home to 500 different species of fish. The diverse marine life earned the park a biosphere reserve status, as well as the UN World Biosphere Reserve recognition. 8. A shy ZooLab favourite The Kenyan sand boa tucks its head into its coils when threatened, presenting predators with its tail as a decoy. 9. Kenya is home to over 805 species of spider Arachnophobes look away. A report found that about 300 species are known exclusively from Kenya, and 158 are sub-endemics. 10. The marabou stork is one of the ugliest animals in Kenya. You’ve heard of the Big Five, but have you heard about the Ugly Five? Kenya’s ugly 5 focuses on species that aren’t typically classed as attractive but play an important role in the ecosystem. It consists of warthog, spotted hyena, marabou stork, vulture, and wildebeest. Are your class studying Africa or Habitat? If so, please get in touch. ZooLab’s team are experts at hitting those Living Things and Their Habitats outcomes. Contact us at info@zoolabuk.com or fill in our contact form. We hope you enjoyed learning about Kenyan animals. Let us know what country you would like to see next.

Invasive species are a growing concern worldwide, disrupting ecosystems, economies, and biodiversity. Yet, many people still have questions about what makes a species invasive, why they’re harmful, and how they spread. In this blog, we’ll explore some of the most common questions surrounding invasive species, shedding light on the challenges they present and what can be done to protect our environment. What is an invasive species, and how do they spread? An invasive species is any group of animals that is living outside its native area. To be classed as invasive, they also have to cause a notable amount of harm to the local environment, the economy, and/or human health.   It is mostly human interference that causes this to happen, either conscious or unconscious. In our modern world, we transport people and goods at incredible quantities and species get caught up in the vehicles that we use. Small aquatic animals get stuck in the ballast or propellers of ships, insects hide in the wood of shipping crates, and non-native pets are released into the wild (either intentionally or unintentionally).   Why are they a problem? They are a problem because of the negative impact they have on the world around them. In their native habitats, they may have had natural balances in place (like predators or parasites) that would’ve kept the numbers in line that may not be present in their new spaces.   Their influence reaches many different parts of life. Invasive species settle into their new environment fast and usually breed plentifully. This puts the very delicate ecosystem out of balance, leading to, usually, an overabundance of predators and fewer prey animals, meaning that native species could face endangerment. They also may damage and endanger local plant life.   These new species may also bring with them diseases that could be harmful to public health. They may bring with them dangerous bacteria that the local human population is not equipped to deal with, either in their immunity or medically.   The cost of managing these invasive species also has a huge impact on their presence. It is estimated that around £1.2 trillion is spent on their management across the world annually.   What’s the difference between non-native and invasive species? The difference is the effect they have on the world around them. Non-native species are able to be introduced into a new environment and integrate into the ecosystem with little negative impact. They thrive in their new area and cause little threat to others. Invasive species, on the other hand, are introduced into an environment and are a detriment to the local area despite also thriving in them.   What invasive species exist in the UK? There are several invasive animals in the UK, some of which you may not expect. The Grey Squirrel, for example, was introduced into Great Britain from America in 1876. They sadly carried a disease with them that killed off most of our native Red Squirrel population. Red squirrels are now only present in parts of the Scottish Highlands and the Isle of Wight. Asian hornets are another, more recent example. While they pose no more threat to humans than native hornets, they are excellent predators of honeybees and other pollinators. Researchers have concluded that an increase in flooding and rising temperatures have allowed the species to flourish. If you spot them in the UK, they must be reported immediately .   Canada Geese are also invasive to the UK. Although they have become rather commonplace in the British Isles, they were originally introduced around 300 years ago. These geese have grown in population year on year, and their effect on their local wildlife is notable. Their droppings pose a human health risk, and they regularly destroy local grasslands. Their territorial nature also prevents other waterfowl from nesting and mating.   What can we do about them? There’s plenty we can do to help this global environmental issue, including: Report sightings of invasive species to help conservationists Thoroughly check shoes, vehicles, and luggage when travelling to make sure you’re not bringing any animals with you unknowingly Volunteer with your local wildlife organisations and help with any efforts to control species populations ethically Read up on invasive species

