Gloucestershire Environmental Education Partnership

The education team deliver a range of programmes on site to groups of all ages that explore a variety of topics amongst Westonbirt's world class tree collection. They include trees, forests and climate change, habitats and ecosystems, adaptation, plant growth, and programmes to support the environmental land-based studies diploma.

Outreach programmes explore biodiversity and the relationship between plants and animals, tree products and the importance of sustainable forestry.

Teacher resources including our climate change information pack, DVD 'The world is hot enough' and Developing Natural Play Opportunitites are available from the website.

Christine Meakin
Education Supervisor

Forestry Commission Westonbirt - The National Arboretum Tetbury		Tel:- 01666 881211
Gloucester		VoIP: 31211
GL8 8QS United Kingdom		westonbirt.education@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust are able to provide the following support:

• Free visits for Gloucester schools to Robinswood Hill Education centre.
• Help with making school grounds better for wildlife
• A schools' membership package that offers wildlife watch materials and support with school grounds and after school wildlife clubs.
• Teaching resources available to members -
  The Four Seasons CD is packed with ideas and activities
  for use in school environmental education all year round.

Margaret Westmore
Primary Schools Officer

margaret.westmore@gloucestershirewilflifetrust.co.uk

01452 389963

The Wilderness Centre staff offer Learning Outside the Classroom opportunities on your school site or in your local area.

This includes the following topics:

• Ponds - using specialist equipment to help identify and learn about aquatic plants and animals.
• Rocks and Soils - activities include soil sampling, soil sieving etc
• Minibeasts - explore the varied habitats in the school grounds using specialist equipment.
• Problem Solving and Team Building Activities
• Maths using the Outdoors
• Natural Art
• Growing Food
• Practical School Grounds Support - designs and plans, minibeast homes, tree planting etc.
• Inset Training on your site for teachers and support staff on all aspects of Outdoor Learning. Eg Numeracy, Investigative Science, Forest School, Eco-schools, Sustainablity.
• Eco-schools support

thewildernesscentrestaff@hotmail.co.uk

The 'Recycle for Gloucestershire Schools' team can support schools and youth groups to reduce, reuse, recycle and compost their waste. They are part of Gloucestershire County Council and work in the Waste Unit.

Their team comprises of a Waste Education Officer who offers free assemblies, site visits and lessons, and a Waste Minimisation Officer who can help supply compost bins, fruit caddies, posters and stickers.

By developing the Recycle for Gloucestershire Schools Education Programme they hope to show children that their behaviour can have a direct impact on the environment. They support local schools as learning about waste forms one of the 8 Sustainable School doorways and is an important part of the Eco Schools award linking with many National Curriculum areas.

There are areas on their fun, child-friendly site for children, teachers, youth workers and families to explore and learn more about recycling. They also have downloads, fun facts and lesson plans for teachers, as well as links to other useful organisations and websites.

When your school signs up, you get a certificate to show you are a 'Recycle for Gloucestershire School'. Your school's progress is then visible on their online Challenge.

They have an online Challenge for schools. Prizes are awarded to schools who are really showing their commitment to reducing, reusing, composting and recycling their waste. They also run annual competitions in partnership with waste companies and local businesses.

Hannah Gray
Education Officer

hannah.gray@gloucestershire.gov.uk

01452 425 872 or 07500 835 688

Hannah deals with the Curriculum aspect of Waste Education, visiting schools and providing waste education activities for the Waste Unit as part of the Health 4 Schools Futures team. Any enquiries regarding booking waste education activities should be made to Hannah.

Kate Cole
Waste Minimistion and Recycling Officer

katherine.cole@gloucestershire.gov.uk

01452 426 525 or 07887 625 226

Kate co-ordinates the Waste Education programme, dealing with the Community aspect of Waste Education. Keen to promote awareness of sustainable consumption and waste minimisation, any news, photos or communication regarding progress with the Action Challenge should be directed to Kate.

Kate also deals with the Campus aspect of Waste and offers advice to all schools about recycling and waste contracts. She knows all about the practicalities of storing and collecting recycling, and can advise about the many collectable materials. Any enquiries regarding waste and recycling services should be directed to Kate.

The Gloucestershire Health and Wellbeing Team offer support in:

• Developing Pupil Voice e.g. through effective School Councils
• Advice and support on Healthy Lifestyles and making the links between Healthy Schools +/ Enhancement and Sustainable schools

Jan Courtney
Senior Lead for Children and Young People

Children and Young People's Health and Well-Being Team The Hucclecote Centre Churchdown Lane		01452 427100
Gloucester		Mobile:- 07919 046008
GL3 3QN United Kingdom		Jan.Courtney@gloucestershire.gov.uk

Over Farm provides educational visits for schools and community groups, offering hands-on opportunities to:

• Find out about where your food comes from, farming and food production on a real working farm.
• Explore countryside/ environmental / sustainable issues eg food miles.

