SOS UK – Here’s an update about what Students Organising for Sustainability is planning in its lineup of sustainability and wellbeing programmes for the 2024-25 academic year.
.
O4YC Curriculum – There are two free online sessions to explore what the OY4C Curriculum looks like. They are for anyone including students, teachers, climate scientists/experts, NGOs, parents, Heads of schools, governmental officials…etc. Details:
– Saturday, April 20th at 1100 – 1140 BST and – Saturday, April 20th at 1800 – 1840 BST. Further details here.
.
Prompting reflection – GEEP has a number of case studies of environmental education in action round the world. They explore what a case study is and how to create one, and examine the ways in which you can use case studies as teaching tools. The examples offered can be used in university courses and professional development workshops for educators, and each includes discussion questions and activities designed to promote critical conversations about environmental education. GEEP hopes that these will prompt reflection and professional development.
.
Global Picture – A report by the Monitoring and Evaluating Climate Communication and Education [MECCE] project and UNESCO provides a global perspective on climate change education. Its authors say that it informs policy decisions, inspires curriculum development, and promotes collaboration and peer learning in climate change communication and education. Here’s the report.
.
OSW – The Spring meeting of Our Shared World is on April 18th at 1600. You can register here.
.
Earth Day – A reminder that Transform Our World is hosting its annual Youth Summit on Earth Day 2024, April 22nd. A variety of sessions are on offer for 4 to 18 year-olds; with a focus on the theme ‘Our Earth, Our Future’.
.
Climate Ed 101– Emily Walker discusses how we train teachers, and what’s needed for effective ongoing teacher development, especially when it comes to big, important topics like climate change. You can read the article on the Earthday website.
.
Shared Values – Global Action Plan and researchers at the University of Bath are looking for schools to take part in a piece of research into young people’s shared values and how these values influence their attitudes towards social and environmental issues. Do you have a Year8/S1, Year 9/S2 or Sixth Form/S6 class that might be interested in taking part, either in the summer term or 24/25 academic year?
Email schools@globalactionplan.org.uk by April 30th to express your interest.
.
FEE Nudge – Do you know an exceptional teacher who goes above and beyond to inspire and educate their students to take environmental action? If so, give them a little nudge to apply for the FEE Teacher Award. Apply before April 22nd.
.
Smiley World – There’s a new episode of Speak Up! Is our Education System Ready for a Sustainable Future? in which Anthony Bennett (CEO, Reboot the Future), Richard Dunne (Director, The Harmony Project) and Cindy Forde (Founder, Planetari) discuss integrating sustainability into education. It’s chaired by Abi Scaife for the Smiley Movement:
.
Rise of Rewilding – Rewilding in the UK has experienced a surge of growth in the last three years, according to new figures from the charity Rewilding Britain.which formed a network of rewilding practitioners in 2021, with the aim of supporting the regeneration of at least 121,406 hectares of land, plus marine areas, within three years. The latest figures show it is ahead of target, with 155,248 hectares of land, plus 506km2 of seabed, “returning to nature”.
.
Sticking with the Holocene – The Conservation’s Imagine Newsletter has a feature on the background to the Anthropocene, an idea that a committee of geologists recently rejected as a way to mark humanity’s influence on the planet, and the end of the Holocene which we’ve been living through for the last 11,700 years.
.
Camley Street – If you’re between trains on the Euston Road and have the time, you might visit the London Wildlife Trust’s Camley Street Natural Park which is a unique urban nature reserve between King’s Cross and St Pancras stations. It’s open daily.
.
Butterflies – The latest results from the annual UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS) show that 2023 was a mixed picture for butterflies, with some species soaring while others continued declines. Species that flourished included Chequered Skipper, Brimstone, and Large Blue, which all recorded their best year since the UKBMS began in 1976. Another species recording its best-ever year was the Red Admiral, a migratory species that has begun to overwinter in the UK as the climate has warmed, making it a common visitor across all habitats, including gardens. Its numbers have increased by 318% at monitored sites since 1976. Data from UKBMS 2023 can be accessed here.
.
Our World – Here are some recent stories from Our World in Data’s biweekly newsletter:
- Richer countries often use much of their crops for animal feed and biofuels
- Colonialism meant that for centuries, many territories and people were ruled from elsewhere
- Plastic recycling rates are increasing, but slowly, in many regions
- The modal age at death has been rising
- Japan’s cherry trees have been blossoming earlier due to warmer spring temperatures
.
Cheap Meat – A report by Leiden University and Harvard University, discussed in The Conservation says that meat is cheaper than it should be – and alternatives are more expensive: Over 80% of the EU’s farming subsidies support emissions-intensive animal products.