#64: Natural History Reading List #4: Flora Britannica

This is a very sizeable book, which was published in 1996, after five years of effort.

You will find copies in second-hand book shops if you are fortunate. Used copies are also available online.

This is an essential addition to any departmental library for those teaching the new specification because of its focus.

It is a remarkable piece of work by Richard Mabey, supported by Common Ground (see blogpost about this organisation).

It covers the natural and naturalised plants of England, Scotland and Wales. 

It is a cultural book rather than a purely botanical ID guide. It looks at the role of wild plants in social life, arts, custom and landscape. These are all areas which are going to be in the draft specification I would imagine, and so this could be said to be one of the key sources for information and details on a range of areas for the new specification.

Also check out his rather smaller book: 'A Good Parcel of English Soil' on his childhood in what is now called Metroland and how nature reclaimed areas which people had left alone.

There are sections on a whole range of plants and trees, including vernacular names and specific locations. 

Weeds are included, as well as plants close to the sea, fruit and familiar plants, plants on common land, and plants in watery locations.

If one of the purposes of the new specification is for young people to know more about the plants they see in hedgerows and gardens on the way to school, this is going to be valuable.

If we take one example of a plant: the stinging nettle. We can learn a lot from the entry in the book for this plant.

This is apparently a plant that many young people can't identify.

Growing up in the 1960s and 70s in Yorkshire, with woods and common on the doorstep we were very familiar with this plant. It tends to grow close to human settlement and prefers woodland glades or river banks. It likes soils rich in phosphate, which tend to be those where domesticated animals have grazed and manured, or through burning, dumping of refuse or in graveyards. Straight away reading this we can see some human-nature relationships e.g. they are found in ruined crofts in Scotland despite the occupants leaving hundreds of years ago, and also on the sites of Romano-British villages.

The nettle family is called Urticaceae.

Its vernacular names including Devil's plaything, Hokey-pokey and Jinny nettle.

It causes a rash if touched (urticaria) and has given its name to a whole range of places including Nettlecombe in Dorset, for example, home to a Field Studies Council centre.

This gave me an idea straight away of using the gazetteer in Digimap for Schools to find which plants/trees/animals have the most places named after them, or which include the plant/tree/animal in their name.

They are a source / ingredient for food and ale, and were used as a subsistence food during the Irish Potato Famine, and the Second World War.

There are nettle eating competitions (don't try that at school) and some use the stings to ward off inflammation, and also restore circulation. They are also used to make fibres, and military clothing has previously been made from the thread. They can also be used to make a dye.

Image: Book cover - Alan Parkinson, shared under CC license

Nettle: https://www.pngall.com/nettle-png/download/111768

#63: FSC ID Keys

ID Keys are a key resource for use in the field to help identify plants (flowers, mosses, lichens), birds, animals (mammals, insects etc.) or other flora and fauna.

They are available in folded, laminated form from the FSC Shop and other outlets (RSPB reserve and Wildlife Trust shops for example). They are called WildID Guides.

Some have also previously been translated into Smartphone apps but don't seem to be available.

Each guide costs around £4 and it would be worth factoring in the cost of these to budget planning.

Look at the new specification when it (eventually) appears to see which guides might be the most useful.

I already own about ten different keys, from sand dune plants to bats.

Any school that is planning to teach the new specification and qualification will need to work out a budget for the whole process of preparing the teachers, resourcing the lessons and providing a range of associated books, equipment and fieldvisits. This is why some people are suggesting that it will be more likely to be offered by schools that can afford the investment of time and money. We will see whether that is what transpires, but hopefully I will be involved in providing resources for schools with different budgets.

Update - September 2023

📣New Guide Earlybird Offer📣
Discover waders with our new WildID guide #Waders of Britain and Ireland. £3 until 1 Oct 2023.

A distinctive group of birds perfect for autumn bird watching.
Learn more in our latest blog and get the offer: https://t.co/OKpUSAWqXf#Birdwatching pic.twitter.com/DmMFOMtjPo

— Field Studies Council (@FieldStudiesC) September 2, 2023

Updated October 2023

They also have this fan... 

I have a few collections – animal skulls , poo , feathers – but this may be one of my most prized !@FieldStudiesC Wild ID Guides are a must-have for any naturalist , I take them everywhere I go . You can view the range here https://t.co/SLLse4LjUZ pic.twitter.com/qKnPuX6YLo

— Chris Packham (@ChrisGPackham) September 29, 2023

#62: Big Butterfly Count 2023

The Big Butterfly Count 2023 started recently and runs through to early August. My neighbour's Buddleia bush has been very busy with butterflies. My mum always calls this a "butterfly bush" and they definitely like it.

