The Guardian begins a report about the illegal killing of small birds like this: “The Egyptians line their beaches with fine two-metre high nets that can stretch for miles across the Nile delta and will catch any bird coming close; the Maltese will cover whole trees in nylon; the Cypriots smear branches in glue to…
We reported the other day about the launch of the iSpex-EU project, which is a Europe-wide attempt to monitor air pollution by smart phone. The more elderly amongst us were reminded of a similar initiative in the mid-1980s when our children were encouraged to measure the acidity of rain on a daily basis and report it as…
The killing of the lion, Cecil, last month by an American game-hunting dentist, sparked a wave of both anger and revulsion across some parts of the world, and spawned more than a few simplistic ideas about the rights and wrongs of (trophy) game hunting – and not just in Africa. Of course, it was always…
The Department for Education [DfE] is consultating on the draft new A level Environmental Science criteria, and there is an Ofqual consultation regarding the proposed assessment objectives. Both consultations are open until 24 September 2015. This is the link to the DfE consultation, and this is the link to the Ofqual one.
The Marine Conservation Society is organising another beach clean up. This year it takes place from 18 to 21 September, and a list of events is shown here. Last year, 273,747 items of litter were collected. As this is 2.5 pieces every metre, it may seem a surprise that we win any good beach awards. The full results for 2014…
It’s hard to know what to make of the bee survey results reported in the Guardian in August. The headline, which seems misleading, was: Bee count finds school grounds abuzz as their favourite habitat The report began: “Schools and gardens have beaten farmland and the countryside in a survey to determine Britain’s most bee-friendly habitats.…
August 13th was Earth Overshoot Day this year. That’s the day when our annual demand for the goods and services that our land and seas can provide goes beyond what the Earth’s ecosystems can renew in a year. Overshoot means we are drawing down the planet’s principal rather than living off its annual interest and leads to a depletion…
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…
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…
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…
Simon Fearnehough, founder and CEO of the Hideout House Company, which specializes in developing products for schools to help foster environmental awareness and sustainable thinking, contributes today’s blog post. Simon writes: If we are going to make any significant difference to help ease the burden on our planet’s resources, then awareness about environmental issues and…
A recent article by Day Nursaries (UK) says that a lack of outdoor adventures and too much electronic screen time is damaging children’s health. The article begins: “By spending more than 86 hours of the summer holidays staring at electronic devices, children are missing out on traditional outdoor activities, according to a new study published…