Below are a selection of locations that we will visit in February. Please check with each venue for times and ticket information. The Trentham Estate , Stoke-on-Trent - CNY - 1st Feb Natural History Museum , London - DinoSnores for Kids - 9th Feb Garston Library, Liverpool - The Zagaro - 14th Feb Natural History Museum , London - Adult Lates - 14th Feb Swinton Library, Mexborough - Animal Explorer - 17th Feb National Army Museum , London - 18th and 20th Feb Alice Holt Forest, Farnham  - 19th Feb Queen's Park Library, London - 19th Feb High Lodge Thetford Forest, Suffolk  - 19th Feb Maida Vale Library, London -  MiniBeasts - 1 9th Feb Denbies Wine Estate Ltd,  Dorking - 19th - 20th Feb Church Street Library, London  - 20th Feb Acacia Adventure Playground, London - Animal Explorer - 21st Feb Natural History Museum , London -  Dinosnores for Grown Ups - 21st Feb

As the year draws to a close, now is the perfect opportunity to reflect on the wonderful year we've had here at ZooLab and to look forward to a very exciting 2025! What a year it's been for us! From our Biome Builders competition to our staff getaway 'Camp ZooLab', 2024 has been exciting!   Camp ZooLab At the beginning of September, we took our team off for a weekend of fun activities and team building. We all descended on a nice spot in the countryside of Chester for three days, playing summer camp games, roasting marshmallows on the campfire, and celebrating what a brilliant team we have. This is the second year we’ve run Camp ZooLab and was led by Ranger Anna, a veteran of real summer camps in America! The team came away from the event feeling refreshed and with deeper connections to each other – especially between our office and ranger teams!   New office We moved into a brand-new office in mid-late 2024! Based in Larbert, Scotland, our new office space has allowed us to work together as a team more closely and promoted staff morale. We’ve been loving our new space and have been diligently decorating it to give our place the ZooLab touch!   Climate Crusaders: Biome Builders We launched our brand-new competition series, Climate Crusaders, this year! Aimed at instilling a deep-rooted sense of sustainability in the next generation, the first competition looked at the earth’s different biomes and the problems they face. Named Biome Builders, the competition asked students to create biomes out of recycled materials and write a letter explaining why the biome is important and how we can protect it. We had an amazing 108 entries for this competition and the two school winners received a half-day free ZooLab visit plus £750 towards a sustainability project. Two runners-up received a free single session plus £250 towards a sustainability project.    ZooLab Gives Back This year we spent a lot of time thinking of ways that we can leave the world a better place than we found it. This included an effort to support causes close to our hearts, such as collaborating with our customers to donate to Cool Earth, an organisation that helps protect and strengthen the rainforest. Our customers raised an amazing £860 for the organisation. We also saw donations pour in for Alzheimer‘s-related charities during Alzheimer’s Awareness Month.   Sustainability As always, we were passionate this year about continuing our sustainability efforts. We took part in World Clean Up Day in September, encouraging our staff and customers to clean up their local areas. Our drive towards Net Zero continued this year and the company was carbon neutral again this year. We are still fully committed to our long-term journey to ultimately becoming a Net Zero organisation.   Workshops Reimagined This year, we decided to add some new workshops to our repertoire, beginning with the launch of our Oceans workshop at the start of the year. This workshop aims to teach students about the importance of the ocean and how we can protect it. We also launched our lesson packs! Written by a teacher for teachers, they are designed to save teachers time and meet even more curricular outcomes. Our new add-on comes at no extra cost, ensuring ZooLab experiences are of a premium value.   Continued Partnerships We continued our valued partnerships, as well as forging some new ones, with customers such as the National History Museum, Activate Camps, RHS Wisley, Eden Project, Floors Castle, Life Science Centre, RHS Tatton Park, Syon Park, RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Bamburgh Castle, The Big Bang Fair, Ultimate Activity Camps, JAG and Camp Beaumont. We can’t wait to see where these relationships take us next year!   If you’d like to make your 2025 a little wilder, why not book a ZooLab workshop? Get in touch with us today to book yours!

