Have you got your countryside classroom passport? The passport contains 18 challenges, relating to food, farming and the natural environment, that have been chosen to represent what it is believed pupils should have the opportunity to learn about and experience while they are at school. The challenges are organised into types (Find Out, Write, Make, Do,…
Here’s the latest Update from the South West Learning for Sustainability Coalition. It begins with a story from the sea: How do we go about capturing the attention and engaging children or adults, particularly those with little interest in environmental issues? This edition’s thoughtpiece comes from Natalie Fee who has developed a pop video to interest a new…
Climate Action reports that Paris is to ban motor vehicles from many of its roads on 27 September in an effort to reduce carbon emissions. This will coincide with European Mobility Week. Mayor Hidalgo (pictured here) said: “Paris will be completely transformed for a day… This is an opportunity for Parisians and tourists to enjoy the city without noise, pollution…
The first North West England John Muir Members’ Gathering will be in Ambleside on October 10th with a range of speakers giving their unique perspectives on enhancing wild land in the North West. Dr Will Williams, a Trustee of the John Muir Trust, will open the gathering by giving an overview of the Trust with a focus…
Energy Live News has the story on government proposals to change FiT payments to new renewable producers. Its report begins: The UK Government is proposing to drastically reduce incentives for solar power and has threatened to close the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme. It has launched a consultation with revised tariffs “based on updated technology cost data” in…
Today’s guest blog is by Geoffrey Guy who lectures at Reaseheath College, and is the Director of Education for Bushcraft Education Ltd, and the founder of the Bushcraft Education blog. The very first time Environmental Education (EE) was discussed in depth on an international scale was at the Tbilisi conference in October 1977. This was organised by UNESCO…
Climate Action reports that the Southern Ocean around Antarctica is absorbing an increasing amount of greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere and hence limiting the impacts of climate change, according to a new study released on Thursday. The study found that the amount of carbon being absorbed by the vast Southern Ocean has approximately doubled…
Groundwork West Midlands, working in partnership with the Environment Agency, the Wild Trout Trust and Stoke City Football Club is working with young volunteers who are helping to improve the Lyme Brook at Lyme Valley Parkway, Newcastle-under-Lyme, a social action project that benefits those taking part and the wider community. The young volunteers aged between 16…
Oxfam’s recently updated and revamped global citizenship guides are aimed at teachers in all subjects, and across all age groups. They introduce the key elements of Oxfam’s Curriculum for Global Citizenship, as well as providing case studies outlining best practice in the classroom, activities that can be adapted for use in many curriculum areas, and resources for…
We confess that we were unaware that 2015/16 was the Year of Fieldwork, but welcome it anyway. We especially like the logo, and hope that the tread on the boot gets worn away in the next 12 months because of overuse. Esri UK, the Field Studies Council, the Geographical Association, Ordnance Survey, and the Royal…
This was the title of a debate at the RGS last year. Earthwatch says: “Could we really hear a wild wolf’s howl in Britain again? If human activity is to blame for the wolf’s demise in the UK, along with the local extinction of bears, lynx and beavers, is it now time to redress the balance…
Rupert Brakspear writes about Bretforton First School’s work to involving everyone through the Eco-Schools Challenge. Bretforton is a small, vibrant school for 73 Foundation to Year 5 pupils. The school catchment serves families from the village and neighbouring communities lying to the east of Evesham. The school’s motto is ‘Small enough to care, Strong enough to grow’ and the Head Teacher…