Good evening!
It is fair to say that i have many ideas in this chaotic head of mine, and i am the first to admit that some are more far more realistic than others, in other words it it safe to say that i am a dreamer, i create and plan out dreams and ideas that will hopefully one day come into fruition.
I am saying this because i have a great respect and admiration at the moment for one particular 'dreamer' that i feel is a damn good person, and that person is Jamie Olive. No! i hear you cry (wait a minute!).
This is because he follows his heart and is generally passionate about healthy food. I have just finished catching up on his USA Food Revolution and it is safe to say that he facing an uphill struggle to change the food in americans schools. I mean all he wants to do is make children healthier by giving them better food yet somehow he is portrayed as some kind of anti-christ, i mean if you take all the b******t away from the media all he is just trying to do is the right thing. That is all.
Healthy food = health children.
I am talking about Mr. Oliver because what he is doing matters to all of us, it matters as he is tackling a huge problem in society and one that eventually involves the planet, meaning we are all in this battle together.
The food revolution is not just about healthy food it is about the food industry and where all of our food comes from. Our understanding on where our food comes from (i am no expert but i am getting there) directly dictates how our food is produced and how land is then used to produce food, which in turn effects deforestation rates and the state of our seas. In other words as a consumer you have the power to shape the state of the planet for future generations.
Another great example of this connectivity are petrol prices. It is no secret that petrol prices are going up, up and up, as is the cost of living, but as with everything there is a reason.
In my eyes the very simple reason that petrol is going up is that demand for oil is increasing due to our consumer lifestyles and increasing human population. We are quickly approaching the maximum rate limit as to which we can produce oil (also known as Peak Oil)
In other words: reduced oil availability/production + greater demand = increased prices.
Oil though has far reaches and influences transport, energy prices, food production, everything! In other words we need to get off our oil addiction if our lives are going to become cheaper and easier to live, plus there is the already huge environmental cost of drilling oil. The next site for potential drilling is the artic (including nature reserves) mainly due to the rate of melting which is opening up brand new areas.
But as with the previous example people power is where it matters because if we as a population decided we do not want to so dependent on oil then it can happen.
Hopefully i am making the point that our lives directly influence the state of the planet and the lives of everyone else on the planet, which then goes round full circle and influences everyone again!
If we are to truly change the way we live to have a healthy planet for our children and grand-children, a planet that still provides clean air, water and habitable land then we need joined up thinking.
We need to realise that we are not isolated and ultimately everyones decisions effect everyone else. As a species we are pretty much at a crossroads and we need to decide how we want our lives to be. It can either be short-term consumerism whereby the earth will only support us for so long (we have all heard the warnings again and again) or long-term sustainability where money and goods are put down the importance list and families and communities are put first.
To put it simply we are part of the natural world and are connected to everything living organism on the planet, but due to this connectivity we have people power.
People power has the greatest potential and power to influence governments, businesses and organisations to change how we live our lives and how we protect the earth, which i see is the only way real change can happen.
You are connected, so you have the power...
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Cannon-Netting: One island, one landfill site and 15,000 Gulls
Hey all,
I am not sure as to how to set about writing this blog as i do not know where to start, i mean i think the title says it all really. An experience that i kinda walked blind into but one i will never forget.
The story starts with me currently in training to become a qualified bird ringer, which is quite simply the practice of putting rings on the legs of birds for the purpose of science. It sounds much easier than it really is and i am hoping to be qualified in 2 years time, however i do need to ring a certain number of species and rack up a total of 1,000 birds (currently on 30!....ish).
A few months back my ringing trainer and jolly nice chap Ian asked if i would like to join him in crossing the channel waters to the mortal enemy island of Guernsey for a bit of Cannon-Netting (focusing on Gulls), for which i immediately replied with 'yeah, what the heck'. I really had no idea what i was in for...