Lower School Winner - Stormont School, Olive The judges were particularly impressed by Olive's level of detail, even going so far as to read up on the ocean. Judges feedback: "The write up had good reasoning as she had read a book about the problem. She also knew what materials are bad for the ocean and the animals that live in it. Her model was detailed and she only used natural materials." "I love the level of detail shown in her biome, and the scale of everything inside works so well, she’s made a great effort and the fact she’s included lots of pollution really shows she understands the problems facing our oceans!" Lower School Runner Up - Newton Hill Community School, Adeline and Gabriela Adeline and Gabriela really impressed the judges with their creative use of materials to create their rainforest biome! Judges feedback: "This showed a good understanding of the importance of a rainforest. It was an interesting piece to read and gave good reasons to protect the rainforest. This was a lovely model, full of detail." "You both have created an enchanting rainforest biome, there’s so much going on that it keeps your eyes busy! It’s really beautiful and I have to say I particularly enjoyed the pipe cleaner snakes! Wonderful attention to detail!" Lower School Gallery Upper School Winner - Polkemmet Primary School, P4/5 The judges were very impressed with P4/5's fantastic letter and multi-layered Biome in a Box. Judges feedback: "This was a well written piece with showed great knowledge. I like the reference to the rain forest being the lungs of the world. They also gave lots of details and examples which made it very factual and persuasive. Most importantly they gave solutions to the problem which I found encouraging. It was an excellent model demonstrating all the levels of the rain forest and as far as I can see only recycled materials were used." " I’m very impressed with how well thought out this piece was. I love the fact that you have specifically described the different layers within the rainforest and thought about what animals can be found in each! Upper School Runner Up - Harefield Primary School , H, J and F The team were particularly impressed with the groups depiction of the savannah eco-system. Judges feedback: " The last paragraph was well written and factual. It was persuasive and stressed the urgency of protecting the savannah eco-system. The model was good and demonstrated a savannah eco-system well" H,J and F say: "If we do not protect the environment, many animals will become extinct. There are only 3,000 black rhinos left in Africa. What a disaster it will be if we allow them to become extinct! What will future humans think about the way we are mistreating the environment? We are all responsible for looking after and protecting every biome on Earth." Upper School Gallery We'd like to thank our three wonderful judges: Dr Lynne MacTavish, Prof. Adam Hart, and our very own Natureman, Chris Knowles! We'd also like to thank everyone for their fabulous entries and letters - we had so much fun reading through them all!

