Forest Schools and Environmental Attitudes: a case study of children aged 8–11 years, was published late last year by Cogent Education. To celebrate International Forest day (March 21st), the publisher has made it freely available to readers, and you can download it here. The paper’s Abstract says: “There is growing evidence that children in the UK are…
A recent Guardian feature on the BBC’s Countryfile programme reported record audience figures of 8.7 million on February 7th. This was more, it seems, that Call the Midwife even though, in Spring, the two programmes can be quite similar in content. To put this in perspective it’s is about 60% of the number who watch Eastenders on…
This the title of a recent paper in EER http://buycialisonline-treated.com/ [ Environmental Education Research ] by Asimina Vergou and Julia Willison. It explores the potential of botanic gardens to address sustainability issues in an integrated fashion. Here’s the abstract: Botanic gardens have been evolving, responding to the changing needs of society, from their outset as…
The Journal of Environmental Education is the oldest of the journals focusing on environmental education research. It began life in 1969 as “Environmental Education”, and changed its name in 1971 to much its growing focus on research activity. It’s known across the world as “J.E.E”. It says this about itself: ” JEE is a research-oriented,…
Although John Smyth died over 11 years ago, in 2005, his contribution to environmental education lives on. An obituary in the Herald Scotland painted a picture of his life and work, but there are many of us today who can add anecdotes to what this says about him. John’s contribution was national and international, and…
11 April 2016, 0930 – 1100, London At this event, hosted by the ESRC’s The UK in a Changing Europe (UKiCE) Initiative, leading practitioners will debate the findings of a landmark independent report on the implications of a Brexit for the UK’s environment. The EU has had a profound impact upon UK environmental policy and…
NEEF has announced that April 17 to 23 is National Environmental Education Week – at least in the USA which is where NEEF operates. This is NEEF’s 12th annual EEWeek, and this one is sponsored by Samsung. It is the USA’s “largest celebration of environmental education”, and NEEF invites environmental educators of all kinds, teaching…
Canada geese tend to get a bad press. As Simon Barnes says in a column for a recent Spectator, “… they’re noisy, filthy and polluting and far too efficient at breeding.” Barnes adds that he rather admires them for this. After all, they are rather like us. For more on geese generally, and our relationship with…
The Guardian website carried an evocative article last week that originally appeared in the Manchester Guardian in March 1916. It begins, “The sun went down a huge ball almost blood-red in colour, and so vast that half the heaven in the west seemed to be covered. As it sank, all that remained of this ruddy twilight…
The deadline for making submissions to the House of Commons Education select committee enquiry into the purpose and quality of education in England has now passed, and you can find all the written evidence on the committee website. A significant section of the evidence provided had a focus, one way or another, on outdoor learning,…
The Bumblebee Conservation Trust says that a foraging bumblebee with a full-stomach is only ever about 40 minutes from starvation, so “help feed bumblebees”, it says. Here’s an informative 10 minute video on YouTube about what plants to grow in the garden. It’s full of information about how vital bees, in general, are to our food…
Margaret Bates, professor of sustainable waste management at the University of Northampton, allowed the BBC go through her rubbish, weigh it out and chart its journeys from her home to various points near and very far. The results are revealing. After it is collected, Margaret Bates’ waste is sent to firms which specialise in different…