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Noah's Ark Zoo Farm

bridgy

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Jan 14, 2006
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I have 2 young pre-school children, and we live near to a children’s “Zoo” called “Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm”. Amongst our friends with similar aged children, a suggested trip to this place comes up quite regularly. Apparently it is pretty well designed with good indoor and outdoor play areas for the kids, plus the animals of course, and the children love it.

I have a major problem with the place though.

Check out the website http://www.noahsarkzoofarm.co.uk/ and click on the education tab, and you’ll soon see what I mean. The place is very active in encouraging school trips, with plenty of mention of the curriculum and science, but at the same time it is actually pushing a hardcore creationist agenda – its all there, from the factual nature of Noah’s Ark and the flood, to the “controversy” over the actual age of the Earth, to evolution denial and irreducible complexity etc.

I can’t help but get really wound up by this stuff, and the fact that they are pushing this nonsense at children and schools whilst dressing it up to sound somehow “scientific” - and I don’t want to give them my money!

My wife has taken the children, but I refused to go last time it came up. It’s not like any of our friends are actually religious (certainly not church-going anyway), but when I did say to a few people why I wouldn’t go, the reactions ranged from “I agree, but I’ll go anyway and just ignore that stuff” to complete indifference. Now I’m being asked to go again and having to justify my stance – I think most people think I should just chill out and ignore the creationist stuff when I get there (as most of them do).

I’d be interested if anyone else has found themselves in similar situations and how they’ve dealt with it.
 
I wouldn’t go for similar reasons to you, however, your kids I dare say don’t care about the creationist aspects and just want to see the animals. If they suggest it again I think you need to have an alternative rather than just saying no. Bristol has a Zoo and the internet offers a city farm - St Werburghs City Farm.
 
Lothian said:
I wouldn’t go for similar reasons to you, however, your kids I dare say don’t care about the creationist aspects and just want to see the animals. If they suggest it again I think you need to have an alternative rather than just saying no. Bristol has a Zoo and the internet offers a city farm - St Werburghs City Farm.
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Bristol Zoo (which is great) and the City Farm are very regular haunts - Noah's Ark is the alternative suggestion really!

But you're right about the children and their view of the creationist aspects. I'm not worried about their minds being contaminated, I just don't want to give this place my money and know I'd just get wound up if I went.
 
I'd write to the Evening Post and complain but as proven purveyors of woo, they'd probably support it.
 
The Don said:
I'd write to the Evening Post and complain but as proven purveyors of woo, they'd probably support it.
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Aaah a fellow Bristolian! (I've read your posts many times and never twigged,even though "location: Brizzle" is a pretty big clue in your avatar!)

I agree about the Evening Post btw - much like the majority of the media unfortunately.
 
Well, I'm not really a local - just one of the many ex students who end up staying!
 
Your wife and your kids go, huh? How old are your kids? Normally, I'd say to stay home if it annoys you that much, but if your kids are old enough to notice the Creationist stuff then it would be a shame to have them asking questions without you there to answer them.
 
Beady said:
Your wife and your kids go, huh? How old are your kids? Normally, I'd say to stay home if it annoys you that much, but if your kids are old enough to notice the Creationist stuff then it would be a shame to have them asking questions without you there to answer them.
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Fair point. My kids are only 1 and 3 right now, so no, I'm not worried about them picking up any creationist nonsense yet. As they get older I will have to think about that aspect differently.

Thinking ahead, this place is obviously big on trying to attract school trips - this aspect I find more disturbing...
 
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