Imagine students not just reading about a blue-tongue lizard, but seeing one up close. Imagine them feeling the cool, smooth scales of a python, or watching a sugar glider launch into the air right before their eyes.
At Reptile Encounters, we bring Australia’s incredible wildlife directly into classrooms. Our mobile zoo of native animals like reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and birds gives students the rare opportunity to experience real, living creatures, right where they learn. Through interactive, curriculum-aligned presentations, students engage their senses, deepen their scientific understanding, and build lasting emotional connections with nature.
Because the truth is, many young Australians today are growing up disconnected from the natural world.
In a recent study by the University of Adelaide, researchers found a rising trend of disconnection from nature and eco-anxiety among young people. As educators, there’s never been a more important time to reconnect children with the living world around them – the world they will one day inherit.
Australia’s environment is truly one-of-a-kind. From our ancient rainforests to the vibrant outback and diverse coastlines, we live in a landscape rich with extraordinary biodiversity. But with increasing urbanisation and screen time, many students risk losing a vital connection to the land, animals, and natural rhythms that define our country. Grounding experiences that bring nature back into their lives aren’t just nice to have – they’re crucial. They nurture empathy, resilience, curiosity, and, most importantly, a sense of responsibility toward our planet.
This is a critical time to help students feel deeply connected to the land and wildlife. As environmental challenges continue to mount globally, the need for citizens who understand, appreciate, and are committed to protecting the natural world becomes increasingly urgent.
Why hands-on nature education is essential
Across Australia, nature-based education is gaining momentum, and for good reason.
From bush kinder programs to Outdoor Education Australia’s guidelines for all year levels, educators are embracing the idea that outdoor learning promotes wellbeing, sustainability, and deeper educational outcomes.
Nature education fosters resilience, emotional regulation, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Early and meaningful connections with nature can foster a stronger sense of sustainability that carries into adulthood. It's why introducing more positive interactions with nature and wildlife during school years is crucial in building environmentally conscious citizens who care about the world and their role within it.
Authentic experiences, authentic curiosity
There’s no substitute for real encounters with wildlife. In tackling the growing disconnect between students and nature, a hands-on, holistic approach to education is essential.
At Reptile Encounters, we believe that meaningful, positive experiences with wildlife during childhood are vital to fostering the next generation of environmental stewards. That’s why we deliver curriculum-rich wildlife incursions directly into schools, blending excitement with educational value.
Our programs are carefully structured for each developmental stage.
Preschool and early years
Programs like Australian Reptiles and Insects & Minibeasts nurture natural curiosity through interactive storytelling, sensory experiences, and basic biological science concepts. Students build early foundations in observation, empathy, and care for living things – key outcomes from the Early Years Learning Framework.
Primary school
With options such as Feathers, Fur & Scales, Animal Adaptations, Insects & Minibeasts, and Threatened & Endangered Species, we directly link experiences to the Victorian Curriculum.
Students explore key topics across Science Understanding (Biological Sciences), Sustainability, Geography, and Indigenous Perspectives, meeting real examples of the animals they are learning about – fostering a much deeper grasp of ecosystems, life cycles, and human impacts on the environment.
Secondary school
Our more advanced incursions including Classification, Body & Organ Systems, Ecosystems & Food Webs, Evolution & Genetics and Adaptations provide critical links to Science Inquiry Skills, Ethical Understanding, and Environmental Science curriculum areas. Students not only deepen their scientific knowledge, but are also challenged to think critically about the role humans play in shaping the future of the planet.
In every session, students aren't just passive spectators, they become active learners: asking questions, forming connections, and building the skills they’ll need to think ethically and scientifically about the world around them.
Why Reptile Encounters is the perfect partner for teachers
We know teachers have an enormous job. They balance packed schedules, diverse student needs, and ambitious learning goals. At Reptile Encounters, we see ourselves as a genuine partner in your mission to deliver powerful, real-world education.
Our incursions:
- Are aligned with the Victorian Curriculum, mapped across key learning areas.
- Support multi-disciplinary learning: touching on science, geography, sustainability, ethics, Indigenous perspectives, and wellbeing.
- Cater to different learning styles through interactive, sensory-based education.
- Facilitated by our world-class Wildlife Ambassadors that love to have fun will most certainly take care of the having fun and making memories parts.
We’re passionate about creating experiences that inspire lasting change. Our school incursions aim to spark conversations at home, influence future choices, and encourage lifelong respect for the environment. They’re also designed to help students develop empathy, curiosity, and critical thinking – traits that extend far beyond the classroom.
Bring the wonders of nature into your classroom
Today’s students are tomorrow’s caretakers of our planet. Giving them the chance to engage with Australia's incredible wildlife is one of the most powerful ways we can inspire a love for the natural world and a commitment to protecting it.
When you partner with Reptile Encounters, you’re not just booking an incursion. You’re igniting wonder, fostering connection, and empowering the next generation of environmental champions. Explore our curriculum-aligned programs and discover how easy and rewarding it can be to create unforgettable learning experiences your students will never forget.
Think of it like this, if we can inspire several scientists, a few marine biologists, plus the odd Nobel Prize winner here and there, together we can make the difference.
So, are you ready to bring the wild to your classroom?
