Finding things to do with your children or young people that you’re in charge of can be really difficult. That is the case whether you live in London or Lisbon, so it’s also going to be an issue for those who live and work in Guildford too.
If they love animals, then Merrist Wood College might just have the solution to your problem that you’re looking for, with the organisation offering the chance to become an Animal Keeper for a day. It is a great chance to get a sense of what it is that goes into looking after the likes of rabbits, reptiles and meerkats.
What Is Merrist Wood College?
If this sounds like something that you think the young person in your life might be interested in, one of the first things that you might ask yourself is what Merrist Wood College is and why you would trust them to look after your children. Based in Worplesdon, just a short bus ride from the centre of Guildford, it is a 400-acre site that specialises in industries that are land-based. The facilities there are second-to-none, whilst the courses that they offer give young people a genuine chance of getting gainful employment in the wake of the time spent with the College.
You are obviously unlikely to be wanting to send your child to the College for the purposes of getting them a job after, but it is a good opportunity for them to find out whether or not the fact that they love guinea pigs or find snakes interesting would translate into a long-term desire to become an Animal Keeper. There are any number of different animals on-site that need to be looked after on a regular basis, so giving young people the responsibility of doing just that gives them a chance to learn how important it is to care for various different species and make sure they’re well fed and watered.
Is It a College or a Zoo?
If you were to look at Merrist Wood College in a bit more detail, you might find yourself wondering whether it was actually a college or whether the word ‘zoo’ might be a more appropriate description. The short answer is that it is kind of both. The longer answer is that it has been an educational college for a relatively long period of time, but in 2018 it was awarded a zoo licence. This meant that it was able to start sharing its collection of various exotic animals with the visiting public, which is especially good news when you bear in mind the fact that some of them are of conservation importance.
The various things that the College is responsible for looking after include those that live in the arid and the tropical biomes, as well as a nocturnal room for a number of different species. In addition to the Junior Keeper for the Day experience, you can also take part in a Public Tour, an Animal Experience and an Education Tour, which are all the kinds of things that you might expect to take part in at a more conventional zoo. It isn’t a zoo in a traditional sense, but nor is it a college as you might have come to think of one. In short, it is a bit of both.
What the Experience Might Entail
If you were to send the young person in your life along to take part in Merrist Wood College’s Junior Keeper for the Day experience, you will be giving them a chance to work with the organisation’s experienced professionals, as well as the college-age youngsters who are studying and working there on a regular basis.
They will work in the Animal Centre, spending time with the numerous different animals that live there. This might mean being in the husbandry room, or it could entail going into the tropical biome. It is possible that they might have to head to the domestic area in order to work with the domesticated animals that are looked after there, or they could be required to stick their head into the meerkat enclosure and find out what those crazy animals are looking at. They are looked after by two Animal Keepers and will get to have some lunch, as well as a break during the day.
Things to Think About
There are only 12 spaces available for the event so it’s highly recommended to book your place well in advance. The places go on a first come, first served basis, so don’t dilly-dally if this is something that you think your loved one might really enjoy spending their time doing.
Anyone who heads onto the farm will need to wear appropriate footwear. That means no open-toed sandals, but instead closed-toed shoes. These could be trainers or Wellington boots, as well as other similar footwear that doesn’t fit into the Crocs, flip-flops or other bracket of things you’d have on your feet. You won’t be able to stay with your child for the duration of the event, but you could look at the Animal Encounter Tour if you want to do something with them.
Other Dates May Become Available
More dates will likely be released in time given the popularity of the events with dedicated sessions for 9 to 12 year olds, as well as ones for 6 to 8 year olds. Keep an eye on the Merrist Wood College website for further details.
What you need to dress your child in will obviously be somewhat weather-dependent, but it is worth bearing in mind that they are likely to get dirty regardless. If it is wet, then you should ensure that they come prepared in waterproofs and any jewellery or loose items should be removed before getting to the farm.
It is worth bearing in mind that there will be nuts in the animal food, so if your child has an allergy, you will need to flag that up to staff when you’re making your booking. If you’re tempted to give the child taking part in the activity a camera in order to take some photographs, then that’s absolutely fine, but please ensure the flash is disabled. You can drop your child off from 9.45am for the 10am start.