Delivering subject content through nine life themes
A new nature research project called Fruitwatch is mobilising citizen scientists to monitor when fruit trees bloom this spring. The Reading University researchers want to see whether climate change is causing trees to flower earlier than when insect pollinators are most active. If this… Continue Reading “A fantastic gateway into the world of nature”
The UK government has this week unveiled its new schools white paper, the first for six years. It talks of “real action to level up education”. Levelling-up is the current government’s ‘big idea’, of course. There is lots about multi-academy trusts, support for SEND… Continue Reading “Schools white paper needs to be greener”
‘Now or never’ is the blunt message of UN scientists, referring to the need to take decisive action on greenhouse gas emissions to stave off the worst impacts of climate change in the future. The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says that global… Continue Reading “A green education for children”
The UK government plans to introduce an “exciting” new GCSE in natural history by September 2025. Details of the qualification are included in the Department for Education’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, which was launched this week. The education secretary claims that the UK… Continue Reading “A new natural history GCSE”
In the same week that, after a month of devastating floods, the president of South Africa declared that climate change is here and we “can no longer postpone what we need to do”, the UK Department for Education unveiled its Sustainability and Climate Change… Continue Reading “Embed sustainability across the curriculum”
The results of a recent survey suggest that recycling is not the magic solution to our problem with plastic. It appears that only about 12% of plastic is actually recycled in the UK – the rest is either recycled elsewhere or disposed of in… Continue Reading “Cutting down on plastic”
The Department for Transport has announced that walking and cycling are to be offered on prescription in a nationwide trial. ‘Social prescriptions’ will be offered by GPs as part of a new trial to improve mental and physical health. Evidence of success will include fewer GP… Continue Reading “A welcome social prescribing initiative”
The evidence is clear: the general public care deeply about nature and the environment. According to new polling, four in five UK adults believe that nature is under threat and that more needs to be done urgently to safeguard it. And we already know… Continue Reading “Safeguarding nature and the environment”
An important conversation about the future of nature has just started – one that will be “too big for anyone to ignore” – and the entire UK population is invited to join in. The People’s Plan for Nature is an initiative from WWF, the… Continue Reading “A people’s plan for nature”
