School of the Wild: Where Nature Becomes the Classroom

The Power of the Wild

There is something undeniably powerful about learning outdoors. It isn't found in a textbook, and it can't be replicated on a screen. True environmental connection happens by standing quietly in nature, listening to birdsong, tracing animal tracks in the sand, feeling the texture of native plants, and witnessing firsthand how an entire ecosystem breathes and works together.

Flock of Birds on Lake Warden in Esperance Western Australia

The Minds Behind the Mission

This core belief drives the team at the Esperance Wildlife Sanctuary. The initiative brings together a powerhouse of local expertise:

• Colin Ingram: With a conservation career spanning more than 40 years, Colin knows the restorative power of nature intimately. His leadership on the board of Nature Play further immersed him in the science behind positive, nature-based experiential learning.

• Lori-Ann Shibish: Bringing years of expertise in community engagement, ecotourism, and environmental education, Lori-Ann specialises in bridging the gap between people and the natural world.

Together, their shared vision has culminated in the sanctuary’s next exciting chapter: School of the Wild.

Introducing: School of the Wild

Designed as an immersive outdoor learning space, School of the Wild will transform how we look at conservation. By offering hands-on environmental education, the project will create vital opportunities for children, families, schools, and community groups to connect deeply with Western Australia’s unique wildlife and spectacular landscapes.

This project is about more than simply teaching facts about animals or plants. It is about fostering curiosity, respect, stewardship, creativity and a deeper connection to the natural world.

In a time when many young people spend less time outdoors than ever before, experiences in nature have become incredibly important. Outdoor learning encourages creativity, resilience, problem-solving, and emotional wellbeing, while also helping build future conservation leaders and advocates.

At Esperance Wildlife Sanctuary, we believe conservation starts with connection.

When children experience wildlife up close, help plant habitat, discover native species, or learn how ecosystems function, they begin to understand that protecting nature is not someone else’s responsibility, it belongs to all of us.

School of the Wild will help create those moments of connection.

The project, the brainchild of Colin and Lori-Ann, will include nature-based learning areas designed to immerse visitors in local ecosystems and encourage hands-on discovery. From habitat restoration activities to wildlife education sessions, the space will support interactive learning experiences that inspire people of all ages to care for the environment around them.

Children learning about the Lake Warden Ramsar-listed wetlands.

Importantly, this vision is only possible because of community support.

We are incredibly grateful to Nutrien Solutions, Horizon Power, and Southern Ports for sponsoring and supporting the development of School of the Wild. Their investment in environmental education and community conservation will help create opportunities for future generations to learn from and connect with nature in meaningful ways.

Projects like this demonstrate the importance of partnerships between community organisations, businesses, and conservation groups. Together, we can create spaces that not only protect wildlife, but also inspire people to become lifelong custodians of the environment.

School of the Wild is still in its early stages, but the vision is already taking shape — a place where muddy boots are encouraged, questions are welcomed, and nature becomes the classroom.

We cannot wait to share the journey as this exciting new project grows.