Schools across Edinburgh are being asked to get creative in support of wildlife conservation with the launch of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) Giraffe About Town school programme.
As part of the public art trail coming to the capital’s streets this summer, a ‘wee herd’ of twenty giraffes will form a mini trail. Each four-foot-tall sculpture will be designed and decorated by local school pupils, with applications for designs now open.
The digital school programme will be available for free online, teaching the next generation the importance of wildlife conservation in Scotland and around the world, inspiring children to connect with nature and protect threatened species.
Beccy Angus, head of discovery and learning at RZSS said, “We want school pupils to get together and go head and shoulders above the rest to help celebrate them, their school and its history, with bright and colourful designs.”
City of Edinburgh council schools can find out more about getting involved in Giraffe About Town and submitting their design application at giraffeabouttown.org.uk/schools.
In addition to the wee herd, RZSS, in partnership with Wild in Art, which produces public art events, will display a herd of more than 40 eight-foot-tall giraffe models across Scotland’s capital this summer to help the city recover after lockdown and raise much needed funds for wildlife conservation. The trail will run from 1 July to 29 August 2022.
Ultimately, the sculptures will be auctioned to raise vital funds for RZSS after the Covid-19 pandemic forced the closures of Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park for five months, costing the charity more than £1.5 million.
Image credit: RZSS
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