Glasgow's school pupils are on board in the fight to save the city's endangered species.
In recent months the ‘Wild about Scotland’ bus has been travelling the length and breadth of the country, visiting schools to teach them about the animals and species in Glasgow that are under threat of extinction.
This week it visited its 450th school meaning that some 30,000 Scottish pupils have been on board, learning about how to protect Glasgow's habitat and the environment as a whole. Some 1600 have taken part in Glasgow alone.
The specially designed double-decker bus not only takes a mobile classroom to schools but also some of the country's animal experts with the campaign run in partnership with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and Clydesdale Bank.
Barbara Smith, Chief Executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said: “We are very excited that the Wild about Scotland project has achieved the great milestone of reaching 450 schools.
"The project has helped engage children in every corner of Scotland, bringing them closer to nature and teaching them about the incredible local biodiversity that’s available on their door steps. We hope the project continues to create a lifelong appreciation of wildlife within all the schools we visited.”
Helen Page, Group Innovation and Marketing Director at Clydesdale Bank, added: “RZSS plays an important role in educating children about the conservation needs of their immediate environment and the wildlife it hosts. Their sessions across the country are engaging, entertaining and have made a great contribution to raising awareness of Scottish wildlife. We’re delighted the programme provides a great opportunity for children to connect with nature.”
‘The Bonnie Beasts of Scotland’ are among the topics discussed by youngsters with other lessons including the search for wildlife species, mini-beast hunts and building beaver dams. As part of the legacy of the campaign, almost 1,000 tree saplings have been planted in school grounds across Scotland to help offset carbon emissions from the Wild about Scotland bus.
To see when the Wild about Scotland bus is visiting your local primary school, or to access the Virtual Learning World, click here.