The trip started brilliantly with the free Blue Island executive lounge (obviously now my number 1 airline) with biscuits and drinks and things never went down from there. Once in Guernsey we were picked up by Paul whose was in charge of the study and off we went for dinner and camping in his garden. Slight tent problems were overcome, dinner was eaten and an early night was advised due to early start and the intensity of the netting experience.
The next day we were up at 5am, for which i felt suprisingly alert, we had breakfast and travelled down to the islands landfill site. Once there we were signed in, a high-vis jacket and hard hat were put on, and we were ready to go.
The landfill was pretty much disgusting and as a species we should be ashamed at what we throw away and how we treat our resources, but that is for a different blog at a different time.
When i arrived on site i was greeted with introductions to all of the team and took my seat under a pretty rickety bit of scaffolding that was our ringing. The aim of the whole study was to catch Lesser Black-backed Gulls and to ring them. This is because despite their common distribution we do not know what they do or where they go and Guernsey's landfill site has a large population of them, which we actually now know migrate down to Morocco in thw winter months.
Anyway, in total there was around 15,000 gulls around the site that included Herring, Lesser Blacked-backed and Greater Blacked-backed (there were no Seagulls as they do not exist and are a bit of a disliked word in the scientific community, you have been warned!).
So how do you catch a large gull to put a ring on its leg?????
Well, the only real way to catch them efficiently is to throw a net over them that is charged by explosives. This is no easy task easy and takes a hell of a lot of meticulate planning and timing to get the shot right.
The net is layed on a plastic cover and attached to 4 pipe cannons, which are then set with explosives and ready to go. Everyone is then placed behind the netting tent and we wait whilst the landfill truck baits the gulls with a haul of rubbish. As with everything in nature the gulls did not really play ball at first but once they were in the mode for a feeding frenzy we looked on patiently as the colleague on the trigger waited for the perfect moment. He needed to get the timing right though as we did not want to catch too many gulls or too many of the wrong species.
We waited and waited and waited, but suddenly everything kicked off and we rushed to the net. The next hour and half was ridiculously enjoyable, stressful, intense and full of great teamwork.
First of all the net was weight down with sandbags so none of the gulls could escape and one by one each one was put in a bag, which was then double tied and taken to the ringing net. The bags MUST be double tied as all species of gull are very cunning and will escape.
I must admit was a bit worried that the gulls would get stressed out but the team always had the animals welfare as their main concern and by the copious amounts of scars and bleeding on everyones hands i can assure you the gulls got their revenge.
Once all individuals were put into bags the ringing then started straight away. The worst part was putting your hand into a dark sand bag and knowing 100% that the gull would find your fingers and give you a solid bite (to be honest if i was the bird i woud have done the same). However this fear needed to be cast away and each bird was taken out and their head placed under your arm and feet in the air. Once under control a metal ring with the Channel Islands bird-ringing scheme details was put on the birds right leg and an ID ring was put on their left leg. Finally the distance between their beak and the top of their head was taken before they were finally released.
This ringing process needed to be as efficient as possible as the conditions were getting warmer and we wanted to release the birds as quick as possible so we really were under pressure and i had no idea how were going to get through so many birds.
However, i should not have doubted the process as i was in the company of experts who have done this all over the UK. We efficiently and quickly went through the approximate number 350 birds, which once done was quite unbelievable. Needless to say we all sat down for a cup of tea after.
This process was completed 3 times for that first day i was there and then once on the saturday morning, which was even more pressurised as the dump closed at 10am and we did not want to be locked in a landfill site!
The project had started on the monday and i joined up with them for the friday and saturday sessions but at the very end of the 6 days the team had managed to catch around 1700 gulls, which are currently all being input into the ringing database (glad that is not my task!) with the all important total of around 500 Lesser Black-backed gulls (double what they hoped for). So all in all a very successful week for everyone for which we went out to dinner to celebrate and talk all things wildlife.
