Lesley Sleight, Head of Life Skills, Queen Elizabeth II High School, Isle of Man, writes about how her students have been growing their own clothes. A group of year 13 pupils from Queen Elizabeth II High School, Isle of Man have spent the last year growing clothes from green tea, sugar and bacteria. The tragic deaths in the…
We think of Thomas Hardy as a nature poet, although probably not to the extent that we know John Clare to be one. Hardy’s ‘An August Midnight‘, written in 1915, is not just about the natural world, but concerns our relationships in it. Here it is: A shaded lamp and a waving blind, And the beat…
‘Superworm’ is written and illustrated by the team who produced the hugely successful book, ‘The Gruffalo’. Superworm is a hero to all of the animals around him, helping them out with any problems they encounter. As a result, he is highly valued and respected and the animals rally round to support him when he ends…
On 25th September, the UN will announce its Global Goals for Sustainable Development [SDGs], that aim to make our planet fair, healthy and sustainable by 2030. The ambition of The World’s Largest Lesson (beginning 27th September) is that children across the world will learn about these goals and began to contribute to their achievement. For schools, it’s…
A new publication, ‘Not Just Hot Air – Putting Climate Change Education into Practice’, presents UNESCO’s recent work in supporting education policy-makers and teacher educators to act on climate change. It includes national case studies on UNESCO country pilots in the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Mauritius, Tuvalu and South Africa, making accessible results and lessons learned. …
What has nature ever done for us? is the title of a well-received book by Tony Juniper which was published in 2013 by Profile Books? As the blurb says: “… nature provides the ‘natural services’ that keep the economy going. From the recycling miracles in the soil; an army of predators ridding us of unwanted pests;…
The Guardian is reporting a NASA study which says that sea levels worldwide have risen by an average of almost 8cm since 1992 because of warming waters and melting ice. In 2013, the IPCC predicted sea levels would rise from between 0.3 and 0.9m by the end of the century, but this new research suggests that the…
Cycle to Work Day is on September 3rd this year. Will you be joining in this national event supported by Denise van Outen and Cyclescheme? It aims to encourage everyone to cycle to work. The hope is, of course, that you might do it more than once a year.
The Guardian has an article that sets out to help new primary school teachers: “a few pointers to help you make the most of it.” There are 10 points made which range from: No. 1 – get to know parents, to No. 10 – let go. As might be expected, most are sensible and well-grounded in…
So begins Simon Barnes’ article in the Guardian about the experiences he and his son, Eddie, had outdoors encouraged by the Wildlife Trust’s Wild June idea. Barnes went on: “The Trusts had plenty of ideas for stolen wild moments, but Eddie and I had quite a few as well. Making a bit of a project of…