Click here to find out what’s happening at Slimbridge over the coming weeks. There are lots of educational activities.
This year, the International Day for Biological Diversity is May 22nd. This year’s theme is “Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity” which marks the 25th anniversary of the Convention on Biological Diversity and was chosen “to highlight progress made in the achievement of its objectives at the national and global levels”. A recent on-line conference of rhino across Asia and Africa concluded that not much had been achieved.
The GA Conference presentations and materials are now online. You can view it all here. The GA also asks if you are a Digimap for Schools user? If so, do you want to make full use of the service? Could you benefit from some free training? If you can answer yes to the above, then contact Darren Bailey at Ordnance Survey to arrange a training session. There are also that GA resources, produced in partnership with the Environment Agency, look at a number of river and coastal flood-related issues including the causes, effects and responses to flooding.
The latest Think Global newsletter contains features on:
Churchill Travel research grants are open to all UK citizens aged 18 and over. For 2019 they include the following categories:
Education – Environment, conservation & sustainable living – Rural living – Science, technology & engineering
The closing date for applications is Tuesday 18 September.
New Scientist says that more education is what makes people live longer, not more money.
“When countries develop economically, people live longer lives. Development experts have long believed this is because having more money expands lifespan, but a massive new study suggests that education may play a bigger role. The finding has huge implications for public health spending. Back in 1975, economists plotted rising life expectancies against countries’ wealth, and concluded that wealth itself increases longevity. It seemed self-evident: everything people need to be healthy – from food to medical care – costs money. But soon it emerged that the data didn’t always fit that theory. …”
There’s more here.
The 2018 Wildscreen Panda Awards is to recognise the craft of wildlife photography with the introduction of the Wildscreen Photo Story Panda Award. This is being launched to cement the conservation charity’s commitment to photography as a powerful tool for protecting the natural world. It will celebrate and recognise the very best in photographic narrative, uniting it alongside the world’s very best natural world film talent.
There’s more detail here, and entries can be made via the online submission portal on the Windscreen website.
The national Permaculture Association convergence will be in Manchester this year – 20 to 23 September. Tickets are available now. They’ll be opportunities for learning, networking and demonstrating why permaculture is at the forefront in shaping a thriving future for everyone. This year it’s a convergence of several events; an approach which reflects a significant part of our current work to bring about a more diverse and accessible network.
The Educators’ Meeting is on the Thursday before the main event and will bring together those teaching Earth Care, People Care, and Fair Shares. Sessions will revolve around how we help to bring permaculture education into the mainstream. Open to anyone involved in permaculture education at any level. You can book here.
The Children and Nature Network has a new research digest out. You can see it here. There are features on:
Brain Development and Cognitive Functioning Education Greenspace Exposure
Mental Health and Well-Being Physical Health Play and Play Environments
Ecologists is a not-for-profit organisation which runs a Young People’s Anti-litter Campaign from the Outer Hebrides. Its aim is to change the image of litter-picking – from something dirty to something positive – in the minds of young people and to encourage a more responsible environmental attitude, through creative projects. Ecologists believes that the best way to influence a positive environmentally responsible attitude amongst young people is via the educational route.