Once of the best aspects of my 2 days was that I got to meet some great people who were not only passionate but experts in their field and who also liked a few beers to celebrate as well (oh the stories!). I must admit i also have a new found respect for gulls and how they have adapted so quickly to a new food source and how they take full advantage of our wasteful society. They are brilliant birds and do not deserve all the bad press, because at the end of the day if we were not so wasteful then there would no problems in our cities or towns.
All in all i had an amazing time and i will be there next year with a few more birds under my ringing name and the same desire to learn as much as i can. I never thought spending 2 days at a rubbish dump would be so much fun.
I have attached some photos to give you more of a feeling of what it was all like
Stephen
I am not sure as to how to set about writing this blog as i do not know where to start, i mean i think the title says it all really. An experience that i kinda walked blind into but one i will never forget.
The story starts with me currently in training to become a qualified bird ringer, which is quite simply the practice of putting rings on the legs of birds for the purpose of science. It sounds much easier than it really is and i am hoping to be qualified in 2 years time, however i do need to ring a certain number of species and rack up a total of 1,000 birds (currently on 30!....ish).
A few months back my ringing trainer and jolly nice chap Ian asked if i would like to join him in crossing the channel waters to the mortal enemy island of Guernsey for a bit of Cannon-Netting (focusing on Gulls), for which i immediately replied with 'yeah, what the heck'. I really had no idea what i was in for...
The trip started brilliantly with the free Blue Island executive lounge (obviously now my number 1 airline) with biscuits and drinks and things never went down from there. Once in Guernsey we were picked up by Paul whose was in charge of the study and off we went for dinner and camping in his garden. Slight tent problems were overcome, dinner was eaten and an early night was advised due to early start and the intensity of the netting experience.
The next day we were up at 5am, for which i felt suprisingly alert, we had breakfast and travelled down to the islands landfill site. Once there we were signed in, a high-vis jacket and hard hat were put on, and we were ready to go.
The landfill was pretty much disgusting and as a species we should be ashamed at what we throw away and how we treat our resources, but that is for a different blog at a different time.
When i arrived on site i was greeted with introductions to all of the team and took my seat under a pretty rickety bit of scaffolding that was our ringing. The aim of the whole study was to catch Lesser Black-backed Gulls and to ring them. This is because despite their common distribution we do not know what they do or where they go and Guernsey's landfill site has a large population of them, which we actually now know migrate down to Morocco in thw winter months.
Anyway, in total there was around 15,000 gulls around the site that included Herring, Lesser Blacked-backed and Greater Blacked-backed (there were no Seagulls as they do not exist and are a bit of a disliked word in the scientific community, you have been warned!).
So how do you catch a large gull to put a ring on its leg?????
Well, the only real way to catch them efficiently is to throw a net over them that is charged by explosives. This is no easy task easy and takes a hell of a lot of meticulate planning and timing to get the shot right.
The net is layed on a plastic cover and attached to 4 pipe cannons, which are then set with explosives and ready to go. Everyone is then placed behind the netting tent and we wait whilst the landfill truck baits the gulls with a haul of rubbish. As with everything in nature the gulls did not really play ball at first but once they were in the mode for a feeding frenzy we looked on patiently as the colleague on the trigger waited for the perfect moment. He needed to get the timing right though as we did not want to catch too many gulls or too many of the wrong species.
We waited and waited and waited, but suddenly everything kicked off and we rushed to the net. The next hour and half was ridiculously enjoyable, stressful, intense and full of great teamwork.
First of all the net was weight down with sandbags so none of the gulls could escape and one by one each one was put in a bag, which was then double tied and taken to the ringing net. The bags MUST be double tied as all species of gull are very cunning and will escape.
I must admit was a bit worried that the gulls would get stressed out but the team always had the animals welfare as their main concern and by the copious amounts of scars and bleeding on everyones hands i can assure you the gulls got their revenge.
