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…
We’ve had a couple of features on zoos in recent months. There was Allison Price’s feature article on US zoos, and blogpost about a Chris Packham zoos and their role in conservation. Today, here is a link to the BBC’s Discover Wildlife magazine, where there is an article about the killing of healthy animals in zoos.…
On Friday 21st August 2015, there will be a networking day at the Chelsea Physic Garden: Engaging science – creating links between science and environmental education. The day will explore how science can be linked to work in informal education such as botanic gardens, sustainability, museums and outdoor education settings. There will be opportunities to network, discuss, debate and…