The TY Geographers spent an exciting day exploring the biodiversity and threats to the Amazon rainforest from the safety of Fota Wildlife Park. The day started with a talk in the sustainable lecture theatre, about the role of Fota in conservation and the importance of the Amazon rainforest. This was followed by interactive workshops led by the Fota education team, using amazonian plants, satellite imagery, maps and using tribal languages to illustrate the real threats to a biome at ‘tipping point’. The afternoon offered the opportunity to explore the Park. The girls were able to see up-close the rainforest adaptations of a range of native Amazon species including spider monkeys, capybara, iguanas and sloths. As an extra treat was to see young cheetah cubs and get up close with leaf insects.