Once all individuals were put into bags the ringing then started straight away. The worst part was putting your hand into a dark sand bag and knowing 100% that the gull would find your fingers and give you a solid bite (to be honest if i was the bird i woud have done the same). However this fear needed to be cast away and each bird was taken out and their head placed under your arm and feet in the air. Once under control a metal ring with the Channel Islands bird-ringing scheme details was put on the birds right leg and an ID ring was put on their left leg. Finally the distance between their beak and the top of their head was taken before they were finally released.
This ringing process needed to be as efficient as possible as the conditions were getting warmer and we wanted to release the birds as quick as possible so we really were under pressure and i had no idea how were going to get through so many birds.
However, i should not have doubted the process as i was in the company of experts who have done this all over the UK. We efficiently and quickly went through the approximate number 350 birds, which once done was quite unbelievable. Needless to say we all sat down for a cup of tea after.
This process was completed 3 times for that first day i was there and then once on the saturday morning, which was even more pressurised as the dump closed at 10am and we did not want to be locked in a landfill site!
The project had started on the monday and i joined up with them for the friday and saturday sessions but at the very end of the 6 days the team had managed to catch around 1700 gulls, which are currently all being input into the ringing database (glad that is not my task!) with the all important total of around 500 Lesser Black-backed gulls (double what they hoped for). So all in all a very successful week for everyone for which we went out to dinner to celebrate and talk all things wildlife.
Once of the best aspects of my 2 days was that I got to meet some great people who were not only passionate but experts in their field and who also liked a few beers to celebrate as well (oh the stories!). I must admit i also have a new found respect for gulls and how they have adapted so quickly to a new food source and how they take full advantage of our wasteful society. They are brilliant birds and do not deserve all the bad press, because at the end of the day if we were not so wasteful then there would no problems in our cities or towns.
All in all i had an amazing time and i will be there next year with a few more birds under my ringing name and the same desire to learn as much as i can. I never thought spending 2 days at a rubbish dump would be so much fun.
I have attached some photos to give you more of a feeling of what it was all like
Stephen
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
The Forest School Essay
I suppose this post does exactly what it say on the tin. For my Forest School Level 3 course i have had to write an essay detailing the benefits of Forest School from a personal point of view.
For some reason i am unable to copy and paste and to high hell am i re-writing 1500 words so here is the link below!
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?created&¬e_id=10150193714170955
Let me know what you think.
Stephen
For some reason i am unable to copy and paste and to high hell am i re-writing 1500 words so here is the link below!
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?created&¬e_id=10150193714170955
Let me know what you think.
Stephen
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Forest School: I love it when a plan comes together
The A-Team is one of my all time favourite programme, i love the humour, the comedy, the wit and the catchphrases. (I bet you are thinking now, Forest School, A-Team? HUH?).
The best catchphrase is spoken by the immortal Hannibal Smith played by the late, great George Peppard as he usually walks in on a group of baddies, slumped and beaten into the ground. The cigar is then sparked up, puffed out and the words 'I love it when a plan comes together' are beautifully spoken, and as the audience we really do love it.
I mention this phrase as it sums up how i feel about Forest School after finishing my two Level 3 practical days, practical days that i have found challenging, have laughed at uncontrollably in and have loved it when the lesson plans have come together (bad joke i know!).
It all started with my level 1 course back in 2008, something that was done on a hunch, a feeling and a 20 second recommendation from a friend and it has now developed into something that i will use and develop for the rest of my life.
For a quick history lesson Forest School is run by Bridgwater College in Somerset and it was taken from a concept in Scandanavia. To put it simply is it a concept for environmental education, or any education for that matter. It is all about creativity, independence, self-esteem and confidence, creating child-led environments with activites that are 80% achievable and 20% challenging, meaning no one loses or comes away negatively in Forest School.
Now, jumping forward to the present i have almost finished my leaders training with my 2 practical days. I have loved these past two days, 2 days that i have spent outside in a relaxed environment and learning with people who for one thing make me laugh so so much.
