New Books on the environment and people

Natural England’s recent update on research identified a number of books.

Here is a selection:

1. Children Learning Outside the Classroom: From Birth to Eleven edited by Sue Waite.

Learning outside the classroom is increasingly seen as beneficial in both early years and primary settings, and it is becoming embedded in the curriculum, but what are the benefits of this approach? What do children learn from being outside the classroom?  This book explores why learning beyond the classroom is important for children, and offers practical examples of how to improve outdoor learning experiences for all children. In the face of the increasing restriction of children’s outdoor experiences, it will help the reader rise to the challenge of finding creative opportunities for working across the curriculum through outdoor activities.

2. Reimagining Sustainability in Precarious Times (2017).

This includes chapters on:

Educating Beyond the Cultural and the Natural:(Re) Framing the Limits of the Possible in Environmental Education DAG Clarke

The Ecological Curriculum: Teaching, Learning, Understanding D Wright 

Nurturing Female Outdoor Educators: A Call for Increased Diversity in Outdoor Education in Precarious Times TA Philpott

3. Bird diversity improves the well-being of city residents
M Hedblom, I Knez, B Gunnarsson – book chapter in Ecology and Conservation of Birds in Urban Environments 2017
Humans are increasingly becoming urbanized. Because a number of bird species readily live in urban areas and birds are relatively easily observed, birds are becoming the largest everyday encounter with wild fauna people will have, globally. Here we review extant literature to consider why certain species fascinate humans more than others, and some can increase well-being and provide ecosystem services, while others offer disservices through unappealing characteristics. We particularly highlight indications of links between species diversity and well-being. Finally, we discuss possible reasons for variations in our responses to birds and birdsong associated with age, gender, childhood, contact with nature, and the biophilia theory.

4. The Spiritual and Cultural Significance of Nature: Inspiring Connections between People and Parks
E Bernbaum – chapter in book – Science, Conservation, and National Parks, 2017

5. Nature Tourism
JS Chen and NK Prebensen
Nature Tourism augments the current literature on the benefits and pitfalls in recent developments of nature tourism, tracing the history in development, highlighting the ecological impacts and showcasing the current practices in nature tourism along with discussions on specific tourist markets from holistic viewpoints embracing lessons learning from various destination nations and continents across the globe. A host of topics with global significance will be explored.

6. Loving Learning: The Value of Play Within Contemporary Primary School Pedagogy
D O’Connor – chapter in Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Play from Birth and Beyond, 2017
This chapter draws on established literature surrounding children’s play and how children learn. It also presents some topic-specific findings from two recent studies. The participants included almost 1700 families and 240 communities throughout Ireland. The generational changes in play were a recurring theme within the findings with the vast majority of parents expressing that they had more freedom and more time outdoors than their children do.