Teach the Future has a new Adult Advisory Board. This is a small group of adult volunteers who will advise on campaign strategy. It had its first meeting last week. NAEE’s chair of trustees is a member.
Teach the Future has written to the House of Commons Education Select Committee, encouraging them to run an inquiry into how the education system is preparing young people for the climate emergency and ecological crisis. They have also written to the Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills (Gillian Keegan MP) to make the case for investment in green vocational skills. ∫∫∫
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SEEd has compiled a list of learning resources to help us all learn about and reconnect with nature. The list includes online interactive websites, video courses, podcasts, adult learning resources, resources for each key stage, resources for teachers on teaching about nature and biodiversity, resources for parents to support their children’s learning, and books for adults, parents, and children. The majority of these resources are free to access, use, and download. ∫∫∫
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A “road map” for bees and butterflies has been published by Buglife showing how they could be brought back from the edge of extinction by the creation of a network of new wildflower meadows. The idea is to encourage landowners to create 150,000 hectares of new or restored meadows to act as stepping stones for pollinating insects, allowing them to spread, breed and move north as climate change makes their habitats too hot. The government-funded map shows where the meadows need to be created to restore populations of shrill carder bee, long-horned bee, small blue butterfly and other threatened species. Called the B-Lines network, the map shows red lines along which there is some wildflower-rich habitat and where farmers and other landowners are being encouraged to fill in the missing links. ∫∫∫
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A report released yesterday by CPRE – the Countryside Charity – argues that the restoration of the nation’s hedgerows would help to reduce carbon emissions by capturing greenhouse gases. The report calls for millions of pounds to be spent on new hedges with the aim of increasing their total length by at least 40% by 2050. Before 1940 there were twice as many hedges as at present. Many have been destroyed to make way for housing, roads and intensive agriculture. The Times reports that the 2007 UK Countryside Survey found that there were 372,000 miles of managed and unmanaged hedgerows in Britain, most of them in England. In 1984 the same study reported about 423,000 miles of hedges. ∫∫∫
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UK-based music artist Zoey Lily will be releasing her new single titled ‘The End‘ on the 24th of July. ‘The End‘ is a song that reminds us of our responsibility, for the wellbeing of our fellow humans, the environment and the animals we share the planet with. You can listen to the song here. For the first two months of this single release campaign, Zoey has pledged to donate 100% of her proceeds from streaming and downloads to organisations in support of the environment, animals and human rights. UNICEF is one of those. ∫∫∫
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The Big Butterfly Count has started. Butterfly Conservation says that following the fine spring weather we’ve seen the earliest average emergence of butterflies for the last 20 years – adding that it’s vital that we understand how these weather patterns affect butterflies to help protect them for the future. This year the website has been upgraded and app is even easier to use so make sure you have the latest version of the app if your count is to be included. These are available from the usual sources – and the BC website. ∫∫∫
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RSPB is looking for volunteers under 25 who would like to join their Youth Council – an advisory committee comprised of 10 representatives of the RSPB’s teenage membership, that provides a youth perspective and a youth voice on projects and issues that the RSPB is working on. As a council member you’ll have the chance to make your ideas a reality; influence RSPB projects; speak publicly at a variety of events; hone your writing skills by contributing to Wingbeat magazine; get hands-on at RSPB conservation camps; and gain a host of CV-boosting skills along the way. If the idea of joining the Youth Council gets you excited, they’d love to hear from you. The deadline is July 31st. ∫∫∫
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Reversing the Decline of Insects is a new report from the Wildlife Trusts. This is how it begins:
“As American biologist E.O. Wilson once said, “without insects the environment would collapse into chaos”. Thus the growing evidence that many are in rapid decline – with, for example, UK butterfly populations down more than 50% since 1976 – should be of very deep concern for all of us, but sadly not surprising. We have lost 97% of our wildflower meadows since the 1930s and 87% of our wetlands have gone. Annually, we apply 16.9 thousand tons of pesticides on our countryside every year, and that does not include what we spray in our towns and our cities, in our gardens and the chemicals we pour down our drains. A 2019 EU report on global biodiversity loss tells us that it is not too late to reverse insect declines, but only if we start now at every level of society, from local to global. …”
Click here to get a downloadable free Action for Insects guide and discover the different ways you can help insects with the Wildlife Trusts. ∫∫∫
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~Tide has launched a new magazine – The Elephant Times. This is available here. ~Tide says that it offers the opportunity to reflect on aspects of Tide~’s previous work and its implications in the current educational climate. It is also intended to stimulate thinking about future potential areas where the network can support teachers and learners of all ages. Feedback is welcome. ∫∫∫
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The latest newsletter from the British Ecological Society contains a reference to a new study in People and Nature which reports that rhino horn consumers in Vietnam tend to listen to individuals in their social networks who use the product, rather than to campaigns to reduce campaigns. The paper notes that “traditional medicine practitioners, doctors, government officials, business leaders and celebrities—had very little influence”. ∫∫∫
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The Nature Start Alliance says that registration is still open for its Nature-Based Early Learning virtual conference. It’s taking place next week July 29-31 and there will be more than 50 interactive live sessions. You can enjoy 24-hour on-demand access to more than 40 sessions throughout the conference week, and access all of the sessions for up to a year: “more content, lower cost, lower carbon footprint!” Just click to register for the conference. ∫∫∫
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A study in Nature Communications reports that microplastic particles that come from tyres and brakes are being swept by winds to the Arctic where they darken the surface making it easier to absorb heat and melt ice. Around 48,000 tonnes end up in polar regions each year. The UK government’s Air Quality Expert Group reported in 2019 that particles from brake, tyre and road surface wear were responsible for over half of particle pollution from road transport. They said that there is no legislation or policy in place to limit or reduce these. As a result, non-exhaust road traffic emissions have increased. ∫∫∫
So reassuring that all of this is still going on despite concerns about the global pandemic.
Useful to have a compilation of what is happening all around the UK, and sometimes globally so that you can find out more about specific environmental, ecological and climate issues.