The summary for the two days is as follows....
Day 1 = hello & introductions, knots and lashings, kelly kettles and tea, making wood crosses, making fencing, lunch+tea, making kazzo's, tool use, creating picture frames, creating 'dreamcatchers', a fairwell
Day 2 = hello & catch up, creating fires, making fires, tea, wood collecting, building fires, cooking lunch, activities with ropes, building rope bridges, end talk,other info, a sad farewell.
The aim of these past two days has not only been to learn new methods and activities but also it gives the assessors a chance to have a look at your planning skills and how you adapt and communicate in the outdoor environment.
THE best thing about the past 2 days has been the adaptability of the sessions, they can be used in so many situation. They can be used for nursery children, reception classes, teenagers, problem children, adults, problem adults! bossess, managers, even celebrities. The great thing is that the Natural World is not forced upon you, but you are encouraged to open your eyes that little bit wider, to see, understand, respect and enjoy.
In a world where children are spening most of their time in front of a screen and adults are too busy to relax and explore, all of the qualities of Forest School are of the upmost importance if we, as a species, are to protect and learn to live with the planet. We need to learn, respect, understand and have some fun outside before we decide to save it
With all these new learning paths and possibilities i really do feel like a plan is finally coming together.
The best catchphrase is spoken by the immortal Hannibal Smith played by the late, great George Peppard as he usually walks in on a group of baddies, slumped and beaten into the ground. The cigar is then sparked up, puffed out and the words 'I love it when a plan comes together' are beautifully spoken, and as the audience we really do love it.
I mention this phrase as it sums up how i feel about Forest School after finishing my two Level 3 practical days, practical days that i have found challenging, have laughed at uncontrollably in and have loved it when the lesson plans have come together (bad joke i know!).
It all started with my level 1 course back in 2008, something that was done on a hunch, a feeling and a 20 second recommendation from a friend and it has now developed into something that i will use and develop for the rest of my life.
For a quick history lesson Forest School is run by Bridgwater College in Somerset and it was taken from a concept in Scandanavia. To put it simply is it a concept for environmental education, or any education for that matter. It is all about creativity, independence, self-esteem and confidence, creating child-led environments with activites that are 80% achievable and 20% challenging, meaning no one loses or comes away negatively in Forest School.
Now, jumping forward to the present i have almost finished my leaders training with my 2 practical days. I have loved these past two days, 2 days that i have spent outside in a relaxed environment and learning with people who for one thing make me laugh so so much.
The summary for the two days is as follows....
Day 1 = hello & introductions, knots and lashings, kelly kettles and tea, making wood crosses, making fencing, lunch+tea, making kazzo's, tool use, creating picture frames, creating 'dreamcatchers', a fairwell
Day 2 = hello & catch up, creating fires, making fires, tea, wood collecting, building fires, cooking lunch, activities with ropes, building rope bridges, end talk,other info, a sad farewell.
The aim of these past two days has not only been to learn new methods and activities but also it gives the assessors a chance to have a look at your planning skills and how you adapt and communicate in the outdoor environment.
THE best thing about the past 2 days has been the adaptability of the sessions, they can be used in so many situation. They can be used for nursery children, reception classes, teenagers, problem children, adults, problem adults! bossess, managers, even celebrities. The great thing is that the Natural World is not forced upon you, but you are encouraged to open your eyes that little bit wider, to see, understand, respect and enjoy.
In a world where children are spening most of their time in front of a screen and adults are too busy to relax and explore, all of the qualities of Forest School are of the upmost importance if we, as a species, are to protect and learn to live with the planet. We need to learn, respect, understand and have some fun outside before we decide to save it
With all these new learning paths and possibilities i really do feel like a plan is finally coming together.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Birthday thoughts...
Today is my 27th birthday and what a 27 years it has been. I have gone through GCSE's, A Levels, Degrees (including a masters), a few girlfriends, late nights, early mornings, Meerkats, Cheetahs, the african sunrise, the african sunset and met the most amazing people from all walks of life.
