The winners of the 2015/16 Alu D&T Challenge, a design competition for 11 to 14 year olds, were announced at a prize-giving event at the Thinktank Science Museum in Birmingham on 24 February. The national schools’ competition, linked to the Key Stage 3 Design and Technology curriculum, helps teach pupils learn about the properties and sustainability…
Margaret Bates, professor of sustainable waste management at the University of Northampton, allowed the BBC go through her rubbish, weigh it out and chart its journeys from her home to various points near and very far. The results are revealing. After it is collected, Margaret Bates’ waste is sent to firms which specialise in different…
Here’s a recent video from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation about how a more circular economy could help easy both resource and energy crises. This is a link to related TED-Ed resources for schools, and here is the Foundation’s YouTube site where all its videos can be viewed.
Earth Education UK is holding a collaborative weekend at Ringsfield Hall, Suffolk, 15-17th April, in order to share ways of engaging children and young people in learning about, and connecting to, the natural world. Their blog is here. There will be discussions of how Earth Education programmes can add value within other environmental education approaches such as Forest Schools,…
Spring has arrived, if you are a weather forecaster, as it starts on March 1st, whether or nor the sun is hot or snow is thick on the ground. This always comes ahead of the spring (vernal) equinox, which is popularly said to be the 21st March – next week. This is when we (non-weather…
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…
Every Friday, from 1030 to 1200, starting on April 8th, there will be an introduction to walking as a form of meditation and relaxation in Highbury Park, Kings Heath High Street, Birmingham. This will at times be a slow moving activity to help increase personal and environmental awareness. There are two benefits to Hair up.…
Biochar was featured in a recent BBC Countryfile programme in the context of the fight against ash dieback, and there is some evidence that is may have some properties which help trees fight back. Here is a link to some key ideas about it. One of these is that it may be able to combat…
Planet Earth is a free magazine aimed at the public with an interest in the environmental sciences. It’s available on-line here, and requests for a print version (available for UK subscribers) can be made here. It is a rich source of up to date information and ideas, and the pictures are wonderful. Every school should have this in their…
The Public Health England blog had had quite a lot of environment-related posts recently. A recent post says: “Global food production is responsible for enormous emissions of climate damaging gases as well as taking up critical water supplies and physical space. Estimates suggest that food and drink production and distribution contributes 20% of UK carbon emissions every year.”…
Here’s a lively, if a little breathless, video from Barts hospital in London about their successful attempts to be more sustainable; that is, to save money and work more effectively for patient health. The numbers are impressive. Barts have made savings of £9.2m and 48,511 tonnes of CO2. The video blurb says that sustainability in the NHS is…
LEEF training afternoon: Faith and the environment Friday 11 March 2016, 1.30-6pm, Westminister Abbey Education Centre. This training session will explore the links between faith, plants and the environment in several major world faiths. Discover how environmental educators of all faiths and none are using outdoors spaces to teach environmentalism, spirituality and religious education. The…