Just in time for today's World Children's Day, the Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN) in Dummerstorf has launched new offers for kindergardens and school classes. Starting from now, school or kindergarden kids and their supervisors can find informationb about lessons in the pig or cattle barn on the homepage of the Research Institute (https://www.fbn-dummerstorf.de/stadt-land-stall/) and register if they are interested.
"As a new extracurricular place of learning in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, we want to educate people about animal husbandry and the origin of our food," said Prof. Dr Klaus Wimmers, director of the FBN. "Within the framework of the project 'Stadt-Land-Stall', we‘ll give children real insights into how pigs and cows live and what role animal welfare as well as environmental and climate protection play in this. At the same time, we want to show how our researchers work."
Appreciation of animals and agriculture
Where does milk come from? What does a pig eat? How many piglets can a sow have? Are goats stupid? Children can get an answer to these and many other exciting questions from the scientists during a visit to the Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN) in Dummerstorf. "Today, children have hardly any connection to agriculture and only know the origin of food from the media," said project coordinator Marianne Zenk. "That's why we want the pupils and kindergarten children to leave their familiar learning environment and visit a real barn. Here on site, we can best explain how animal husbandry works and answer all the questions of the youngest ones," said the agricultural engineer. "This also involves appreciating the animals and the work in agriculture as well as aspects of sustainability and climate protection."
In addition to the many farm animal species such as cattle, pigs, goats, fish, poultry and insects, there are places to meet in the stables and facilities. For example, you can watch the animals from the visitors' walkway in the pigsty and experience cattle husbandry with all your senses in the cow barn. The project group "Stadt-Land-Stall" at the FBN has developed accompanying and age-appropriate information and learning materials for the stable visits. "We‘ll gradually expand our project so in the future, we can also offer information and activities at the research institute to young people in higher grades, students, teachers and educators," announced the project leader.
Further information and registration at:
https://www.fbn-dummerstorf.de/stadt-land-stall/
Lessons of a Different Kind - Extracurricular Learning Sites
Extracurricular places of learning (ALO for short) are nationwide centres of practical research, experience and experimentation that enable a modern form of teaching and learning and have become an important and nationally recognised element in the school education process and in shaping the transition from school to university or vocational training. Furthermore, these places of learning have been playing an increasingly important role in further education for some time.
Photo: Manuela Reichelt/FBN
Marianne Zenk with the age-appropriate information material on the barn visit, which is distributed during the on-site appointments.
Contact
Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN)
Director Prof. Dr. Klaus Wimmers
P +49 38208-68 600
E wimmers{at}fbn-dummerstorf.de
Project „Stadt-Land-Stall“
Coordinator Dipl.-Ing. agr. Marianne Zenk
P +49 38208-68 950
E zenk{at}fbn-dummerstorf.de
Public Relations Isabel Haberkorn
P +49 38208-68 605
E haberkorn{at}fbn-dummerstorf.de
www.fbn-dummerstorf.de
Linkedin @forschungsinstitut-nutztierbiologie-fbn
Twitter @FBNDummerstorf
Instagram @forschungsinstitut_fbn
