The Learning Curve

Our recent visit to Le Village des Tortues de Carnoules with Year 5 was a fantastic experience for the students. The bus ride through the scenic countryside was full of excitement, setting the tone for a day of discovery!

Nina Ozerova in 5A said, “As we started walking, we could see the little turtles and as we went further, we could see bigger turtles getting bigger and bigger. Then we saw a little lake full of branches and turtles. We ended up in a room where we could watch a film about turtles. We learnt that looking after the turtles is a very important job because some turtles had been badly hurt and we have to be careful not to touch them as this could make you sick and spread germs.”

 

Our trip to the tortoise sanctuary not only supports the Eco Schools Award by fostering conservation awareness through the theme of Biodiversity, but also links closely to the English National Curriculum. The visit enhanced previous learning in Science, particularly in topics such as habitats, biodiversity, and ecosystems, which the students had studied in Year 4. Last year, the students took their learning to the local forest, so it was a wonderful opportunity to be able to bring this learning experience out of the school grounds and into the region. At the sanctuary, the children were amazed to see such a wide variety of tortoises and turtles from all over the world, learning about their unique habitats and conservation efforts. The extensive park was thoroughly engaging and gave us an understanding of the importance of protecting endangered species.

The highlight of the day was watching the turtles roam freely in their natural environments, which sparked curiosity and admiration among the students. They also enjoyed learning about the sanctuary's mission of rescuing and rehabilitating turtles, gaining insight into how they can contribute to wildlife conservation. As stated by the park, all the turtles (more than 1900) in the park have been abandoned. In recent years the park has recorded on average requests for 2500 to 3000 turtles of 17 different species offered each year. 

Liv and Maggie were so inspired by what they had seen that on our return back to school, they started planning how to share their experience with the rest of the school.

They said, “The trip was amazing and fun but it was pretty sad seeing some of the pictures.. We learnt about different turtles and we saw some of the photos. We thought this isn't correct and people cannot abandon them. We thought it was important that people know what is happening so we thought we could do an assembly and or a fundraiser for a turtle charity. This could help make sure they are not abandoned and taken care of more. 

At the sanctuary, students learn about protecting endangered species, sustainable ecosystems, and the impact of human activities on wildlife. They showed a great interest in taking an active role in conservation efforts, aligning with the Eco Schools' focus on promoting awareness and action for a healthier planet. The trip not only deepened the children’s knowledge but also fostered an appreciation for nature. It was a fun, educational day that will leave lasting memories! We have decided to put together an assembly to share the sanctuary’s good work with all of our primary students - watch this space!
 

Claire MacPherson
Primary Teacher & Key Stage 2 Lead