The Galapagos Conservation Trust not only raises funds for the Islands, but also awareness. And where better to do this than in the classroom? Our Tortoise Club for Primary Schools is a scheme which has been running for the past 4 years, after a gift from the British Chelonia Group helped its launch. Since then the club has gone from strength to strength with the 50 classes signed up as members learning about the importance of conservation as a whole through the inspirational creatures of Galapagos, particularly the iconic Giant Tortoise. The interactive scheme equips teachers with all the information they need along with fun materials to really get the children interested, such as the 'adopt a tortoise' pack received upon enrolment to prove that they are supporting a live Galapagos Giant Tortoise Egg at the Breeding Centre in Galapagos. The class can follow the progress of the hatchlings until they are released back into the wild. "The children adore receiving Tortoise Club updates and are always asking how their tortoise, who we named Blue, is doing!" says Mrs Johnson from Fell Dyke Primary School in Gateshead.

Schools are also encouraged to host their own Tortoise Day. GCT can help to arrange the involvement of experts who take tortoises and other exotic beasties for the children to hold while learning about tortoise husbandry and the importance of protecting their Giant overseas relatives!

In October, Milking Bank Primary School in Dudley, did just this - hosting its 3rd Annual Tortoise Day.

All 480 pupils who attend the school participated in an array of tortoise related activities! The children, who all paid £1 each to wear non-uniform clothes to school that day, raised £411 for the Galapagos Conservation Trust, and will be to putting the money towards renewing membership to the Tortoise Club for all 14 classes.

The children were delighted to welcome guests from West Midland Safari Park and British Chelonia Group.

Steve and Chris, from the Safari Park, brought along with them two Mediterranean Spur-thighed Tortoises for the children to hold and touch. They also organised activities ranging from tortoise role-play games to question and answer sessions, from making paper tortoises to talks on tortoise husbandry. All of the sessions had a science-focus to teach the children basic tortoise biology and how to care for them.

Meanwhile, the British Chelonia Group showed the children in years 3, 4 and 5 how they carry out 6 monthly health checks on the tortoises. Teaching them about what signs to look out for in healthy tortoise and how to record this information. They also gave an introduction to the "Jackson ration" which is a devise used to measure a tortoise's growth!

BCG lots of different species of tortoises with them: Hermanns, Spur-thighed and Vietnamese to name a few. The tortoises also varied in children particularly enjoyed holding the year-old hatchlings!

The day was thoroughly enjoyed by all the school and, once again, was a great success!

Please contact the Tortoise Club Team (tortoise@gct.org) for further information about enrolling a class - and some fun ideas on how the children can raise the £35 for membership!