TAP Wildlife Students Fun in the Sun
This year we have been lucky enough to welcome our first lot of students to our TAP Wildlife session! Their first week here has been filled with amazing adventures into the wonderful wildlife around Australia. From reptile shows to pontoon boating and even a visit to the zoo, it is safe to say that these students have had no shortage of fun!
Keep reading to find out a little bit more about the wonderful week that was!
On Tuesday we were visited by an array of reptiles such as the wild saltwater crocodile and the friendly bearded dragon. We were lucky enough to have the amazing people from Wild Encounters to guide us through the experience and give us a bit more information about each animal. We encountered all manner of reptiles starting with a freshwater turtle. We learned all about the turtle’s shell and many of the students were amazed by the turtle being able to tuck its head and feet in to protect itself!
Next, we got to meet the wonderful blue tongue lizard who makes its home in many Australian gardens. This beautiful creature looks a little bit like a very short snake but make no mistake, this little guy means you no harm.
We also got to meet a bearded dragon, a children’s python, a rainbow boa and the finale was a juvenile saltwater crocodile! This young guy was only two years old so he was only very little compared to the full-size ones you can see in the wild. Saltwater crocodiles can grow up to 6 meters in length over their lifetime. With this one being just under 1 meter long, he still had a bit of growing to do!
Throughout the week the students have been doing incredible work in their classes, improving their English language skills and learning all about local Australian animals! From poster making to completing crosswords, there is never a dull moment in their classroom.
On Wednesday the students got to go pontoon boating down the beautiful Maroochy river, learning all about the birds, fish and vegetation or the area. The students saw everything from pelicans and rainbow lorikeets to rays and turtles, even getting to experience the beautiful mangroves on the riverbanks.
The on Thursday the students made the trip to Australia zoo to experience what it’s like to be a zookeeper for the day! Throughout the day the students were shown around the zoo and had the opportunity to meet, pat and even feed some of the amazing animals.
The day started with a visit to the Aldabra tortoise where they learned all about the oldest tortoise in the zoo! Next they took a buggy tour through the Africa area where they got to help make some of the feed bags for the rhinos. Of course, you couldn’t have an Australia zoo Africa tour without an opportunity to feed the giraffes where they fed them their favorite treat, carrots!
After the Africa tour the students made their way to the wildlife hospital where they learnt all about the zoo’s conservation and wildlife preservation efforts! The zoo does great work to help protect our native wildlife and increase and preserve the populations of endangered wildlife. The students then got to help feed the cassowary before having some lunch of their own. They finished off the day watching the iconic Wildlife Warrior show which involved the feeding of some of our saltwater crocodiles.
Overall, it has been an absolute thrill to have these students involved in our new TAP Wildlife program. They have learned so much about Australian wildlife and we look forward to what they have in store for the week to come. If you would like to keep up with our TAP activities across all of our campuses, you can find us on Instagram at @lexisjuniors.
Would you like more information?
For our Junior program, please visit Teen Activity Program – Lexis Juniors
For our English and Vocational courses, please visit Lexis English – Courses