It has only really been in the past 5 years or so that i have really kicked into high gear regarding the wildlife career and when relfecting back i have realised that i have done many things right, but also a few things wrong and on this day i know that i need a new view on things. I need to be more positive, despite all the destruction, death, greed, wasted money, extinctions, melting glaciers and everything else, what do we really achieve from moaning? beating the same drum? playing the heart felt card? It is time to move from destruction to fascination, from a fashion statement to a way of life.
The thing is, today has not been about the presents, gifts, money and getting what i want on the television! (although it is a rather nice change!). For me, my birthday is all about finding that quiet place, a little time for me to reflect and to spend outdoors and just to make sure i do something that costs nothing for my rather empty wallet. It is also a day that reminds me what amazing friends i have and that somehow i need to go and see them more often (living on Jersey can only be used as an excuse for a limited time).
Life is all about the free things, (as the saying goes) and that is how we need to move forward.
Merry christmas everyone :-)
It has only really been in the past 5 years or so that i have really kicked into high gear regarding the wildlife career and when relfecting back i have realised that i have done many things right, but also a few things wrong and on this day i know that i need a new view on things. I need to be more positive, despite all the destruction, death, greed, wasted money, extinctions, melting glaciers and everything else, what do we really achieve from moaning? beating the same drum? playing the heart felt card? It is time to move from destruction to fascination, from a fashion statement to a way of life.
The thing is, today has not been about the presents, gifts, money and getting what i want on the television! (although it is a rather nice change!). For me, my birthday is all about finding that quiet place, a little time for me to reflect and to spend outdoors and just to make sure i do something that costs nothing for my rather empty wallet. It is also a day that reminds me what amazing friends i have and that somehow i need to go and see them more often (living on Jersey can only be used as an excuse for a limited time).
Life is all about the free things, (as the saying goes) and that is how we need to move forward.
Merry christmas everyone :-)
Sunday, December 12, 2010
The Last 6 months...
Okay, well i did write this post about 10 minutes ago and then i somehow deleted it! Bugger....
The train of thought has evaporated so this will be a shorter entry to prevent my mind going on overload.
It is time for an update...
So i am back in Jersey, 6 months back in the so called real world, a world of television, celebrities, ready available food, consumerism and money, and does it make me feel?! Ok i guess, well....lets just say i really miss Africa with its wilderness, space and lack of total and utter b%'?^£!t. It is nice to be home, but the adventurer has awakened in me and it will be sooner rather than later until i head off again.
I have hit the ground running over here and could not do more if i tried, I am training to be a BTEC qualified Forest School leader, training to be a qualified bird ringer, actively involved in charities such as the Jersey Climate Action Network, Jersey Bat Group, Durrell and the National Trust for Jersey as well as fundraising (sponsor me!) and soon to be training for Trek Iceland next year (that will be amazing! Have you seen Iceland!?).
So the current plan is to move into film-making/photography/communicating...In a way i think it is great that at 26 years of age i am only just discovering what i want to do, yet another part of me tells me to get on with it! (Sometimes i do go round in circles and make myself smile with the thoughts that come out my head and on to this blog).
All in all, the update is that i am doing all that i can and have learnt that what society gives me does not make me 100% happy, i am only 110% happy when i am emersed in the wilderness of Nature.
P.S. I have recently bought the New Linkin Park album and it is freaking amazing.
The train of thought has evaporated so this will be a shorter entry to prevent my mind going on overload.
It is time for an update...
So i am back in Jersey, 6 months back in the so called real world, a world of television, celebrities, ready available food, consumerism and money, and does it make me feel?! Ok i guess, well....lets just say i really miss Africa with its wilderness, space and lack of total and utter b%'?^£!t. It is nice to be home, but the adventurer has awakened in me and it will be sooner rather than later until i head off again.
