Fota Wildlife Park’s Education Centre is actually one of the biggest in Ireland and is capable of hosting up to 200 students a day.

Tours and Courses are constantly evolving and content varies depending on the age of students and any requests made by their school or teacher.

To ensure students attain as much knowledge as possible, the Park offers a high demonstrator to student ratio, particularly at Secondary level. Fota is unique in Ireland in its ability to present groups with a range of habitats to view and learn about and each course combines theoretical and practical elements – which is crucial for associated learning.

The Education facilities at Fota which is located in East Cork have also been completely revamped in recent years, allowing staff to move activities indoors during more inclement weather.

Primary School Tour

Created to give students a greater appreciation of wildlife, our courses are suitable for students from Junior Infants up to 6th class. The content is simplified or made more challenging depending on the age group, but is based on Irish education syllabus requirements and can be tailored to compliment any work being done in the classroom.

Students are given a Guided Tour of the Park and taken through basic terms such as Feeding Behaviours, Habitats and Threats. They are also given details about individual animals in an effort to make the experience as relevant as possible. Ecology is touched on by spending time in the Woodland areas while a Play approach to Learning is taken with smaller children.

Primary Conservation Explorer Course:

€13 per student.
Group size: 20 (minimum) – 120 (max)

Fota Wildlife Park is a Discover Primary Science-approved (DPS) centre and offers DPS-registered schools a specially-created day-long option that promotes science, technology and maths. Ecology, practical Woodland activities and a Guided Tour of the Park are all included and the course counts towards schools’ Primary Science award. This course runs between September and March but must be booked early and in advance using the school’s DPS number.

Discover Primary Science Course:

€12.50 per student
Group size: 20 (minimum) – 100 (max)

Secondary School Tour

Fota’s Practical Field Ecology course for Junior and Leaving Cert students remains one the most popular options available to schools at secondary level. The course covers all aspects of the Biology module and also allows students time to explore the Park after completing their Woodland survey.

Ecology Course:

€18 per student
Group size: 20 (minimum) – 120 (max)

An additional Ecology and Conservation course has been created for Transition Year students, with a new team-building day – aimed at 1st years and Transition Year students – introduced in 2012. While the team-building option is a fun day out (with a focus on improving co-operation and communication skills amongst peers), there is an educational element to all of the activities – ensuring that every student leaves with additional knowledge.

Biodiversity Conservation in the 21st Century:

€18 per student
Group size: 20 (minimum) – 100 (max)

Team-Building Day Out

€18 per student
Group size: 20 (minimum) – 100 (max)

All Courses must be booked in advance by calling 021 481 2678 or sending an email to: education@fotawildlife.ie. Schools are permitted one teacher FREE for every ten students.