The #BigButterflyCount 2023 has officially started! 🦋

Our butterflies and moths need our help more than ever. This is why we are urging everyone to get out for the Count to help us conserve them! 💚

Get involved 👉 https://t.co/mtv6gZ0dPN#SaveButterflies #MothsMatter pic.twitter.com/6vsjWInxmd

— Butterfly Conservation (@savebutterflies) July 14, 2023

Once the new GCSE Natural History launches, one would hope that there would be links to this sort of activity provided in a calendar of events so that teachers can't miss out on some of the big days and events that are spread throughout the year.

David Attenborough introduces the count, as inspiration for young people perhaps to get involved.

I completed the count earlier and submitted my data. Here's one of my images of some local butterflies as well. Remember that we are putting together a folder / album of CC licensed images for you to use in your own powerpoints when the time comes.

Image: Alan Parkinson, shared under CC license

#61: Valuing Nature from the RGS-IBG

A new resource from the RGS for July 2023.

Valuing Nature is a book about the pressing need for people to value the natural world.

We have made a narrated flick-book-summary for you and your students #geographyteacher

Take a look today, and see if it fits into any schemes of work https://t.co/4N2S6l2L70 pic.twitter.com/NaCgy5hoVk

— RGS-IBG Schools (@RGS_IBGschools) July 28, 2023

Description:

Valuing Nature promotes exactly that, a renewed awareness that we must value the natural world. The book, written by Dr Rob Fish, addresses the growing schism between humans and nature, and encourages us to remember we are one of many elements in ‘the web of life’. Illustrated by Holly McKelvey, the story begins on the fictitious campus of Ostrom University and – through the characters of Aisha, Michael, Sebastian, Chloe, Simone, and Joseph – touches upon the definition of nature and the different approaches we have to it.

The interaction between people and nature is dynamic. It is an ‘assemblage of human and non-human life forms’. Ultimately, it is important to understand that the natural systems of planet Earth make varied and valuable contributions to human wellbeing, and we must cherish and protect them. This is a sustainability concept known as ‘the Ecosystem Services Framework’.

#60: School grounds fieldwork: Make a mini pond

If a school is offering the GCSE Natural History, it makes sense for them to take a look at their own grounds to see what the opportunities are for learning about ecosystems. This will be important as there are bound to be quite 'high start up costs' with resourcing and preparing to teach the new specification. I hope to be able to help with that, and this blog is one such resource which I hope people will begin to explore. 

The school where I teach has a small pond area, and a larger pond in the main gardens which are part of a memorial garden to former teachers and students. There are obviously some issues with safety and the need for signage and careful placement.

This article suggests ways to create a mini pond, perhaps on the school site. It's part of Children's Gardening Week.

Ponds are small ecosystems, and students could usefully set them up and explore the trophic relationships which are developing.

The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust have also created this useful video on how to make a small pond.

#59: OCR Graphic

While checking for relevant Tweets (I do a monthly search to see what people may have been saying about the new qualification) I came across this OCR image that I hadn't seen before. It's a useful image to use perhaps in future.

The choice of images here may also be interesting as it may show the short of direction that OCR is looking at... what they consider to be Natural History-related images...

#58: Urban jungles

Biodiversity isn't just found in the countryside. There is a great deal of biodiversity in many cities. In fact some may be more biodiverse than the surrounding countryside which may have a monoculture of particular crops.

The designation of London as the world's first National Park City shows that there is plenty of wildlife in cities as well, and this was at the heart of the original campaign - developed by Daniel Raven Ellison.

Here is the Natural History Museum's definition of biodiversity.

This is a term which students may be asked to engage with, and certainly be prepared to define the word itself.

Cities and towns have a smoothing effect on biodiversity, tending to favour generalist species like feral pigeons. Those that require a particular habitat, or are intolerant of disturbance or pollution, often can't survive. This is called biotic homogenization.

Animals and plants that can only live in one small area of land - like unique butterflies or flowers - can go locally extinct if the city's conditions are unfavorable to them.

Image - detail from the London National Park City map of green spaces.

You can obtain your own copy of the map from here, priced at £9.99

#57: Fabulous Fungi Learning

A resource shared on the Linnean Society website.

Fabulous Fungi explores the hidden strands that connect fungi together beneath the ground. 

