Animal shelter activity was planned by our school from 13-1-2024 to 4-2-2024. For this activity we were supposed to go to Nohas Ark Nature Club Eco Farm for every 2 hours on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 12pm. This activity was a great experience for me because in this activity I got to encounter some of those animals who are about to extinct and are very rare to see in today’s environment.

Many species, especially those that are endangered or threatened, are frequently housed at animal shelters. When I visit the shelter I could see directly how important it is to preserve biodiversity. SDG 15 (living on Land) is directly impacted by this experience, which promotes a deeper understanding of the interconnection of all living forms and the necessity of protecting ecosystems on land and in water to maintain biodiversity, and how important it is for us humans to contribute in it. Visiting to animal shelter gave me the opportunity to learn about a variety of species, their habitats, and the problems they face.

LO4 – Show perseverance and commitment in CAS experience.

Even though there was a lot of learning in this CAS experience, it was a very difficult task for me because I am not used to working hard and waking up early on weekends, but in order to participate in this CAS experience, I woke up early and worked hard, which was a very sincere commitment on my part. Perseverance is required when engaging directly with the animals and actively participating in shelter activities. It could include tasks like cleaning enclosures, feeding animals, or assisting with enrichment activities. Despite the physical and sometimes difficult nature of these tasks, participants continue to work hard to improve the animals’ welfare.

LO5 – Demonstrate skills and benefits of working collaboratively.

Working with other participants, volunteers, and shelter staff promotes teamwork and collaboration. Cleaning enclosures, feeding animals, and providing enrichment activities are all common tasks that require coordinated efforts to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. By dividing tasks and supporting one another, we learned the value of working together to achieve common goals like improving animal welfare and maintaining a clean and healthy environment. Handling difficult animals, dealing with maintenance issues, and organizing events are all potential challenges for me and my mates. We learned to successfully navigate challenges as a team by brainstorming solutions and pooling resources and expertise. This collaborative problem-solving approach fosters creativity, communication, and critical thinking skills while demonstrating the advantages of working together to achieve common goals.

LO7-Recognise and consider the ethics of choices and actions

Experiencing the animal shelter made me realize how important it is to think about the impact of our choices and actions on animals. Seeing neglected animals who are roaming on streets and are not feed made me know that things like having a pet, breeding them, or abandoning them are big decisions with serious consequences. It’s not just about the individual animal, but also about how our choices affect the whole environment they live in. Talking to the shelter staff and our teachers gave me a deeper understanding of why they do what they do. Their dedication to caring for animals, even when it’s hard or they have to give up personal time, showed me how important it is to take responsibility for animal welfare. Visiting the shelter also made me think about how society treats animals in general. I started questioning common practices and beliefs that might harm animals like about some of the events we celebrate at night which harms animal sleeping. This overall made me reflect on my own beliefs and actions, and I’ve been trying to align them with values that prioritize kindness and respect for all living creatures.

To conclude, visiting animal shelters allowed me to participate in biodiversity conservation efforts and raise awareness about environmental issues. These visits help to develop a more sustainable and resilient planet for current and future generations by promoting education, empathy, and community engagement.