I have hit the ground running over here and could not do more if i tried, I am training to be a BTEC qualified Forest School leader, training to be a qualified bird ringer, actively involved in charities such as the Jersey Climate Action Network, Jersey Bat Group, Durrell and the National Trust for Jersey as well as fundraising (sponsor me!) and soon to be training for Trek Iceland next year (that will be amazing! Have you seen Iceland!?).
I do NOT see myself as a teacher though, more of a wildlife educator, a communicator. Someone i hope that people can approach and see that i am dedicated to my job and that i am here to help with no personal agendas.
The main thing i have learnt is that wilderness is addictive and i am totally addicted. Yet the Meerkat Project taught me that i am not quite a researcher, i am too passionate, take things to personal and too impatient to do research. Yet i love the remoteness and the discovery that comes with scientific research!So the current plan is to move into film-making/photography/communicating...In a way i think it is great that at 26 years of age i am only just discovering what i want to do, yet another part of me tells me to get on with it! (Sometimes i do go round in circles and make myself smile with the thoughts that come out my head and on to this blog).
All in all, the update is that i am doing all that i can and have learnt that what society gives me does not make me 100% happy, i am only 110% happy when i am emersed in the wilderness of Nature.
P.S. I have recently bought the New Linkin Park album and it is freaking amazing.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Forest School, wildlife education and the first step...
Hey all,
I feel like blogging tonight so here i go, usually i try and plan out a blog entry or at least have a very rough plan in my head as to what i am going to say, but not for this one. This is all about cutting through the crap and getting to the point.
Since i have just being employed as an education officer for the National Trust for Jersey as well recently returning from a 4 day Forest School Leaders training course in Wiltshire, education and more importantly wildlife education is in the front of my mind, i do feel really strongly about it, perhaps more strongly then i first thought.
So, where to start? hmmmmm.... well 2010 seems to be the year of the conservation convention as we have the UN year of biodiversity, the Nature forum in Japan, plus another attempt to create a follow up to the Kyoto Protocol in Cancun at the end of the year. But what is going to be achieved? I mean as a species we love to talk, discuss, gather in groups and voice our opinions but then it just all falls a bit flat. I am not saying nothing will be done, as history will say otherwise but i think if we are to really start the 'green revolution' then it needs to come from the bottom not the top, from communities and not from politicians.
I said to myself that i was not going to get too political right now, but i seemed to be going that way, so i will stop and say FOREST SCHOOL...
I have just returned from a Forest School leaders course (run by Bridgwater College) and i love the concept, the ethos behind it. Forest School is all about creating a non-threatning child-led environment so children can improve their confidence, self-esteem and independence, it is all about giving children their free play back (with a bit of teaching as well!), basically giving them the tools to become the individual they want to be and the opportunity to re-connect with the natural world.
What does this have to do with the wildlife movement you say? Bloody everything!
It is the key to everything, as to put it simply, people in the 21st century do not know enough about the planet to care about it (it is not 'that' persons fault either), to do something about the hole we are currently digging for ourselves.
Have you ever wandered what is the spark, the reason why people work in the wildlife sector? It is certainly not the money. Studies have shown that 2 factors are the absolute key, these are:
1. Free independent play to explore and discover
2. A role model, a 'significant other' to look up to and to show them the way
Getting children back outside is not the only part to the puzzle of a sustainable future but it is a huge, huge piece and one in which we all can do our bit.
But the benefits are not just in play, studies have shown exposure in the natural world can reduce aggression, behavioural problems, help with learning, reduce stress, deal with ADHD...I could go on, but the scientific evidence is there.
And for adults i hear you ask? Nature has been seen to help the building of communities, aid in crime reduction, reduce aggression, anti-social behaviour, help recovery from illness and depression. PLUS, investing in green infrastructure will create jobs, cheap enery sources and boost the economy, it is estimated that ecological damage is costing us trillions of pounds per year. Crazy ay? Natural processes do gives us clean air, water and food.