Fungi play a vital role in nutrient cycling in woodlands and would certainly form part of the investigations which students would be asked to complete when exploring UK woodlands, which are likely to be used for fieldwork by many schools. 

Identifying some fungi might also form part of the specification as well.

Check out the full set of activities and notes for teachers on the Great Science Share for Schools website.

There are separate activities for:Key Stage 1 (age 5-7)
Key stage 2 (age 7-11)
Key stage 3 (age 11-14)

Each enquiry provides teachers notes, teaching slides, a supporting video and links to resources guiding pupils to work scientifically and find out more about Carl Linnaeus.

Here is one of the videos:

Image: Mushroom, Litcham Common, shared under CC license

The main organisation here is the British Mycological Society.

They have a Mycokids section, which is perhaps aimed at slightly younger children than GCSE age.

#56: Nature 2030

The next general election is likely to see the environment as one of the issues that people consider when voting: the state of the country's rivers perhaps, or the proposals for reducing carbon emissions...

A campaign has been launched, supported by a large number of wildlife charities, many of whom are also supporters of the GCSE Natural History.

Politicians pledge to stop #nature's decline by 2030, but vital funding & policies are no where to be seen.

Today, with 80 charities, we launch #Nature2030, calling on all political parties to commit to 5 actions to improve our environment. Please sign!https://t.co/g872LhU9dX pic.twitter.com/PXEemWW79v

— Richard Benwell (@RSBenwell) July 18, 2023

#55: Natural History Reading List #3. 'Divide' by Anna Jones

Divide is a book by rural affairs journalist Anna Jones, which was published towards the beginning of 2022. It is now available in paperback. The book explores the relationship between urban and rural areas.

Anna Jones is a journalist who has written widely in this area.

Its subtitle is: 'The Relationship Crisis between Town and Country', and it has a series of sections exploring different aspects of the 'broken' relationship which means that many urban dwellers don't really understand rural life.

Anna Jones' own website includes some useful additional reading and some details of her journalism pieces, which would be of use for some elements of the proposed draft specification.

The publishers' description:

“Divide is a ground-breaking exploration of the urban and rural cultural division. This book is a plea and a call to action. It warns that unless we learn to accept and respect our social, cultural and political differences as town and country people, we are never going to solve the chronic problems present in our food system and environment. As we stare down the barrel of climate change, only farmers – who manage two thirds of the UK’s landscape – working together with conservation groups can create a healthier food system and bring back nature in diverse abundance. But this fledgling progress is hindered and hamstrung by simplistic debates that still stoke conflict between conservative rural communities and the liberal green movement.Each chapter, from Home and Work, Politics and Diversity to Animals and Food, Environment and Community, explores a different aspect of the urban/rural disconnect, weaving case studies and research with Anna’s personal stories of growing up on a small, upland farm.

A rural affairs journalist, Anna Jones has a unique perspective and insight into the cultural, agricultural and social issues that often divide rather than unite. Having grown up on a sheep farm in the Welsh borders, and later lived in urban settings, her media sensibility sees the reasons why these two disparate sections of society need to respect their differences and recognise each other’s strengths and work together to protect and preserve the land.”

#54: Costing the Earth - BBC Radio 4

The BBC's 'Costing the Earth' series has a great many episodes which will doubtless be of use to those teaching the new GCSE Natural History specification. It will perhaps be a useful job for someone - perhaps me - to go through the catalogue of episodes online and produce a list of those that might be of use for the new specification. *makes mental note.

Here's an example description of a recent programme:

Can writing about nature help to protect it? Charlotte Smith discusses this with three authors: Helen Macdonald, Paul Evans, and Kerri Andrews.

David Attenborough explores the wildlife and wild spaces of the United Kingdom in Wild Isles, his latest natural history series. It’s a glorious celebration but it also highlights the depletion of nature on our own doorstep, and - without a doubt - its power lies, not just in the unforgettable images, but in the strength of the script.

So, in today’s episode of Costing the Earth, Charlotte Smith hears from three British nature writers about what inspires them, how they feel the genre is faring, and whether nature writing can play a meaningful role in helping to protect our own native landscape and its flora and fauna.

Joining Charlotte, who served for three years as a judge of the Wainwright Prize for writing on global conservation, are Helen Macdonald (H is for Hawk, Vesper Flights), Paul Evans (Guardian Country Diaries, Field Notes from the Edge) and Dr Kerri Andrews (a forthcoming book about Nan Shepherd who wrote The Living Mountain, and Wanderers: A History of Women Walking).

Check it out.

