Lockdown Learning: Wild Lunch Wednesdays

Going out into the field (virtually!)

By Charlotte Coales

One of the things I’ve missed the most over the past year, is not being able to explore new environments and get out into the field.  That said, I’ve had a great time exploring closer to home, and have learned to appreciate and value my local environment (the back-garden in particular) far more than ever before!  But I miss seeing new places and wildlife.

So, at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), where I work, we’ve come up with a solution!  Wild Lunch Wednesdays give viewers the chance to venture (virtually!) into the field with our ZSL scientists and conservationists, from the comfort of your own home.

ZSL is a conservation charity.  We run two zoos (ZSL London and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo), have a research institute (the Institute of Zoology - packed with incredible scientists) and have a team of dedicated conservationists involved in projects across the world.  This means we have a wealth of knowledge and stories to tell!

Wild Lunch Wednesdays (running fortnightly, throughout February and March) will introduce you to some of these experts – giving you the chance to explore a new location (some far-flung, some closer to home) and hear first-hand accounts of the highs and lows of life in the field.

We’ll be covering pangolins in the Philippines, wild dogs in East Africa, sharks in the Indian Ocean and some of the amazing aquatic wildlife found along the UK coastline. 

Our first event will be with ZSL scientist Chris Yesson, as he talks about his work studying the deep sea floor in Greenland.  Chris will recount tales of iceberg close-encounters, describe what life is like onboard a research vessel, and will reveal how he studies what's at the bottom of the sea without getting his feet wet!

Wild Lunch Wednesdays are also an opportunity for you to ask our experts your own questions.  So please do let us know what you’d like to ask by emailing us in advance – send your questions to [email protected] (with the event name in the subject title) and we’ll try to cover as many as we can during each event!

For full detail about all of the events and where to watch them, please visit www.zsl.org/wildlunchwednesdays

It may not be quite the same as going ‘into the field’ yourself, but it’s the next best thing!

Images: ZSL Conservationist looks out for seals on the Thames (ZSL), Charlotte at an FSC Reptile & Amphibian Course (Charlotte Coales), Philippine Pangolin (Lucy Archer), Chris Yesson (ZSL), Chris Yesson (ZSL)