What are the requirements of the space where the activity with animals will be carried out? And are there any other circumstances to take into account? In this guide we will clarify the following points:
- Space requirements
- The school
- In youth camps
- How the workshops work
- Preliminary preparation
- Workshop
- Subsequent tasks
- COVID-19 Protocol
- Parking
If you need more information, please consult the general information.
The Zoo of the Pyrenees has explicit permission from the Directorate General of Environmental Policies to hold workshops with animals in schools and in youth camps all over Catalonia.
Space requirements
The activities with animals are carried out in enclosed areas. The animals that participate in the activities are specimens that cannot return to nature and our commitment with the General Directorate of the Natural Environment is that we have to avoid any possibility of escape. It is for this reason that unfortunately it is not possible to do the workshops neither in the courtyard nor in any other place in the open air.
At school
If activities are held in an educational center, space requirements are minimal. The workshops can be held in the students’ usual classroom or in the school gymnasium.
In the students’ regular classroom
It is advisable to set aside the tables and form a U shape with the chairs where the students will be seated.
If there is not enough space in the classroom or the school protocol does not allow it, students can be seated in their usual classroom during the animal workshops at school.
In the case that several activities are carried out on the same day, it is necessary to calculate 10 minutes between one activity and the other in order to move the animals from one classroom to the other.
When several actions are carried out on the same day, each class will have its own previously disinfected material.
Workshop at the gymnasium
To ensure the welfare of the animals and to comply with the requirements of the COVID-19 preventive measures, only 1 class or a maximum of 25 students can participate in each workshop.
It is advisable for the students to be seated on benches. It provides them with more comfort and makes it easier for the Zoo of the Pyrenees team to bring the animals closer to the students.
It is not necessary to have a separate space for the animals, the Zoo of the Pyrenees team carries roll-ups that provide the animals with the quiet space they need.
If several workshops are held on the same day by different class groups, the Zoo of the Pyrenees team will be responsible for disinfecting all the material and surfaces that the students touch between activities.
In youth camps
As in the case of schools, it is also essential in youth camps to have a closed place to meet the space requirements to carry out the activity with wild animals. This can be a common room or simply a large enough room for the children to sit comfortably.
Space for animals during wildlife workshops
There must be a space of about 2m² in the classroom to leave the animals.
The classroom during the activity.
The space where the animals are left during the activity.
The Zoo of the Pyrenees team cleans the workshop space after the last activity.
How the animal workshops work
Preliminary preparation
About 15 minutes before the activity begins, the Zoo of the Pyrenees van arrives at the educational center. The Zoo of the Pyrenees Zoo team unloads the animals in a space inside the classroom or in the gymnasium. They prepare the boxes or benches according to what has been agreed with the teacher in charge of the class. Students can stay inside the classroom during this time or go out to the playground, as decided by the teacher. Students wipe their hands with disinfectant gel or with water and soap.
Workshop
The rules are explained and the activity begins.
The Zoo of the Pyrenees team is strict in complying with the rules to ensure the welfare of the animals, attentive behavior and mutual respect among the students of each class.
Subsequent tasks
At the end of the activity it is essential that all students and the teacher wash their hands with water and soap. The Zoo of the Pyrenees team is committed to spend 10 minutes in the classroom or gym to return everything to its pre-workshop state.
Security protocol for COVID-19
In the following link you can find the safety protocol of the Zoo of the Pyrenees Foundation to combat COVID-19 in schools that regulates the activities and workshops.
Parking
In order to be able to carry out the animal workshops at the school it is important to clarify the issue of parking beforehand. The Zoo of the Pyrenees car (Dacia Dokker) should be parked as close as possible to the educational center, preferably inside the school.
If this is not possible, please let us know in advance:
- Where the car can be parked on the day of the activity to unload the animals and take them to the place of the activity.
- Parking where the vehicle can be parked during the activity.
- Secure the space to bring the car back to the entrance of the center once the last activity is finished to load the animals and the material.
The animal workshops are designed
in such a way that they involve the minimum possible effort
by the teacher or by the youth camp.
At the same time they also ensure the safety of the students
as well as the welfare of the animals.
