#569: Jane Goodall - someone to mention

We recently lost a real hero of Natural History: Dr. Jane Goodall.

She had spent her life speaking about the need to conserve nature, and habitats, particularly for primates. 

There are many quotes which are attributed to her, where she shows the true value of connecting with nature.

She also recorded a Netflix special interview for "Famous Last Words" which she said could only be shown after her passing and in this she named the people she thought were having the greatest impact on the natural world through the actions of their companies or political decisions. 

Who would be on your list of people to mention as part of a GCSE Natural History specification??

Let me know in the comments.

#483: Safari... so good...

One from the Google Alert that I set up for 'GCSE Natural History'.

Intrigued by this story.

Cottar's, Africa's oldest family-run safari company, has launched an innovative five-day educational experience for teenagers, specifically designed around the UK's new Natural History GCSE curriculum. Olivia Palamountain reports

Cottar's Safaris will debut "Tracks for Tomorrow" in October 2025 at its 1920s Camp in Kenya's Olderkesi Conservancy in the Maasai Mara.

Targeting young people aged 14-18 with hands-on conservation learning, the programme represents a unique approach to educational travel, with activities specifically aligned to Natural History GCSE educational goals including observation, field studies, sustainability, and ecosystem awareness. Participants receive a certificate of completion, creating a lasting milestone in their conservation education.

The programme launches as the UK introduces its new Natural History GCSE, creating a timely educational tourism opportunity that bridges classroom learning with real-world conservation experience in one of Africa's most significant wildlife areas.

Intrigued because the curriculum for the new Natural History GCSE isn't yet confirmed, following an earlier draft consultation - which produced something which will inevitably change substantially following other consultation processes.

The trip sounds excellent to be fair... it includes:

Innovative programme elements include wild foraging for edible plants and insects, seedball reforestation projects, and a choice between deep-diving into cheetah conservation or raptor studies with daily updates on 500 monitored nests.

The programme blends traditional Maasai cultural education through "Warrior School" with modern conservation challenges, including sustainability tasks where teens design eco-friendly camps or develop ideas to reduce travel carbon footprints.

However, the price may put it out of the reach of most schools.