Below are a selection of locations that we are visiting in October, please check with each venue for times and ticket information. OCTOBER Natural History Museum, London  - 5th, 6th, 20th and 31st October Parkdean Resorts - Wemyss Bay, Inverclyde - 6th and 20th October Sandy Bay Holiday Park - Ashington, Northumberland  - 6th October Valleyfield Library, Fife  - 8th October Everything Electric at Farnborough International, Hampshire   - 11th - 13th October St John's Shopping Centre, Perth  - 12th October Park Resorts - Soouthview, Lincolnshire  - 13th October Parkdean Resorts - Crimdon Dene, Hartlepool  - 13th and 20th October Parkdean Resorts - Camber Sands, East Sussex  - 13th and 20th October EK, East Kilbride  - 15th October Thorpe Park, Surrey  - 15th October Summerlee Museum, Coatbridge  - 17th and 18th October Waddesdon Manor, Aylesbury  - 19th, 20th, 26th and 27th October Bromwich Hall Manor House Museum, West Midlands  - 20th October RHS Garden Bridgewater, Greater Manchester  - 24th October David Lloyd - Sidcup, London  - 26th October Bowood House Gardens, Wiltshire  - 26th - 31st October The Royal Institution, London  - 27th October Ludlow Castle, Shropshire  - 27th October Lullingstone Castle, Kent  - 27th October Colne Valley Regional Park, Uxbridge  - 28th October Hamsterley Forest, County Durham  - 28th October Painshill, Surrey  - 28th October Hemel Hempstead Library, Hemel Hempstead  - 28th October David Lloyd - Peterborough, Cambridgeshire  - 28th October David Lloyd - Bolton, Greater Manchester  - 28th October RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Harrogate  - 28th - 31st October RHS Wisley, Surrey  - 28th - 31st October Bamburgh Castle, Surrey  - 29th October Hanbury Hall and Gardens, Worcestershire  - 29th - 31st October Weston Park Garden, Staffordshire  - 29th - 31st October Eden Project, Cornwall  - 29th - 31st October The Trentham Estate, Staffordshire  - 29th - 31st October Hopetown Darlington, Durham  - 30th October Denbies Wine Estates, Dorking  - 30th October Hall Place and Gardens, Bexley  - 30th October Osterley Park and House, Isleworth  - 31st October Cockerton Library, Darlington  - 31st October Darlington Library, Darlington  - 31st October NOVEMBER Alice Holt Forest, Hampshire  - 1st November RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Harrogate  - 1st November RHS Wisley, Surrey  - 1st November Natural History Museum, London  - 1st, 2nd, & 16th November Rye-Assic Adventure Park, Hertfordshire  - 1st November Painshill, Surrey  - 1st - 3rd November David Lloyd, Reading  - 1st November David Lloyd, Heston  - 1st November Seven Stories - The National Centre for Children's Books, Newcastle Upon Tyne  - 1st November Bowood House Gardens, Wiltshire  - 1st - 2nd November Eden Project, Cornwall  - 1st - 3rd November David Lloyd, Southend  - 2nd November Ludlow Castle, Shropshire  - 2nd November David Lloyd, Northwood  - 7th November Pimlico Library, London  - 13th November David Lloyd, Hull  - 16th November Troon Development Trust, Troon  - 16th November Life Science Centre, Newcastle Upon Tyne   - 22nd November Mayfair Library, London  - 28th November

Below are a selection of locations that we are visiting in September, please check with each venue for times and ticket information. Natural History Museum, London   - 6th and 21st September  Parkdean Resorts - Cayton Bay, Scarborough - 8th and 22nd September Parkdean Resorts - Sandy Bay Holiday Park, Northumberland - 8th and 22nd September British Science Association at Cabana, London   - 13th September Parkdean Resorts - Crimdon Dene, Hartlepool -  15th and 29th September Bang Goes the Borders, Melrose   - 21st September  Parkdean Resorts - Wemyss Bay - 22nd September  Parkdean Resorts - Camber Sands, Rye - 22nd September  Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton   - 28th September  Parkdean Resorts - Skipsea Sand, Driffield - 29th September

Below are a selection of locations that we are visiting in June, please check with each venue for times and ticket information. Floors Castle, Kelso - 6th, 20th, 27th July Brockwell Lido, London - 6th July Natural History Museum, London - 6th, 19th, 29th July RHS Tatton Parks, Cheshire - 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st July Islington Ecology Centre, London - 20th July Upminster Golf Club, London - 20th July Ocean Edge Park Resort, Lancashire - 21st July West Greenwich Library, London - 25th July Woolwich Library, London - 25th July Balham Library, London - 25th July Roehampton Library, London - 25th July Wandsworth Town Library, London - 25th July Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland - 25th July Hammersmith Library, London - 26th July Shepherds Bush Library, London - 26th July Earlsfield Library, London - 26th July Tooting Library, London - 26th July Greenwich Centre Library, London - 26th July New Eltham Library, London - 26th July Wemyss Bay - Parkdean Resorts, Inverclyde - 28th July Sandy Bay Holiday Park, Northumberland - 28th July RHS Wisley, Woking - 29th July - 2nd August Newby and Scalby Library and Information Centre, Scarborough - 29th July Meir Library, Stoke-On-Trent - 30th July Plumstead Library, Norwich - 30th July Slade Library, London - 30th July Hackney Central Library, London - 31st July Homerton Library, London - 31st July Syon Park, Brentford - 31st July Putney Library, London - 31st July