#16: Humans and Nature

 A quote from Georges-Louis Leclerc. One for discussion perhaps.

The Guardian had a very useful supplement aimed at introducing the work that was going on ahead of the Biodiversity COP (they aren't just held over the climate), which took place in December 2022.

The disconnect between people and nature is very real. Perhaps this qualification will be part of a new opportunity to engage people with nature, although we need to remember that students choose particular GCSEs for lots of reasons.

“While use of the word ‘nature’ has flatlined over the past century, use of the the word ‘me’ has quadrupled since 1990.” https://t.co/QF3ytqavsy pic.twitter.com/5nh5yaCV0Y

— Miles Richardson (@findingnature) November 27, 2022

And this from Tony Juniper: 

This is a little out of date now, but I don’t expect things will have changed very much. Number of climate change articles in brown & biodiversity in green. Biodiversity last had the edge at the Rio Earth Summit back in 1992. https://t.co/3kvU6nJEqg pic.twitter.com/hJjl2A3qIQ

— Tony Juniper (@TonyJuniper) November 26, 2022

#15: Natural History Playlist #1: The Cottager's Reply

This is a rather fine piece of music - one of many performed by the folk musician Chris Wood. The song was originally written as a poem by Frank Mansell.

It describes a farmer in the Cotswolds, who has a visitor from London who wants to buy his house, perhaps as a second home. Chris Wood updated the cost of the house from the original of course, which was written by Frank Mansell.

The lyrics are spot on for exploring the deep connections that people develop with a place when their family spends time there over the generations, but even then they are perhaps only temporary visitors when looking at the different temporal scales of geology, soil formation and conservation, changing animal species or the slow changes that take place as a result of geomorphological processes. 

It's also a reminder of how farmers have shaped the landscape of the country over generations of changes - whether it is by clearing stones and then using them to construct walls, or through their decisions on what to plant in particular fields, where to drain marshy areas, plant woodlands, rear game or remove species they fear may spread disease.

In one section, the lyrics describe the links with the local wildlife, which is in some ways independent of the work of humans, but very much influenced by these decisions when they impact on habitat and food and water supply.

And at dusk the badger travels still

Ancestral highways on the hill.

I am as Cotswold bred as these

And I still need these field and trees,

And I need the soil that bore my race

And holds their bones beneath this place.

Cynefin is a related term here.

It is something which I have written about and used with my own students, and which is also part of the work of the GA's Welsh Special Interest Group.

It is also potentially being lost according to this research paper.

I have also made a Spotify playlist for GCSE Natural History, to which I will add other related songs as the blog grows and relevant music reveals itself, or I am reminded of it. There are a few songs already. The Chris Wood version of the Cottager's reply is not available, but there is a version on there by Jimmy Aldridge and Sid Goldsmith instead.

Visit the Spotify playlist here.

If you have a suggestion for a song that could be added to the list, please feel free to let me know - it's not currently opened for others to add songs, but will be once the specification is out and preparations are a bit further down the line.

#14: New learning resource for Milton Keynes schools

I set up a Google Alert for the term 'GCSE Natural History' when I started this blog. This post follows the arrival of a Google Alert.

This report talks about the creation of a new teaching resource for schools in Milton Keynes which is apparently based around the new GCSE Natural History (even though nobody knows what might be in the final specification).

"The resources will provide a range of information and ideas to inspire lessons and homework to support the new natural history GCSE syllabus" and "co-authored by teachers from Shenley Brook End School, and cover topics like tree identification, balancing lakes, map reading, pollinators and even forest bathing – the popular mindfulness activity."

They have been produced by The Parks Trust in Milton Keynes' Outdoor Learning Team in association with the teachers.

They are attractive materials and can be seen here. They are relevant for other topics, although they would be of particular value for schools in the immediate area of course.

#13: Delays in the draft criteria?

An interesting Tweet on Mary Colwell's Twitter feed earlier today suggesting a little frustration that almost a year after being announced there has been very little in the way of announcements on progress towards a draft set of subject criteria for consultation - another step towards the new GCSE which has to happen if it is to become reality.

Here's the New Scientist video from 10 months ago featuring Bear Grylls, one of the supporters of the new qualification.

#12: GCSE Natural History Supporters

GCSE Natural History Supporters are shown here, taken from the original list. 

An image is also shown below. This is taken from the OCR Hub.

This list may well change as time passes and the specification goes through development with additional organisations being added to the list as they get involved. One would expect some to get involved in the creation of learning resources, whether through their own Education team or by sponsoring the creation of branded material. 

Some of this work may go out to tender and be available for teachers and other organisations to get involved with.

This image is taken from the OCR Hub and the original documentation that was released when the specification was given the approval.

Since then of course, we have cycled through quite a few more Education Secretaries and there has been additional pressure placed on the UK's natural resources.

These are the organisations that could see some benefit of being involved in the new qualification, and who will perhaps be involved in supporting its development in various ways, or think that there would be advantages to young people gaining the knowledge and skills that the new qualification could potentially provide for young people. This could mean a pool of people to draw from to recruit for their future work, and also be advocates for the causes they are leading on.

Representatives have also provided some thoughts in essays here.

They include the Linnean Society - an organisation I will blog about separately - along with many of the names on the list - and also one of the Geographical Association's Strategic Partners: the Field Studies Council.

Some other key names on the list are shown below.

Each of these will be returned to in separate posts.

LEAF Education

RHS: Royal Horticultural Society - they have been involved in a number of education projects

Ocean Conservation Trust - includes some serious work on seagrass meadows which are an important habitat and carbon sink - students are likely to explore the oceans as well as the land

Whole Education

Natural History Museum - there will be a separate post on this location - a perfect field visit for those who can get there

Eden Project - another excellent place to visit, but very remote from most locations in the UK

NBN: National Biodiversity Network

This is a useful website which has some detailed biodiversity data for the UK.

BBC - clearly a large collection of resources.

The Urban Birder - David Lindo

A useful person to follow.

Cambridge Zero

Oxford Museum of Natural History

A splendid place to visit.

Country Trust

NAEE

Ashomolean Museum, Oxford

British Society of Soil Science

Marine Conservation Trust

#11: John Muir Trust Wild Places Survey

The John Muir Trust is wanting to hear of your favourite Wild Places. 

These will probably be places without too much of an imprint of humans. This is going to be an important discussion over deciding content and contexts for the new specification and some possible case studies.

The Trust is in its 40th year. 

Some of their additional materials and activities may also prove relevant when it comes to planning for new specification.

They have a survey on their website home page currently.

You will be asked to locate your favourite local wild place, and then a favourite place in the UK.

There is a chance to win some equipment from Mountain Equipment.

The survey page says:

The wild place survey data will help us develop:

• a register of wild places which will list the most important wild places across the four nations of the United Kingdom based on how they provide freedom for nature to flourish, freedom for people to benefit from being in them and freedom for local communities to benefit from them
• recognised standards that will enable land managers of wild places to manage them sensitively and sustainably.

Ultimately we will set up an independent monitoring unit to assess and report on the condition of wild places across the four nations.

Our aim is to demonstrate the positive impact of exemplary land management on these sites and inspire people and communities to benefit from and advocate for them.