Zoom Get Together –The government has announced its plans for an English curriculum and assessment review.  This will take about a year and Teach the Future is determined to ensure that it delivers the integrated, solutions-centred climate and nature education that this generation both wants and needs.  To make this happen, they’ll be hosting an open call with all supporting organisations and individual supporters on September 12th [4-6pm] over Zoom.  Register here to attend.

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Early Greens – Eco-Schools has a new Early Years programme designed specifically for young learners and nursery practitioners.  The Eco-Schools seven steps have been given an early years update with edits to the framework to ensure that all children can participate, sustainable changes can be introduced across the nursery, and eco-learning is pitched at an appropriate level.  Details here.

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The Great Northern Plains – WWF has some new wildlife species cards.  These are a way to engage learners with some of the world’s most fascinating creatures.  The latest set features animals from the US Northern Great Plains, including iconic species such as bison, the endangered black-footed ferret, and swift foxes.  You can use these cards as reference material and enhance the experience with other Wild Classroom Northern Great Plains resources.

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GEM Report – Linkedin has a post from UNESCO urging young people of the world to use their voices to transform climate education.  It asks them to sign the petition by #GEMReport and the #MECCE Project and let governments know that #GreeningEducation should be about action, not just facts.  This is timely as we approach the UN Summit of the Future and #COP29.

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Rhinanthus minor – Late August is the perfect time to sow Yellow Rattle. Known as the ‘Meadow Maker’, Yellow Rattle is one of the most important plants you need for a meadow as it helps suppress growth of grasses, leaving room for wildflowers to bloom.  The best time to harvest Yellow Rattle seeds is between June and August, but if you’ve missed out on collecting your own seeds this year, you could head to Plantlife and shop here.  For everything you need to know about growing Yellow Rattle, read the blog here.

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Citizen Science Showcase – Communicate is organising a Citizen Science Showcase from Saturday February 22nd to Saturday March 1st 2025, across the Wessex region.  It is looking for organisations who are working in the field of environmental-based citizen science (e.g. population ecology and conservation, pollution-monitoring, monitoring water quality) which want to take this opportunity to promote their citizen science to new audiences, either online or in person during the showcase week.  For more information please click here to learn more and register before September 30th

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Multi Watts – A subsea cable that can transmit large amounts of renewable electricity between Scotland and England has been given the go-ahead by regulators.  The two 315-mile cables will run from Peterhead in Aberdeenshire to Drax in North Yorkshire and will complement a similar link down the west coast.  The BBC has a report.

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9.5m Trees – The National Forest, an environmental initiative in the heart of the UK, has announced a milestone in its journey toward regenerating the landscape: reaching 25% forest cover across 200 square miles of the Midlands.  More than 9.5 million trees have been planted, restoring a landscape scarred by centuries of coal mining and clay extraction across parts of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire.  National Forest chief executive, John Everitt, said: “This milestone of 25% forest cover is testament to all our partners who have helped create the National Forest for more than 30 years – the early pioneers as well as a new generation of farmers and landowners.”

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Streptopelia turtur – Following the introduction of a temporary hunting ban across France, Spain, and Portugal in 2021, the European Turtle dove population in Western Europe has grown by 25% since, according to a report for the European Commission produced by a team of international scientists. The species now has an additional 400,000 breeding pairs and the significant recovery has prompted the extension of the ban for a fourth consecutive year.  Prior to 2018, approximately 1 million turtle doves were being killed each autumn during migration across just three countries (an estimated 2-4 million were shot across the whole of Europe yearly).  In the UK, the recovery of favourable habitat such as hedgerows, scrub and open woodland at sites such as the Knepp Estate and Wild Ken Hill are delivering promising results for the species.  You can learn more here.

In other bird-related recovery news cited by Citizen Zoo:

  • Spoonbills have nested in Cambridgeshire for the first time since the 17th century 
  • Reed buntings are breeding on Jersey for first time in 27 years 
  • Rare bitterns and marsh harriers are making a good recovery at Gwent Levels in South Wales
  • Puffin numbers are increasing on the Isle of May in Scotland 

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Long-term Considerations – Peter Sutoris, University of Leeds, says that we should consider what our society is doing to the planet not just during our individual lifespans but over the long term.  The Conservation has the details.

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Also in The Conversation, Nicholas Pearce and Richard Bevins, Aberystwyth University, and Rob Ixer, UCL, explain that the Stonehenge’s giant Altar Stone came all the way from north-east Scotland.

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More UNESCO News – new project is examining the growing and multiple impacts of climate change on cultural and natural heritage across the UK.  Three UK UNESCO sites are set to receive funding and expert support for a pilot over a 12-month period.  Teams at North Devon Biosphere Reserve, Fforest Fawr Global Geopark, and Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site, will test how new ways of collaborative working and improved sharing of data can help to better understand and address the impacts of climate change on the UK’s cultural and natural heritage.  The £1.8 million pilot is being funded by HM Treasury and led by the UK National Commission for UNESCO and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

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