#685: TES piece on the consultation on proposed subject content

This TES piece includes some elements of the responses to the  consultation on the proposed subject content of the new GCSE Natural History from the RGS and the GA.

These include concerns over the shortage of teachers who might teach the new specification, and the fieldwork elements of the course. The fieldwork may be difficult for some schools due to their location, but may also adversely affect the habitats that students are being asked to investigate.

#678: RGS School Member Lecture

School Membership of the RGS is just £50 a year now... half price from where it was last year.

It provides a range of benefits for schools, including digital access to a new magazine called 'Geography Today'.

One of the benefits is free access to RGS School Member Lectures.

This one in November looks like being of particular value for those preparing for GCSE Natural History.

In this talk Professor Gemma Harvey will share insights from projects on rewilding, restoration and natural flood management to explore how working with natural processes can support nature recovery and the delivery of ecosystem services including the mitigation of floods and droughts. Such approaches are necessary to drive transformative change in societal responses to climate change and biodiversity loss.

Working with natural processes to reduce environmental harm and drive nature recovery are essential to responses to the interconnected emergencies of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.

Biological energy influences Earth surface processes because many species are ‘ecosystem engineers’, capable of transforming habitats and modulating ecosystem resource flows. Such interactions between life and landscapes influence environmental restoration, resilience and hazards.

Research has demonstrated how trees and plants can assist the geomorphic and ecological recovery of degraded rivers and revealed that the contribution animals make to shaping the Earth’s surface is far more significant than historically recognised.


Gemma Harvey is Professor of Physical Geography at Queen Mary University of London. Her research explores feedbacks between plants and animals and Earth surface processes, and how these influence landscape restoration and management.

#612: Heal the Land

Heal the Land is a new film which was showcased at an RGS Summer film night.

From the website:

Heal the Land is a compelling, inspiring and hopeful film about the transformation of a former intensive dairy farm in Somerset into a thriving new place for nature and people.

This beautiful 25-minute documentary, filmed entirely at the Heal Somerset site during 2024, is a journey of drama, discovery and insight into the start of this rewilding journey. 

The film features astonishing new arrivals, a remarkable array of wildlife and insightful commentary from experts and the Heal team. Above all, it shows the extraordinary resilience of nature and how quickly wildlife comes back if we give it space and allow it to thrive. With England currently one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth, the challenge to restore biodiversity and kickstart nature recovery has never been more urgent.

The trailer is shown below:

#553: RGS CPD on Biodiversity

As we move to the next stage of the development of the new GCSE Natural History, there will be a need for teachers to receive CPD in a wide range of new skills and knowledge. This sort of event will be particularly helpful.

How do we protect nature in a rapidly changing world?

Join us on Tuesday 17 March to hear leading conservation scientists and researchers discuss how we can safeguard biodiversity for the future.

• Professor Nathalie Seddon – Professor of Biodiversity (University of Oxford)
• Dr Liana Chua – Social anthropologist and Associate Professor in Malay World Studies (University of Cambridge)
• Dr Joshua Elves-Powell – Associate Lecturer in Biodiversity Conservation and Ecology (UCL) and National Geographic Explorer

Chaired by Martine Croxall (BBC News)

Be part of an important conversation on conservation, climate and the future of our natural world.

Book here - very reasonably priced.