12 year old ds loves nature/wildlife/zoos

[SalaciousCrumb]

My ds (12 next week) is passionate about wildlife conservation and says he would like to make a friend with another child his own age who shares his interest.

We take him to Marwell zoo every month for a club, we are trying to get him into an RSPB young explorers club and I've just found another group that meets once a month run by our local Wildlife Trust. We also take him birdwatching - he says he would rather have a really good pair of binoculars than an x-box, although like most other 12 year olds he can be obsessed by Minecraft!

Does anybody have any other suggestions? Or even a similar child (somewhere on the south coast!) with similar interests?

NO suggestions but how very cool! Is he watching the Operation Wild series with Claire Balding?

Thanks for reply ABland no he's not watching the Operation Wild series (will look out for it) but there is a programme tonight he'll catch a programme called The Zoo, they're are at Whipsnade. We went to London Zoo for his birthday, spent 6 hours looking around.

Since developing his interest more, he seems to be able to cope with things like being left out of activities with friends etc so much better. I suppose it pales into insignificance compared with tiger conservation etc!

Operation Wild is fantastic - my dd (9) loves it!

It's all on iplayer!

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04dby0q

Your ds has fantastic taste.
London and whipsnade do junior keepers for the day if your ds is a member. They do loads of great stuff for junior members. Also, it may be worth looking if you have a local wildlife hospital in a year or two they may let him volunteer.

I've just had a reply from a local RSPB Wildlife group and they can accept him as other children have left activities will include a trip to Brownsea Island in Dorset to look for red squirrels and up at 7am to do some bird ringing, monthly meet ups

Damnautocorrect thanks for suggestion of local wildlife hospital.

There's some great wildlife programmes on at the moment including the Clare Balding; there's usually an autumnwatch on so that'll be soon I imagine.

He won't join the science club at school as he says nobody he knows in it, but for some reason will join other things.

Ooooh OP, what is the Marwell Zoo club like? I've just told my (13 yo) DS about it and he's very excited! He loves nature, animals and minecraft. We're about 45 mins north but we could make it there once a month. Off to look at the website.....

Sounds lovely OP!

theSameBoat have pm'd you as only just seen your reply so not sure if you'd see mine Marwell club was today.
Abland he got so much out of the bird ringing activity, the whole family is invited to Brownsea Island next month to spot red squirrels!

DS1 has asked me to sponsor a snow tiger (WWF donation) for his Christmas present - aww!