Looking at the calendar, I see science looming large.

This week sees UN World Wildlife Day, swiftly followed by British Science Week, both important milestones.

World Wildlife Day seeks to raise global awareness of the conservation status of some of the most critically endangered species of wild fauna and flora, and solutions to conserve them.

This year’s theme is ‘Recovering key species for ecosystem restoration’- maybe not the lightest bedtime reading, but vital when you take in the stark fact that over a million species of wild flora and fauna are threatened with extinction.

Science enables our understanding of the delicate balance of our planet’s ecosystems, through the animal and plant kingdoms down to the tiniest lifeform. The Oasis supports British Science Week’s celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

We love talking to young people about careers in zoology and the natural sciences, and it’s been brilliant over the last few years to see girls increasingly seeking careers in the STEM subjects.

When Jo and Dave, our founders, became zookeepers in the 1980s, a lot of zoos were focused on display only.

Frustrated and wanting to become more involved in scientific research and conservation led to them founding the Oasis in 1992.

These days the Oasis and zoos like us take part in scientific research, host students, run projects, sponsor fieldwork, and aim to keep up with the latest research so we can be most effective in our conservation and breeding programmes.

And when you talk about science and ground-breaking evolutionary research, it all leads to one person: Charles Darwin.

It’s impossible to underestimate the impact, and controversy, of his ‘Origin of Species’, published in 1859, and still a major work today.

We regularly celebrate Darwin’s voyage of discovery on the ‘Beagle’, perhaps the most significant scientific expedition of all time, through interactive displays and touch screen installations.

When we use our reptiles and lizards to describe how their species contributed to Darwin’s research in his fieldwork on the Galapagos Islands, I’m sure they puff up with pride although I have to admit, that’s an entirely non-scientific observation.