#603: Visions of Nature at the Natural History Museum

I've mentioned this place quite a few times in the past. 

As well as potential visits by students who are completing the course, they also run CPD events. 

There are also exhibitions and activities such as the VR experience: 'Visions of Nature' - only until October 2026 so ending before it will be of use to teachers for the GCSE Natural History.

Discover how our decisions today can influence the natural world a hundred years from now in this interactive, mixed-reality experience.

Put on your headset and be transported a century into the future to meet the virtual plants and animals that are thriving. They’ll scuttle, swim and soar around as you journey across the globe learning about their survival.

Along the way, you’ll experience eight different ecosystems, from harmonious highlands to resilient rainforests, and even down to the depths of the Arctic Ocean. As you interact with the wildlife, you’ll see how human intervention and scientific ingenuity has helped these species and habitats recover.

You’ll leave feeling inspired, knowing that the actions we take today will help build a better tomorrow.

#561: MPAs

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are important for marine conservation. There are few of them.

If you want to find them, check out the map here.

Find out more about marine protected areas with this infographic by @FishOceansCAN⬇️
🐠#Biodiversity pic.twitter.com/K27lAV5JPL

— UN Biodiversity (@UNBiodiversity) March 7, 2024

#498: New from Bloomsbury - 100 Ideas series - "Greener School"

New out from Bloomsbury for September and looks to be useful...

I have a copy on order....

100 Ideas for Primary Teachers: Greener School is the guide that schools need to implement and achieve their Climate Action Plans. Linking with the DfE Sustainability Climate Change Strategy, as well as the Eco-Schools' top ten topics and the Let's Go Zero Objectives, this is the essential book for creative activities that schools can use throughout the year to empower children and support teaching and learning of sustainability topics.

This book will equip primary teachers with practical ideas and knowledge of resources across a range of environmental topics, including litter, marine life, biodiversity, energy, school grounds and transport. It will cover how schools can reduce their waste, save money and even make money through practical campaigns!

With a foreword from Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE.

Update

Just arrived... will post a better review but this looks excellent with plenty of quick ideas to action.

#492: Climate Change in the Curriculum

The Geographical Association has worked with the Council for Subject Associations, UCL’s Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education, and other partners, to develop the following statement that highlights geography’s distinctive contribution to climate change and sustainability education in the publication, 

The key contributions of subjects to climate change and nature education: a curriculum policy proposal.

‘Geography is a curriculum heartland for climate education, sustainability and green skills from Early Years to A level. Its distinctive approach focuses on the interactions and interdependencies between people and their environment and develops the skills young people will need in order to understand, adapt to and mitigate against a changing climate. Geographical fieldwork also provides them with first-hand experiences of nature and landscapes. In this way, geography enables young people to better understand how and why our climate is changing, how this will impact and transform our economy, society and environment – locally, nationally and globally – and what can be done about it.’

Download the statement from UCL.

Reference

Kitson, A., Phillips, M. & Dillon, J. (2025). The key contributions of subjects to climate change and nature education: a curriculum policy proposal. 

Available from September 2025 at www.climateeducation.org.uk

What part will the GCSE Natural History potentially play in this area of the curriculum? One would hope it would have sustainability and climate change at its heart.

#451: Countryside Classroom - new 'A' level resources

The Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and LEAF Education have teamed up to bring a suite of curriculum linked resources for KS3 – KS5 students, aged 11-18. The resources bring real world context to students learning, linking back to food production and farming. The resources are designed to be used by teachers in school to aid with curriculum links, real life examples and interlinking with pre-existing subject matter and farmers delivering farm visits.

A new 'A' level resource is now available. There are links to GCSE here.

#376: WONDER - Holkham Estate

WONDER is the name given to the sustainability strategy of the Holkham Estate.

It is the result of work by Jake Fiennes and others and is kindly shared on the webpage linked to above. All country estates require careful management, and some have the extra dynamic of large numbers of visitors to manage.

The place for biodiversity depends on the decisions made by landowners and Jake has been very transparent about the way that he leaves space for nature and his book which I have a copy of: 'Land Healer' tells the full picture.

Havell, Robert, 1769-1832, A series of picturesque views of noblemen's & gentlemen's seats : with historical and descriptive accounts of each subject / , London : Published July 1, 1823 by R. Havell, Chapel Strt. Tottenham Cout Road, 1823..

Public Domain.

Source: https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/orbis:3335973

Jake Fiennes is the Director of Conservation for the Holkham Estate at the moment, and I have posted separately on the blog about his book 'Land Healer'

A history of the Parish.

You can also check out their other work on the Holkham Estate.

Education programmes for Geography

Coastal Processes and Management – discover the impact of coastal processes has on landscape at Wells and Holkham. Learn what Shoreline Management Plans are in place and at what cost. What does the future have in store?

Stiffkey River Study – access the River Stiffkey safely and conduct fieldwork techniques to discover how fluvial processes affect velocity, depth, wetted perimeter and gradient.

Sand Dune Succession – undertake practical fieldwork collecting both abiotic and biotic data of an example of Primary Succession along a transect from embryo dunes into the pine woodland. Measurements include slope gradient, soil analysis, species diversity and abundance.

