Animal Residency

The Animal Residency activity encourages creative problem-solving, environmental awareness, and interdisciplinary thinking.

It incorporates topics in biology (ecosystems & biodiversity); technology (digital documentation and moving image) and visual arts (collage making).

Using design thinking, participants explore how to redesign inclusive environments for human-animal coexistence.

This activity helps participants imagine a future where humans and animals share spaces more closely.

Introduction

1. Start by gathering participants and introducing the idea of animal residencies—an opportunity to share a given human habitat, like the school, the community centre, the office etc.  with another species. Explain that in the past, people lived much closer to animals, but modern urbanization has changed this relationship.  
2. Now, participants will imagine bringing a specific animal back into their chosen space. Encourage them to think freely—this could be a bird, an insect, foxes or hedgehogs or giraffes. The goal is to explore what  cohabitation with a specific kind of animal could look like and what changes would be needed to support the chosen kind of animal.  

Brainstorming & Discussion  

1. Ask each participant  to choose one animal they would like to “invite” into the space. Then, guide them through a discussion with these key questions: 
   • What does this animal need to live in this environment? 
   • How would the space have to change to support it? 
   • What benefits could this cohabitation bring to both humans and animals?
   • What challenges might arise, and how could we address them?
2. Encourage participants to think beyond typical pets—maybe they’d like to see more bees, earthworms, or even bats. If outdoors, take a short walk to observe existing wildlife and get inspiration.  

Sharing & Selection

1. Each participant or group presents their chosen animal and explains why it would be a good fit for the space. Emphasize that all ideas are valuable, and this isn’t about “winning” but exploring possibilities together.

Creating the Collage

1. Participants bring their ideas to life by creating a visual representation of their chosen animal in the space.  
2. Provide printed photos of the location or let participants take their own. They can use:
   • Digital tools (Photoshop, Canva, mobile apps) to edit images and place animals into the scene.
   • Physical materials (magazines, glue, scissors) to create a cut-and-paste collage. 

Reflection

1. Wrap up with a short discussion on what the activity revealed: 
   • How does this change the way we see animals in our environment?
   • What steps could realistically be taken to make spaces more welcoming to wildlife?
   • What are the biggest barriers, and how could we overcome them?
2. Finally, compile a short report summarizing the suggested animals, the main challenges and benefits discussed, and reflections from participants