All in all, Mother Nature is one of the most effective restorers and antidotes from the stressful 21st century lives we lead, and at the moment it is under valued and under used.
I am not saying that the natural world is the miracle cure for everything, but there are strong messages coming out from the world of environmental and human psychology that if we let in the natural world a bit more it really would help us all. This is where the conservation community needs to focus on. In the end, if we understand, we will care.
The famous quote from Lao Tse says “The largest journey starts with a single step”
The long journey to save and preserve this living planet is to take a chance on the natural world and take that single step into the wilderness that is waiting outside your front door.
I dare you :-) and i would love to know how it goes...
Stephen
I feel like blogging tonight so here i go, usually i try and plan out a blog entry or at least have a very rough plan in my head as to what i am going to say, but not for this one. This is all about cutting through the crap and getting to the point.
Since i have just being employed as an education officer for the National Trust for Jersey as well recently returning from a 4 day Forest School Leaders training course in Wiltshire, education and more importantly wildlife education is in the front of my mind, i do feel really strongly about it, perhaps more strongly then i first thought.
So, where to start? hmmmmm.... well 2010 seems to be the year of the conservation convention as we have the UN year of biodiversity, the Nature forum in Japan, plus another attempt to create a follow up to the Kyoto Protocol in Cancun at the end of the year. But what is going to be achieved? I mean as a species we love to talk, discuss, gather in groups and voice our opinions but then it just all falls a bit flat. I am not saying nothing will be done, as history will say otherwise but i think if we are to really start the 'green revolution' then it needs to come from the bottom not the top, from communities and not from politicians.
I said to myself that i was not going to get too political right now, but i seemed to be going that way, so i will stop and say FOREST SCHOOL...
I have just returned from a Forest School leaders course (run by Bridgwater College) and i love the concept, the ethos behind it. Forest School is all about creating a non-threatning child-led environment so children can improve their confidence, self-esteem and independence, it is all about giving children their free play back (with a bit of teaching as well!), basically giving them the tools to become the individual they want to be and the opportunity to re-connect with the natural world.
What does this have to do with the wildlife movement you say? Bloody everything!
It is the key to everything, as to put it simply, people in the 21st century do not know enough about the planet to care about it (it is not 'that' persons fault either), to do something about the hole we are currently digging for ourselves.
Have you ever wandered what is the spark, the reason why people work in the wildlife sector? It is certainly not the money. Studies have shown that 2 factors are the absolute key, these are:
1. Free independent play to explore and discover
2. A role model, a 'significant other' to look up to and to show them the way
Getting children back outside is not the only part to the puzzle of a sustainable future but it is a huge, huge piece and one in which we all can do our bit.
But the benefits are not just in play, studies have shown exposure in the natural world can reduce aggression, behavioural problems, help with learning, reduce stress, deal with ADHD...I could go on, but the scientific evidence is there.
And for adults i hear you ask? Nature has been seen to help the building of communities, aid in crime reduction, reduce aggression, anti-social behaviour, help recovery from illness and depression. PLUS, investing in green infrastructure will create jobs, cheap enery sources and boost the economy, it is estimated that ecological damage is costing us trillions of pounds per year. Crazy ay? Natural processes do gives us clean air, water and food.
All in all, Mother Nature is one of the most effective restorers and antidotes from the stressful 21st century lives we lead, and at the moment it is under valued and under used.
I am not saying that the natural world is the miracle cure for everything, but there are strong messages coming out from the world of environmental and human psychology that if we let in the natural world a bit more it really would help us all. This is where the conservation community needs to focus on. In the end, if we understand, we will care.
The famous quote from Lao Tse says “The largest journey starts with a single step”
The long journey to save and preserve this living planet is to take a chance on the natural world and take that single step into the wilderness that is waiting outside your front door.
I dare you :-) and i would love to know how it goes...
Stephen
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