Education and learning

The Wild Chesil Centre is the gateway to the iconic Chesil Beach and the Fleet Lagoon and is the perfect place to find out about Chesil's diverse wildlife. The Wild Chesil Centre offers year-round sessions which reflect the seasons and wildlife found on the nature reserve including Marine Scavengers, Seashore Detectives and Our Changing Seas. The activities take place both on the beach and in our dedicated indoor education room and can be tailored to meet the needs of your group. The centre has a range of interactive displays and a marine touch table where you can learn more about Chesil's wildlife and remarkable geology. There are toilets and handwashing facilities on site. The whole centre is wheelchair accessible, and the boardwalk is suitable for wheelchairs, however this does not extend over the beach.  

View our Schools Go Wild brochure to find out more about the amazing activities we offer or get in contact with us to find out more. 

Sat in the heart of 75 hectares of nature reserve, Lorton Meadows Conservation Centre is surrounded by meadows, grassland and woodlands, offering children a wonderful environment to explore and learn about nature. Near Weymouth, Lorton Meadows offers a great variety of activities for schools, preschools and groups including pond dipping, minibeast hunting, meadow walks and owl pellet dissection. The centre features different displays on the nature reserve and its wildlife, and a touch table containing items found on the reserve, alongside other learning activities. There is also an outdoor barn which is the perfect place for educational sessions, as well as toilets and handwashing facilities on site.  

Please view our Schools Go Wild brochure to find out more about the amazing activities we offer or contact Education@dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk to find out more and book your visit.  

Kingcombe Visitor Centre is the gateway to the stunning Kingcombe National Nature Reserve, which offers 450 acres of flower-rich grassland, ancient hedgerows and rough pastures. Around the visitor centre there is an orchard, wildlife garden, pond and bird hide. Near Dorchester, Kingcombe Visitor Centre offers a great variety of activities for schools, preschools and groups including river dipping, minibeast hunting, meadow walks and wildlife identification around the centre and surrounding nature reserve. There is an education classroom, which can be used for indoor sessions and a lunch space, along with toilets and handwashing facilities. The visitor centre and education classroom are wheelchair accessible. 

Please view our Schools Go Wild brochure to find out more about the amazing activities we offer or contact Education@dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk to find out more. 

The Fine Foundation Wild Seas Centre sits next to the water in Kimmeridge Bay and is the ideal place to discover local marine wildlife. The centre has a dedicated education room, interactive displays, and aquaria. A visit to the Wild Seas centre is the perfect way to understand the importance of different coastal habitats by investigating the rich strandline and discovering the different species which call this area home. A double low tide offers an extended period to explore the intertidal zone and allows students to explore these unique habitats safely. 

As these activities are tidal dependent, please contact Education@dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk to discuss your requirements and find out the most suitable time for your visit.  

Wild Woodbury is Dorset Wildlife Trust’s pioneering community rewilding project near Bere Regis. Covering around 170 hectares, the site is being transformed by restoring natural processes and allowing wildlife to return, creating a dynamic landscape of grassland, wetland and woodland.

This unique landscape provides an excellent opportunity for schools and groups to learn about rewilding, habitat restoration and the importance of nature recovery. Guided visits explore how natural grazing animals such as cattle, ponies and pigs help shape the landscape, how wetlands have been restored through river re-naturalisation, and how these changes are helping wildlife thrive.

Wild Woodbury is also home to an impressive variety of species, with over 1,900 recorded since the project began, including birds of prey, reptiles, small mammals and a wide range of insects and plants. These real-life examples help bring environmental topics to life for students, from ecosystems and biodiversity to climate and water management.

To find out more, or to book an activity for your school or group, please email: wildwoodbury@dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk 

Dorset Wildlife Trust is pleased to have the support from the Mansel-Pleydell Trust to assist Dorset schools with their transport costs to our education centres.  

The Mansel-Pleydell, Cecil and Drew Trust, is looking to support and encourage educational projects and activities in Dorset schools to help young people study Dorset's geology, paleontology, natural history, archaeology, architecture, local history, arts and literature. 

The Trust would be pleased to support and enable access to groups, for example, making field trips, attending workshops, visiting museums, looking at historic sites and buildings, exploring farms and the coast. 

Please contact us to find out more about this funding opportunity. 

Dorset Wildlife Trust holds CEVAS accreditation and is pleased to provide a number of funded school visits each year.

CEVAS is the Countryside Education Visits Accreditation Scheme. Funding through Countryside Stewardship enables Dorset Wildlife Trust to offer funded visits to Wild Woodbury.

What does a session look like?

Our funded sessions are a great way to engage a wider audience with Dorset's wildlife. These sessions will typically consist of a guided walk and talk about the specific site you are visiting, with some curriculum-linked activities available at the discretion of the visit provider.

These sessions last at least two hours.

What we expect from you:

To take advantage of our funded visits, we expect you to agree to our pre-visit checklist, fill in the evaluation form, and sign a site visit declaration form at the end of your visit.