Zoo School at Hanover Zoo Celebrates Major Anniversary
Das Team der Zooschule Hannover (von links): Stefan Zantop, Stephanie Löbe, Andreas M. Casdorff, Corinne Brose, Jessica Roßberg und Anja Boskamp.
© Photo: Erlebnis-Zoo Hannover
(eap) Generations of pupils have been learning fascinating facts about topics such as species conservation, climate change and resource management in the “large open-air classroom” of the Zoo School Hannover since its inception in 1965. This year, the educational institution – run by Zoo Hannover GmbH since 2014 – celebrates its 60th anniversary, now regarded as “Lower Saxony’s largest extracurricular learning venue.”
During age-appropriate lessons, workshops and interactive project days, school classes come face to face with animals such as elephants, rhinos, giraffes and gorillas – they can hear, smell and sometimes even touch them. “This experience stimulates exploratory, phenomenon-based learning,” explains Stephanie Löbe, Head of Environmental Education at Hanover Adventure Zoo. “With its unique educational concept, the Zoo School combines emotional animal encounters with sound environmental education – a success story that is more relevant today than ever.”
All teaching units at the Zoo School are aligned with the curricula of various school types and grades and are embedded in the principles of Education for Sustainable Development. While in 1983 a total of 2,862 children took part in mostly two-hour guided lessons, around 60,000 young people benefited from the extensive educational offerings last year, which cover topics such as bionics, adaptation to climate zones, nutrition, communication, zoo animal husbandry, offspring rearing, evolution and species conservation.
“With the Zoo School’s diverse and innovative programs, we create learning experiences that inspire and last,” says Zoo Managing Director Andreas M. Casdorff. Beyond the Zoo School, Hanover Adventure Zoo also raises awareness for species conservation among young people: since 2023, the zoo has hosted the annual Zoo Conservation Award “ZAP!” school competition. The 2026 theme will be “Native Animals – Conservation on Your Doorstep”, for which classes and study groups from schools across Lower Saxony can register with Hanover Adventure Zoo. ■
