2016 news and events

View our 2016 digest archive
Mayflower Community Impact Day

Digest 23.12.16

News

CPD
  • The Edible School Garden: 8th February 2017, St Mary’s Primary School, BS35 1HJ. This course will give you the skills you need to set up a simple productive garden and manage the growing space seasonally throughout the year. 
  • Investigate Primary Plant Science through the Garden: 7th March 2017, RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Devon, EX38 8PH. Learn to inspire children through the wonder of plants and send them on a journey of investigation and discovery as they explore the science of the garden. 
  • Cultivating a Healthier School (Grow, Cook, Eat your own produce): 20th March 2017, Air Balloon Hill Primary School, Hillside Road, St George, Bristol, BS5 7PB. RHS horticulturists have teamed up with the Food Teachers Centre to provide a practical course to enable you to put pupil’s health and wellbeing at the centre of your school with an ethos and culture of great food. 

 

Events

  • Seminar on Outdoor Learning from Norwegian Scholars: 10 January 2017, 1pm-2.30pm. University of Plymouth. We are delighted to say that two Norwegian professors, Ingunn Fjørtoft and Kari Anne Jørgensen, will be visiting the University in January to talk about their work in outdoor learning. The seminar will take place on 10 January 10 in Rolle Building, Room 305. All welcome! Please let Rowena know if you’d like to come on R.Passy@plymouth.ac.uk 
  • School improvement through outdoor learning and sustainability, 2017 Conference: 17 March 2017, Buckfast Abbey Conference. Download a PDF version of the conference flyer. 

Digest 09.12.16

News

  • The ESRC Festival of Social Science event: Awaken the Spirit of Discovery in Science Outside


CPD

Events

  • Seminar on Outdoor Learning from Norwegian Scholars: 10 January 2017, 1pm-2.30pm. University of Plymouth. We are delighted to say that two Norwegian professors, Ingunn Fjørtoft and Kari Anne Jørgensen, will be visiting the University in January to talk about their work in outdoor learning. The seminar will take place on 10 January 10 in Rolle Building, Room 305. All welcome! Please let Rowena know if you’d like to come on R.Passy@plymouth.ac.uk 
Studentship

  • MPhil/PhD studentships available in PSI and FABE: The Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment (FABE) at the University of Westminster is offering three MPhil/PhD studentships, to start in September 2017. PSI’s mission is to inform a more sustainable society, particularly in the context of climate change. PSI is a research centre in FABE, and applications for doctoral study in PSI are eligible for this competition. We wish to encourage and actively support high quality MPhil/PhD applications in areas that align with those of our researchers.

Digest 17.06.16

News

Events

  • The launch of the new Centre for Creativity, Sustainability and Educational Futures (CenCSE) 8 July, the St Luke’s Campus, University of Exeter.
  • Being Outdoors with Children from Birth to Three: this course, providing an in depth opportunity to consider the value and practicalities of getting very young children outdoors and into nature, is an exciting initiative of the newly formed ‘Skogsmulle UK’. The course is to be held in Hyde near Manchester in late July.

 

CPD

  • Funded PhD opportunity: this PhD is closely linked to a three-year research project entitled Improving Wellbeing through Urban Nature: integrating green/blue infrastructure and health service valuation and delivery (IWUN). Through supporting the development of a smartphone app, evaluating the efficacy of the App as a data collection tool and working closely with project partners and stakeholders to explore the potential for the App as a green prescription. Can a smartphone App promote therapeutic interactions with the natural environment? at FindAPhD.