#53: Natural History Reading List #2: A Natural History of Selborne

Updated November 15th 2023

"Gilbert White’s book, more than any other, has shaped our everyday view of the relations between humans and nature."

Richard Mabey, Naturalist & biographer of Gilbert White

Gilbert White's book is a landmark text which students of the GCSE in Natural History are likely to be introduced to in some way. It was a great inspiration for other writers who are at the heart of natural history as well, including Charles Darwin.

His house is open as a museum.

Gilbert White was the curate of the Parish of Selborne in Hampshire and lived there for 40 years. He started his work with his Garden Kalendar in 1751. He and his brother cut a path, called the Zigzag, into the hill behind the house where Gilbert lived, leading up onto the Common.

White is widely regarded as the father of ecology, and is a globally significant natural scientist. He was responsible for a number of major discoveries in the world of natural history

White is famous because of his method. 

In an age without cameras and tape recorders he correctly identified the willow wrens as separate species by their songs and by minute differences in their plumage. He did this through observation, what he called ‘observing narrowly’, and then carefully recording what he saw. 

Whereas other natural historians of the 18th century received information from all over the country, White closely observed nature in one patch of country, as modern natural historians do. He would receive specimens from local boys, or from his brother John, which he would examine. His scientific fame rests on his minute observation of all nature in his garden, on his walks and his rides in the countryside.

Some text amended from the museum website.

Simon Barnes, in The Times 1st June 2013 wrote: 

‘The book is about taking small things and understanding their place across the immensities of space and time. He was able to take a small localised matter and see its eternal significance. He saw his little chunk of Hampshire as a single living entity".

The book takes the form of a seriesof letters to Thomas Pennant and Daines Barrington, and was published in 1789 near the end of his life. 

Gilbert White also referred to the "rude magnificence" of nature.

Updated July 28th 2023

A nice piece in 'The Guardian' explored more of Gilbert White's legacy and how some the 'rude magnificence' has been restored.

It also gave me an idea to put together a GCSE Natural History Quiz as part of the resources that we will be creating around the specification.

One question would be to name Gilbert White's pet tortoise.

The article also goes into the skill of "watching narrowly" and the conservation work being carried out on the estate.

The book has never been out of print since publication.

The Linnean Society offered a session in November 2023, and a link to watch the YouTube recording was provided...

#52: Bumblebee Conservation Trust

Without bees, there would be far less natural history. They are key to pollinating plants (including crops and orchard trees) and flowers in gardens but also on farms. They also produce honey as a by product of all this activity.

Bees are also troubled. They are under threat from a range of different directions:

- the use of chemicals which harm them, which are able to be used despite the known risks

- the rise of the varroa mite - varroa destructor - which theatens bee colonies

- changing conditions: heat, drought, and a loss of biodiversity in the plants they harvest nectar from

The Bumblebee Conservation Trust is working hard to protect these vital animals.

It's one of several charities which are probably worth exploring for their work, and also connections with resources.

The charity has a learning zone.

This ID poster might make a useful resource for a classroom wall.

You might also consider working to make your school a Bumblebee friendly school.

#51: Second hand bookshops

If you are planning on teaching the new specification, there will be a need for resourcing the new course.

If you are offering this course for the first time, perhaps alongside existing GCSE Geography groups, it is important to consider the cost of setting up a new course (SLT will also be considering these costs as well).

This may include raiding your local second hand bookshops, or some of the online options such as ABE Books and sites like VINTED.

You will perhaps know of some of the classic books that need to be in your collection, and we will be showcasing them on this site as time passes, particularly as first teaching approaches.

We are also putting together a suggested reading list for the course, and when the draft specifications emerge we will also produce specific reading lists for each topic, which will include books, journal articles and other texts.

We'd also welcome your suggestions for the most classic Natural History texts.

Image: Books at Looses Emporium in Norwich - image by Alan Parkinson, shared under CC license

#50: Eastenders credits

Back in October 2022, I was alerted to the fact that the end credits of Eastenders on a Wednesday episode were subtly (ish) changed to act as a trailer for Frozen Planet II, which was showing at the time.

You can see the video of the credits here.

The new end credits saw London’s East End transformed to show the river Thames bursting its banks with parts of the capital under water in a hypothetical scenario of what London could look like in the future.

It then zoomed out to capture a satellite image of the Arctic and point to the last episode of Sir David Attenborough’s series, underlining the message that the challenge of melting ice in this frozen region could one day affect us all close to home.

There are going to be many changes to the world that we have become used to in the coming decades, and most of them are not going to be welcome changes.