🦏 Conserve (Chester Zoo – Off Site Zone)

🌿 Activities (All Week)

Overview

Participants will take part in a self-guided Conservation Discovery Trail around Chester Zoo, designed to bring conservation issues to life through real exhibits and environments. Using existing zoo signage, the trail encourages groups to explore key wildlife challenges and the actions being taken to address them.

The Trail Experience

All groups will enter via the main entrance, before being directed to different starting points along a shared route. This staggered approach helps manage flow while ensuring all participants experience the same core content.

As groups move through the trail, they will engage with signage and prompts linked to key conservation themes, including:

• Illegal pet trade
• Sustainable palm oil
• Sustainable fishing

Key Conservation Themes

Along the route, participants will encounter a range of species and habitats that highlight global conservation challenges, including:

• Snow leopard conservation and jaguar habitat pressures
• The impact of palm oil on species such as tigers and orangutans
• Sustainable fishing and marine ecosystems, including penguins
• The Madagascar pet trade
• Native UK wildlife within the zoo’s wildlife garden

(Route remains subject to final confirmation)

Volunteer Checkpoints

At regular intervals, groups will meet volunteer checkpoints, positioned every few stops along the route.

At each checkpoint:

• Volunteers will ask a short question based on the conservation messaging from the previous section
• Volunteers can share additional facts and context to support learning
• Groups will move on once they have engaged with the checkpoint

These checkpoints are designed to reinforce learning in a simple, interactive way.

Digital Badge System (In Development)

A digital badge system is being explored to support the experience.

• One member of each group may scan a QR code at each checkpoint
• This will act as a record of progress through the trail
• Badges will serve as a simple digital reward for engagement

This feature is currently in development and subject to change.

Wildlife Recording with iNaturalist

As part of the experience, participants will use the iNaturalist app to record and identify species they encounter during the trail. Using mobile phones, groups will photograph wildlife and log their observations, contributing to a wider global database used by scientists and conservationists.

This activity encourages participants to:

• Observe wildlife more closely
• Learn how species are identified and recorded
• Contribute to real-world citizen science and conservation research

By taking part, participants are not just learning about conservation, they are actively contributing to it.

🥇 Sub-camp Competition
Each night on the big screen we will share how well each sub-camp has done throughout the week with the recordings made on the iNaturalist app

The programme has been designed around the core participant cohort (Scouts/Guides). The following adjustments have been made to adapt the programme zone for a different audience.

👕 Please Wear

Comfortable clothing suitable for outdoor activity, along with sturdy trainers or closed-toe footwear. Participants should also consider the weather forecast and dress accordingly.

🎒 Please Bring

Small backpack including:

• Water bottle
• Sunhat, cream etc.
• Waterproofs
• Packed lunch (or plans for purchasing food from the Zoo)
• Pocket Money for the retail offerings in the Zoo
• Mobile Phone

📣 Notes for Leaders

🚌 Coach Departure Times

Coach allocations and timings will be shared at the sub-camp briefing the evening before your visit.

• Coaches will depart at 08:45 prompt
• Groups should be ready in good time to allow for smooth boarding
• Late arrivals may miss their allocated transport
• Coaches will depart Chester Zoo at 16:00 for the return journey to site

You will be greeted at the coach by Chamboree volunteers who will help support groups through the Zoo’s entrance. Look out for them, don’t get charged entry!

Final coach allocations will be confirmed at the sub-camp briefing the evening before, with departure at 08:45 prompt.

🧭 Leader Ratios & Travel Arrangements

This is the most important point for the day.

• All participants will be allocated a ticket and coach place
• Leaders will be allocated seats based on a ratio of 1:12, plus 1
  • Up to 12 participants = 2 leaders
  • 13–24 participants = 3 leaders
  • 25–36 participants = 4 leaders, and so on

This ensures appropriate supervision throughout the visit.

Additional tickets can now be booked on via the Chamboree bookings website login area:

• Additional adult (18+) – £19 including transport
• Additional young person (under 18), including young leaders or leaders children (not already paying participants) – £16 including transport
• Carers (meeting the definition of Chester Zoo’s free entry for carers) – £6, for transport only – supporting documentation is required (disability allowance letter, PIP letter, access cards with a +1 symbol, supporting documentation from local council

These are bookable via the online store with your group booking (same place you order merch from) with a hard deadline for booking and full payment of 19th June.

Further Clarification

Ratios are calculated from your booking reference, even though you might be camping with multiple groups or sections that you are managing as a one collective group, for the purposes of the off-site, each individual booking triggers a new supervisory ratio.

ℹ️ IMPORTANT NOTE

If you have Explorers/Rangers camping with you, if they are on a separate booking marked as the 14-18 section they will be on Arctic activity rotation visiting the off-site on different days with it’s own ratio of leaders allocated. If in doubt check the booking for that section for their allocated sub-camp.

• Booking reference is KING (or QUEEN!).
• For each booking reference, check the sub-camp allocation to inform the day you go off-site.
• Whatever the headcount is under that booking reference you can work out your 1:12(+1) leader allocation from there. 

Illustrative Scenarios (not exhaustive)

🗺️ Leading Your Group

This is an off-site day where Group Leaders take the lead.

• You will be responsible for planning and guiding your group’s day
• A range of activities and experiences will be available, including the conservation trail and zoo exploration
• You should be prepared to create a flexible programme that works for your group

For Explorers and Rangers, additional details will be shared at the leader briefing regarding the opportunity to take part in a hands-on conservation project.

📍 On-Site Support at the Zoo

Chamboree volunteers will be present at a central location (The Madagascar Studios, will be marked on maps) to provide a friendly face and a point of contact back to the main site if needed.

However, for most operational matters, leaders should follow Chester Zoo’s own procedures, including:

• First Aid
• Lost child / safeguarding
• Lost property
• General guest services

The Chester Zoo website also provides useful information for planning your visit, including things like accessibility support such as wheelchair hire.

⚠️ Risk Assessments

Leaders are responsible for the safe management of their group throughout the visit.

• Scout and Guide leaders should complete their own risk assessment for the zoo visit
• Chamboree will provide:
  • Risk assessment for coach loading and unloading
  • Copies of Chester Zoo’s risk assessments

📱 iNaturalist App

Participants will be using the iNaturalist app as part of their conservation activities.

Leaders should ensure this is downloaded in advance where possible:

• Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/inaturalist/id6475737561
• Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.inaturalist.android

This will allow participants to record wildlife observations and contribute to real conservation data during their visit.

Badges, awards & recognition

TBC

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