Whales and dolphins fascinate children, and two organisations at this week’s outdoor learning festival aim to satisfy their curiosity.
On the west coast, the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, based on Mull, strives to generate a wider understanding of the marine and coastal environments of the Hebrides, particularly the islands around Argyll. Its education team visits schools in the area, develops teaching resources, presents talks and organises events. During the summer, they take their “floating classroom”, a 60-foot yacht, to island schools to deliver marine-themed workshops.
Over in Moray, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society works to protect the mammals and their environment. As well as being famed for its dolphins, the WDCS Wildlife Centre at the mouth of the River Spey is a haven for ospreys, grey seals, harbour seals, otters, wildfowl and waders. It runs a varied schools programme.
* www.whaledolphintrust.co.uk
* www.wdcs.org
