GCSE and Climate – There are many opportunities for better climate change education within the current secondary school curriculum in England, say a report published by the Royal Meteorological Society. The research reviewed the GCSE specifications across all subjects and exam boards and highlighted how many concepts already taught in schools are relevant to students’ understanding of climate change and its relevance to their future lives and careers. Those familiar with NAEE’s output will not need persuading about this. You can read the Society’s blogs here.
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Reimagining our futures – GAP invites us via Zoom for an hour on the morning of June 27th to celebrate the power of the Transformative Learning in our efforts to enable young people to create positive change in the world. The GAP team will be in conversation with Prof. Noah W. Sobe, who led UNESCO’s Reimagining our futures together report. GAP will also be launching a month-long celebration of Transformative Learning which it hopes we’ll all participate in throughout July. Details here. You can register here.
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An E-STEM Initiative – The Pratt & Whitney E-STEM Awards support promising E-STEM programmes across the globe to build environmental literacy, STEM skills, and pathways to environmental careers. There are two funding opportunities: E-STEM Excellence Prizes and E-STEM Innovation Grants. You can learn more and apply here.
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Skolstrejk för Klimatet – You might not be fluent in Swedish but you might just be able to work out what this says if you know it’s about Greta Thunberg who has just graduated from school. Fittingly, perhaps, she held her final school strike in Stockholm last Friday. The Conversation’s Imagine Newsletter devoted this week’s output to climate change education in schools.
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COP 28 – Join UNESCO on June 20th for the latest in their ‘On the Road to COP28’ series of webinars. This discussion focuses on how we can transform learning environments to ensure that facilities and operations embody sustainability principles in response to climate change. They ask: What does a climate-proof and climate-ready school look like?
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Mark the Date – The UK Schools Sustainability Network has created an eco calendar for each month showcasing all the landmark eco events & celebration days of the year. It’s here.
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Soaring Birds – The British Trust for Ornithology has published its 2022 Breeding Bird Survey, tracking 118 bird species in the UK. 37 species have significantly increased since 1994, whilst 41 species have significantly declined. This year’s results saw increases for corn buntings and skylarks, both of which have experienced severe declines in the past.
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Net Zero (ish) – The Net Zero Stocktake report, compiled by Net Zero Tracker – a collaboration between the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, the New Climate Institute and the University of Oxford – says that net zero targets are now enshrined in national legislation or policy in 72 countries around the world, representing 75% of total greenhouse gas emissions, up from just 5% in December 2020. However, the report warns that the targets are undermined by “credibility gaps” with only 4% of the net zero pledges being detailed enough to meet UN rules. In some European countries, The Netherlands and Germany for example, there is increasing evidence of a citizen backlash against policy demands.
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Old King Coal – Those attending COP26 made lots of promises about reducing the use of coal. The Economist reports on how well / badly all that is going. Spoiler alert: it’s not looking good.
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New Nature Reserves – Citizen Zoo reports that Defra has announced the establishment of new nature reserves to mark the King’s coronation. The aim is to create at least 5 nature reserves each year over the next 5 years. The first site in Lincolnshire is set to be declared this summer, and will be ~ 3000 hectares in size, with a mixed mosaic habitat of sand dunes, salt-marshes, mudflats and freshwater marshes, which will support many breeding and wintering birds. These reserves will provide essential habitats for wildlife, support biodiversity, and offer opportunities for individuals to engage with nature. They are part of a wider shift in Britain to move away from an era of nature conservation, to one of nature recovery and rewilding.
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Peas – Inkcap reports that the BBC has a feature on the development of tasteless peas for use as a protein-rich meat alternative, replacing imported soya beans. Farming UK, and Farming Weekly covered the story.
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Bat Monitoring – The Bat Conservation Trust and JNCC have published the annual 2022 monitoring report on bat trends, that shows that all 11 species of bat monitored through the National Bat Monitoring Programme, have stable or increasing populations trends. Although the trends do vary across UK regions, this report is confirmation that ongoing legislation and conservation actions taken since baselines were gathered in 1999, are working and bringing positive outcomes to these vitally important animals. You can read the report here.
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New Journal – NAEE’s latest journal, Environmental Education Vol 132, is now available to members via the website. This edition focuses on learning about life on Earth; its contents include:
- The importance of insects to general biodiversity – Nikki Banfield
- Curiosity and connection through nature journaling – Bethan Burton
- Champions of biodiversity – Jordan Allen & Allison Hands
- Keeping biological records – Sam Amy
All previous journals, going back to 1971, are freely available to everyone here.