Kids needed to test Bristol Zoo Project's new playground

Alex Driscoll

21 June 2024 at 2:00 am·3-min read

CGI image of what the 'Explorers Basecamp' will look like when it opens before the summer holidays. — -Credit: (Image: Creating Adventurous Places Ltd - CAP.CO)

Bristol Zoo Project is on the hunt for young play testers ahead of the grand opening of their new adventure playground, 'Explorers Basecamp'. The conservation-themed playground, set to open next month in time for the summer holidays at the South Gloucestershire zoo, is inviting children to test out the new area in preparation for its launch.

The three-tiered tower and playground will offer a fun and educational experience, allowing children to learn about conservation, various animals, and the diverse ecosystems that makeup our planet. The first level is designed to mimic the work of Bristol Zoological Society's conservationists in the field, encouraging children to explore their environment.

The second tier is dedicated to animals and features a range of games, including sensory boards and braille inserts. The top level boasts a wobbly bridge and hammock for relaxation and nature appreciation, and aims to educate children about the role of technology in conservation and climate change.

The playground will feature floor trampolines, a racing zipline and rope jungle. ‘Explorers Basecamp’ will also include a companion slide, a wheelchair accessible roundabout and a family swing.

In order to search for ten children to test the playground, a competition has been launched. The lucky winners will have an exclusive play session on Saturday, July 20, before the zoo opens, where they can give feedback and then spend the rest of the day at the zoo.

The children will win two day-tickets, one for themselves and one for an adult. The competition is open to children under 12 years old and they must be registered by a parent or guardian over the age of 18.

The Explorers Basecamp will feature a range of accessible playground facilities as well as educational games. -Credit:Creating Adventurous Places Ltd - CAP.CO

Rosie Sims, Public Engagement Manager at Bristol Zoo Project, said: “We’re hugely excited about the opening of Explorers Basecamp this summer and are proud to have created an accessible adventure play area that children of all ages, needs and abilities can enjoy. With fantastic interactive and accessible features, it offers kids the chance to learn about protecting species and habitats, through fully immersive play.

“Of course, the best people to test it for us for the first time are the children themselves, so this competition is a perfect way to find some lucky youngsters to try it out and let us know what they think.

“Adventure play specialists CAP.CO have worked with us to design and construct Explorers Basecamp, which is based on a field station, which you’d find at one of our conservation project sites around the world, for example, in Equatorial Guinea and Madagascar. What makes it so special is that sustainability, inclusivity and authenticity are at the heart of the design, with a focus on inspiring and educating young minds.”

Work will also begin on a new habitat later this month. The Central African Forest will be the home of the Critically Endangered western lowland gorillas, which are currently at the former Clifton site, and they will be joined by cherry-crowned mangabeys, slender snouted crocodiles, African grey parrots and several species of West African freshwater fish - all the species are highly threatened.

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