This 28 minute DVD about the native UK honey bee is available in both Welsh and English on the same disc. It is aimed at Key Stage 1, although it says it is suitable for all primary school children. The DVD sets out to explain in straightforward language the importance of the honey bee to us…
A new e-book, Prophet and Loss, celebrates the wildness legacy left by the founder of UK nature conservation, Charles Rothschild. It’s written by Simon Barnes reveals and illustrated by wildlife artist Nik Pollard, and is s a must-read says the Wildlife Trusts. Barnes re-visits seven of the 284 special places which Charles Rothschild and his…
Being a Beast by Charles Foster explores what it’s like to be an animal – well, as far as we humans can ever manage to do this, and judging by the reviews, Foster does an extraordinary job, unbelievably well. This is what the publishers say: “Charles Foster wanted to know what it was like to…
In The New Wild: Why Invasive Species Will be Nature’s Salvation, Fred Pearce argues that trying to keep out alien species looks increasingly flawed and that we should celebrate the dynamism of such species and the novel ecosystems they create. Further, in an era of climate change and widespread ecological damage, we should be finding ways to help nature…
The Meeks took 2014-2015 as a family year out of formal education and work to travel round Britain in search of adventure. This book of 100 ideas and activities to get you venturing outside and beyond your comfort zone with your nearest and dearest is the result. Fun and motivating, each double page spread boasts…
“Crazy! Lunatic! What is he talking about? How dare he challenge our way of life?” When a character in Plato’s Republic sees that things might change – even though it’s for the better, long term – he calls out for the status quo, for things to be as he is used to. Anyone with a message…
Juliette Green examines Julie Warburton’s book on teaching with flowers. This is a colourful, chunky handbook full of practical and innovative ideas for using flowers across the curriculum. Julie Warburton is a former teacher and educational consultant and this comes across through the strong curriculum links and the easy-to-follow teaching ideas. She subsequently retrained as…
Philippa Riste examines two quite different books about gardens and growing, and finds them both valuable. Gardening in School All Year Round is an excellent teaching resource to equip schools in the creation and maintenance of a functioning school garden, with associated gardening club. Each month has a dedicated double page spread full of practical information,…
The lands on which we construct and expand our growing cities, alongside our farms that we push to be ever more productive, have been devastated by pollution and erosion – contamination in lots of different vocabularies. This guide is an answer to ‘how we can make amends’. It is both a practical reparations toolkit ‘and’…
This 276 page hardback isn’t something you’d be throwing in your rucksack before setting out into the great unknown. However, leafing through its pages of beautiful photos and useful diagrams would mean that a few pages captured in a photo or photocopy to take with you as a visual aid would be well worth the…
These visually delightful books are designed to be an individual’s ‘spot and learn, stick and play’ book. The pages are of thick glossy wipe clean card, so would be suitable for taking out and about, however the beautiful illustrations give these publications a sense of being special and something to look after – I for…
Philippa Riste looks at two books which focus on what children can do in gardens. Kids in the Garden is a lovely gift for children or a useful addition for a teacher in charge of a school garden; this is a fantastic book for kids aged 6 and above, from which even experienced adult gardeners…