Poo-dunnit!
Helping people learn about nature through droppings
Take some clay, mould it into the shape and size of droppings left by different animals, and you have an engaging and educational activity to get people of all ages interested in the environment.
‘Whose Poo?’ – which invites participants to ‘get to the bottom’ of which poo goes with which common British mammal – has been created by Kate, one of our Outdoor Learning Officers.
Initially developed for children, ‘Whose Poo?’ is proving to be a hit among people of all ages, and is used during our Outdoor Learning activities.
We came up with the game as a way of teaching people how to identify British mammals through signs they leave behind, talking about how diet affects the size and shape of their droppings. It also highlights the similarities we have with wildlife and hopefully helps the audience to realise they too are part of nature.
The clay droppings are mounted on wooden blocks, and the game involves matching them with animals, using identification charts. A new iteration of ‘Whose Poo?’ is now being developed – this time, with added aroma, using oil scents that are designed to smell like otter and badger poo.
Another benefit we didn’t anticipate is that the game has resulted in great intergenerational discussions and connections within families and friends, around a nature-focused subject.
Find out more about our Outdoor Learning activities here:
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