Conservation Management – with nearly a million visitors a year, how do we manage Holkham National Nature Reserve? Learn how higher level stewardship and tourism fund this unique work, protecting wildlife for future generations.

Business, Leisure and Tourism – tourism now accounts for over 70% of the estate’s income. Take a look at the operational side of the business, Holkham Enterprises, which hosts 200,000 visitors to the park each year. Marketing, catering, event management, customer service and retail are all key to this diversification success.

It's important that those who are planning on teaching the new specification start to look for examples of managing the landscape like this.

#205: Chipping in for nature

You will perhaps have seen the current TV ads for McCain potato products.

Take a look at the company's logo...

Tree... rolling fields and terrain... and some bird in flight. They are trying to position the brand as being connected with the landscape and nature, and perhaps a rising or setting sun for the overall shape of the logo.

McCain was founded by two Canadian brothers in the early 1900s.

They are chipping in and moving over to regenerative / sustainable agriculture use from all their suppliers and this is prominently displayed on the packaging of their products.

When thinking about branding, you can see particular words often appearing on packaging.

Here's their work:

In 2020 they launched the McCain Potato Farmer Pledge, a £25 million investment designed to help ensure the long-term sustainability of British agriculture, in the face of increasing climatic events like droughts and floods. 

Since 2020, they have committed a further £50 million to British farming to safeguard the UK’s potato industry. This includes significant contract price increases for growers, as well as a supplementary energy support package.

As you can see, they are very active in East Anglia.

They also say:

As 80% of all potatoes eaten in the UK are home grown, they don’t need to travel far from the field to the plate, and this kind of local sourcing is great news for the environment. But for food retailers and consumers, local sourcing goes beyond simply decreasing emissions, it also supports hundreds of British farmers and farming communities.

When it comes to our supply chain, quality and traceability are key. 100% of our British potatoes come from certified Red Tractor growers –the UK’s leading farm and quality food production certification, that assures food safety and traceability.

There's plenty of interest in this website

This might make a good example of how decisions made by companies have the potential to have an impact on the countryside. 

#189: The Harmony Project

 Check out the Harmony Project.

The Harmony Project aims to transform education to ensure it is fit for purpose in preparing young people to engage with the environmental and social challenges we face, not just to pass exams. We work with educators to develop learning that is based upon a deep understanding of, and connection to, the natural world – learning that will equip students with the skills they need to live more sustainably.

The booklet they've created has been designed for primary teachers rather than GCSE students, but the ideas could easily be adapted, and that goes for much of the other resource library on the site.

We've created a booklet for #primaryteachers and #schoolleaders which outlines children's progression in expertise and skills from Reception to Year 6 across six key #sustainability themes. It's free to download from our website: https://t.co/WzA14VDmqB #climatechange #SDGs pic.twitter.com/JEfD2dYtC9

— The Harmony Project (@HarmonyOrgUK) November 8, 2023

Visiting the website revealed a whole range of other resources that would be of value to those preparing to teach the new GCSE but also existing subjects including Geography but also English and PSHE.

For example, there's a 90 page pack on Antarctica which has links to videos and other aspects of life on the frozen (for now) continent. This explores our connections with the continent.

Our Natural History is being impacted by change taking place in distant areas.

 

#19: Natural History Reading List #1 - Sustainability Education - A Classroom Guide

The plan is to feature books on the blog that may end up in a reading list for departmental library of Natural History books for those departments offering the new specification.

These may be current books which may be purchased new, or classics which can perhaps be obtained second hand, or at reduced price. 

There will be some cross-references here to my GeoLibrary blog.

I would imagine that the final draft specification will also include a suggested list of additional reading, which won't be confined to books of course.

Thanks very much to Stephen Scoffham and Steve Rawlinson for giving me a copy of their book in April last year at the GA Conference 2022, and for the generous inscription they wrote inside it too.

There are many contributions in the book from familiar names and plenty to encourage teachers to consider their practice and how it connects with encouraging students to look after the planet and encouraging teachers to look at their lessons through the lens of sustainability. There are overlaps with some aspects of the suggested specification consultation, which will inform the final product that emerges.

As the title suggests this is definitely aimed at informing classroom practice.

It's a book to explore when considering where to strengthen the sustainability element of your school curriculum in whatever phase you work.

There are some familiar names contributing chapters to the book including:

Sharon Witt and Helen Clarke on our Watery Planet; 

Elena Lengthorn on Weather and Climate; 

Paula Owens on Special Places and 

Ben Ballin on our Unequal World.

My copy was a first edition, published by Bloomsbury.

Paperback, 278pp

ISBN: 978-1-350-26207-2

#18: Jo Sale - 'Schools Week' - July 22

A piece in SchoolsWeek by Jo Sale back in July 2022 suggested that we need rather more work than just a new GCSE in Natural History to tackle the need for change.

She said that the curriculum reforms in response to climate change are not enough. Read the piece and see what you think. She also suggests that waiting to 2025 to even start the new courses is also a delay that we do not need if the new qualification is to achieve some of its desired goals over time.