Visits may include a learning walk of the farm, picking and tasting seasonal crops; collecting eggs, tractor trailer ride, feeding animals, a 'living' pizza, meet the farmer, farm shop and cowbyre classroom.

The day is tailored to suit your needs and discussed with teachers beforehand to link with curriculum requirements and meet Every Child Matters outcomes.

Suitable for all ages and abilities.

All visits are led by qualified teachers.

School based workshops on healthy eating and food miles can also be arranged.

Mo Braham
Education Manager

mo.braham@btinternet.com

01531 820808 / 07970 619850

Our outreach programme includes talks, group activities and workshops, school assemblies and attendance at community events within our region. All we ask in return for the session is that you use water wisely and help us look after your waste water.

Key Stage 2 to University: Schools, colleges and university groups:

We're urged to be efficient in all walks of life: use less fuel, use less energy, recycle waste - but what about 'use less water?' Many people are unaware that we really do need to think about this as well. School is the perfect place to start teaching our future generation about how to look after our water supply.

We're urged to be efficient in all walks of life: use less fuel, use less energy, recycle waste - but what about 'use less water?' Many people are unaware that we really do need to think about this as well. School is the perfect place to start teaching our future generation about how to look after our water supply.

Schools Outreach sessions include whole school assemblies, class talks and activities, DVDs, Water Audits, workshops and specific group work with school and eco-councils. Our minimum requirement is that you allow us to deliver a whole school assembly with you.

Our visits complement the Sustainable Schools National framework, in particular the "energy and water" doorway, and could help your school work towards Eco-School status.

Our visits complement the Sustainable Schools National framework, in particular the "energy and water" doorway, and could help your school work towards Eco-School status.
St Catherine of Sienna Primary School

Resources on our new Education Website include posters, flyers and leaflets, class based activities and pupil led assembly scripts along with water facts and figures.

Kate King

Hayden Education Centre Hayden Lane Hayden		01242 680164
Cheltenham
GL51 0SP United Kingdom		kate.king@severntrent.co.uk

Welcome to WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre. School groups can come face to face with a wealth of amazing wetland biodiversity at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) Slimbridge. The first of Sir Peter Scott's nine centres to be built in the UK, it offers a unique educational experience for groups of any age. Surrounded by the world's largest collection of rare, exotic and endangered swans, ducks and geese, Slimbridge has over sixty years of cutting edge environmental educational expertise to offer young visitors and teachers alike.

Immersive, creative, participative and risk-free experiences of nature are on offer throughout the year with curriculum linked programmes lead by specialist teachers. These hands-on, minds-on workshops offer children an exciting, real-life experience of nature, worlds apart from anything they can experience in the classroom.

The WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre is one of nine centres operated by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), the only UK charity dedicated solely to wetland conservation for wildlife and people. WWT has an international reputation for producing world class, lively, interactive, child-centred environmental education for sustainability and citizenship.

WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre is a haven for birds, mammals, plants, amphibians and insects making it a joy to visit at any time of the year.

• Situated on the banks of the River Severn
• Home to the world's largest collection of ducks, geese, swans and flamingos surrounded by over 325 hectares of internationally protected wild reserve
• Multi-storey hides and Pond Zone with pond dipping areas
• Cinema and interactive interpretation in our Discovery Centre including amphibians in Toad Hall
• Welly Boot Land, a themed adventure area for 3-11 year olds
• Full public facilities, including restaurant, kiosks and shop

A dedicated part of the web site www.wwt.org.uk provides comprehensive teacher resources from lesson plans through to data sets, fact files, resources sheets and a dedicated kid's zone specially designed for use by pupils. Free familiarisation visits for teachers make planning every aspect of a visit simple.

WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre has also been awarded the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge, recognising it as a provider of quality, safely managed educational experiences for young people.

WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre Slimbridge		01453 891117
Gloucester
GL2 7BT United Kingdom		sue.porter@wwt.org.uk

SWEA is a charitable company, with a programme of work to develop the sustainable use of energy in the sub-region.

Young Energy People!

SWEA's main secondary programme is the YEP! Project.

Following an initial pilot project in six schools throughout Gloucestershire, SWEA are now working in collaboration with 15 further participant schools developing a whole school energy saving ethos and management practice through the development and training of a student lead energy management team.

Health 4 Schools Futures

Through their work as part of the Health 4 Schools Futures programme, SWEA are providing support to primary schools in Gloucestershire.

Contact:

Severn Wye Energy Agency Ltd Unit 15 Highnam Business Centre Highnam		01452 835060
Gloucester
GL2 8DN United Kingdom		swea@swea.co.uk

rachel

01452 835069

mark_stead

01452 835068

Other projects

Come2CoM - below is a link to a short film highlighting the issues of European carbon footprint and efforts by communities to combat this footprint through the Covenant of Mayors project. The project is a mainstream European movement involving local and regional authorities, voluntarily committing to increasing energy efficiency and use of renewable energy sources on their territories. By their commitment, Covenant signatories aim to meet and exceed the European Union 20% CO₂ reduction objective by 2020.
>> Watch the video