It was very exciting to start the trip with the children’s very first time in the Russell House mini buses! When we arrived at the centre, we waved hello to the Cuban hutia as we walked to the classroom area, then we listened carefully to the ranger as he explained the rules for the area. Transition had already suggested some good rules before we set off on our trip, so they were experts at following these!

The children enjoyed their time at Hemsley watching and learning about all the different rare animals. Ranger Tom showed us lots of exciting artifacts, including a blanket made of camel fur, a quill from a porcupine and the shedded skin of a tarantula. The children were fascinated by the pointy quill and had lots of intriguing questions to ask about the animals, including; if the tapir likes garlic - it turns out that tapirs love garlic and it’s very good for their blood!

My favourite part of our trip was watching the monkeys swinging from the branches. Some of the monkeys had tiny babies clinging onto their backs which we thought were very cute. We loved comparing all the different species of monkeys and the children were very impressed that some of the monkeys could use their tails as an extra hand to hold onto things.

Many of the children’s favourite part of their day was getting to eat their packed lunch! As the sun was shining, we washed our hands and sat under the blossom trees for a lovely picnic. Watching the animals eat their breakfast had made us very hungry and the children sat beautifully as they tucked into their yummy picnics.

After lunchtime, we set off with our eyes peeled to spot some more animals. On our adventure, we learned that some animals in the rainforest habitat, such as the tayra, are finding it hard to make new homes in the wild because people keep cutting down all of the trees, so they have nowhere to live. Transition agreed that we need to protect and help them. We learned that for some animals, like the dodo, it is too late for us to save them, as they have become extinct. Although this made us feel a little sad, we were very glad that the rangers at Helmsley Conservation Centre are doing such a brilliant job at looking after all the animals.

What a brilliant day we had at Hemsley Conservation Centre! The children were absolutely fantastic representatives of Russell House during the whole trip and I could not be prouder of Transition Class! Once back at school, the children loved spending the rest of the week researching their favourite animals and habitats. We have read lots of stories and books, searched through photographs and used the iPad to help us find out more. I was particularly impressed with the clay animals the children chose to create and all of the small details they added. The children are becoming fantastic sculptors, using the water and tools to help shape their models. We have also been busy painting, collaging and drawing to represent our own favourite animals.