Digest 03.06.16

News

CPD

  • Bushcraft skills day: from simple beginnings to the more elaborate! 2 July 2016, nr Okehampton, 10am – 4pm. This workshop is aimed at both those new to bushcraft and those with some experience. The day aims to give you the opportunity to spend a day in a woodland camp learning new skills, discussing safety issues and ways you can embed these skills into your practice - Institute for Outdoor Learning website
  • CLOtC Training & Events: The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, the national charity which supports and high quality learning outside the classroom (LOtC), is offering a day of training on high quality LOtC at Dartmoor Zoo on 23 June - Council for Learning Outside the Classroom website
  • Experiential-CPD Monthly Calendar 

 

Events

  • Ambios Bioblitz invitation: Ambios are holding an inaugural Bioblitz, an intense 24 hour survey aiming to record all living species within an area, at our beautiful Lower Sharpham Farm site next to the River Dart. 
  • The Dart School Invites you to an Evening of Music, Story and Song: A fun and entertaining ‘cabaret’ style evening of music, storytelling, songs and provocations presented by The Dart School, a school being founded on connection to nature, community, care, and a love of learning, with creativity at its heart. Come and join us. Visit the Dart School website. 

Report and book

  • Report for the Rippledown Residential Education Programme: Evaluating the residential programme of activities for children 2015. This report presents the findings of an evaluation of the Rippledown outdoor experiential programme of activities for a group (N = 50) of early adolescents (aged 10-11) during September through to November 2015. It illustrates the positive elements of being away from home and learning to interact with other children and adults in addition to learning about the environment. The implications of these results are briefly discussed in relation to previous research and contemporary education issues relating to wellbeing and environmental awareness. Read the executive summary and full academic report on The Bay Trust website.
  • Green Exercise: Linking Nature, Health and Well-being: the concept of Green Exercise has now been widely adopted and implies a synergistic health benefit of being active in the presence of nature. It describes the impact of Green Exercise on human health and well-being through all stages of the life course and covers a wide spectrum from cellular processes such as immune function through to facilitating human behavioural change.

Digest 20.05.16

News

CPD

  • LIFEbeat Creative Practice Training - you will gain skills and insights into the practice of group facilitation and walk away with a toolbox of easy-to-lead activities.You will meet a group of open, curious and creative people - Embercombe website 
  • Blackdown Hills Natural Futures Project - learn about conservation and volunteering opportunities. Environmental education sessions for primary schools and more - Blackdown Hills Natural Futures website
  • Bushcraft skills day: from simple beginnings to the more elaborate! 2nd July 2016, nr Okehampton 10am – 4pm. This workshop is aimed at both those new to bushcraft and those with some experience. The day aims to give you the opportunity to spend a day in a woodland camp learning new skills, discussing safety issues and ways you can embed these skills into your practice - Institute for Outdoor Learning website
  • Forest School Training Sessions - Natural Learning website

 

Events

  • Events/activities coming up at Burrator this month and the next - South West Lakes Trust
  • Open Farm Sunday 5th June Riverford welcomes visits by schools and nurseries and has a new school scheme called The Veg Pot where schools receive funds for parents sign up for their organic veg boxes - Open Farm Sunday 
  • Scouting for all – half term fun at Rosemoor, N Devon - Royal Horticultural Society 
  • Introduction to Habitat Diversity in the UK ‘walk & talk’ 11 June - CREST 
  • Pond dipping 2 June The stream and ponds at Trill are home to specialist mini beasts, fish, water birds and even otters - Trill Farm 
  • Totally Unplugged 7th July 2016 We would like to invite schools, businesses or families to take part in our event ‘Totally Unplugged’, will involve using as little electricity as possible or even no electricity during the day - South Molton Community Primary School 
  • NHD (Naturally Healthy Devon) Schools South Molton meeting: Maths Outdoors Mon 23rd May, 4pm – 5.30pm at North Molton School, EX36 3HL Using the outdoor environment to deliver and inspire curriculum linked maths activities for KS1 and KS2. To find out more and receive NHDSchools updates please contact North Devon and Torridge: louise@naturallearning.org.uk East Devon: ATurner@eastdevon.gov.uk
  • IOL South West Regional Conference 2016 Saturday 1st October at Noss Marine Academy, South Devon College - Institute for Outdoor Learning 
  • Changing Horizons Challenges to Outdoor Education in Europe Conference 07-10 September 2016, Salzburg, Austria - Institute of Outdoor Adventure Education and Experiential Learning (EOE)