Field Studies CouncilPreston Montford Field Centre,

Shrewsbury, England

Jenni Taylor - Tutor

Background about me!

• Degrees in Geography, Environmental Science and Ecology.

• Trained teacher (secondary school Geography)

• Done voluntary work in conservation (UK and abroad), and so lots of travelling – Slovakia, Costa Rica, Tanzania.

• Also interested in music (play cello and saxophone)

Why am I in Beijing?

• Visiting friends from my MSc (in Environmental Science and Ecology) at Lancaster University, UK.

• Been to Bangkok, Thailand; Xiamen and now Beijing! 6 week trip. Fly back to the UK on Monday 21st Jan.

What is the Field Studies Council (FSC)?

• An NGO/charity for environmental education.

• Receive no funding from Government or other bodies.

• 17 field centres around the UK and Head Office.

History of the FSC

• Established in 1943

• First field centre opened in 1945

• Most recent field centres to open were Derrygonnelly (Northern Ireland, 2001) and Kindrogan (Scotland, 2002)

• Oldest environmental education organisation in the UK

Head OfficeGeneral administration, marketing, etc

Publications

Lobbying of government

International department Works with international partners, similar

organisations abroad. Has links in Slovakia, Poland, Kazakhstan, Iran, Thailand, China and other countries.

Field Centres

• Most are residential, some day centres.

• Groups visit the centres. At residential centres, for up to a week.

• A-Level (16-18), GCSE (14-16), Juniors (9-11) are our main school age groups.

• University groups (studying Geography, Ecology, etc) and trainee teachers.

• Specialist adult courses - Natural History and Arts.

Secondary school groups

• Teach Geography (A-Level and GCSE)

• Ecology (as part of Biology A-Level and GCSE)

• Linked very closely to the exam specifications.

• We provide what the schools need.

• Visit for coursework, case studies, practical field work skills.

Secondary School Biology (Ecology)

Crosemere, N Shropshire

Vegetation succession

Stiperstones, S Shropshire

Heather moorland ecosystem management

Secondary School Ecology Pond study

Secondary School Geography

Glaciation, Berwyn Mountains, Wales

Urban Study, Shrewsbury

Secondary School Geography

River study

Secondary School Geography

Soil Study

Secondary School Geography

Flooding in Shrewsbury

Junior school groups

• Visit for Geography, Science, History.

• Again linked to National Curriculum, but also team building, ‘Awe and Wonder’, etc.

Primary School Geography/Science

Primary School Orienteering

Primary School Energy Game

Primary School Team Building

A day at Preston Montford

8.30 Breakfast 9.30-10.30 Intro session in classroom11-4 In field.5-6 In classroom6-7 Dinner7-8.30 In classroom8.30-11 Free time

Also – centre shop, games facilities.

Adult courses

• A wide range of specialist adult courses on plant and animal identification, monitoring, surveying etc.

• Some of the most specialist courses in the UK.

• Arts courses on painting, photography, traditional crafts, etc.

Adult courses Fungi ID

Willow weaving

Preston Montford Field Centre

Opened as an FSC Centre in 1957.

Has 120 beds, 6 classrooms.

10 teaching staff, plus office, catering and cleaning staff.

Preston Montford Estate

• 23 acres/9 hectares of land.

• River Severn flows next to the Estate.

• 5+ ponds.

• Woodland, grassland, meadow habitats.

• Other wildlife areas eg. log piles and bird boxes.

• Many interesting animals seen here eg. badgers, bats, kingfishers, newts.

Sensory Garden,

Exploratorium

Built as a disability project with FSCEE.

With help from local schools for children with learning and physical disabilities.

Raised pond and flower beds, willow classroom, brightly coloured plants and objects, wind chimes, fruit trees, sitting/play area, whispering tube

Wetland Ecosystem Treatment (WET) System

Treats liquid part of PM sewage and waste water

Harvesting the willow

Preston Montford is an Eco-centre

The Eco-Schools programme is popular in the UK

Schools/centres get a green flag for being environmentally friendly

www.ecoschools.org

Health and Safety

• A VERY IMPORTANT issue in the UK.

• We have a lot of training and systems in place for this.

• Large focus in the media on incidents and accidents involving children at school and on school trips.

First Aid Training

• All staff are First Aid trained.

• Through an organisation called ‘Mountain Water Safety’ which specialises in first aid in the outdoors and extreme environments.

First Aid Equipment

• First Aid kit in every classroom, main areas of the centre, kitchen.

• Tutors carry an extensive kit in their ‘safety rucksack’ in the field.

• Equipment is checked every week.

Mountain Leader Training/Assessment

• Not essential but useful

• Training in how to lead a group in mountain/extreme/remote environments.

• Deals with group management, navigation, weather conditions, etc.

Safety Rucksack• Tutors carry a rucksack in the field. • Contains: First Aid kit Survival bag and fleece sleeping bag Water/hot drink Injury cards Working Information Cards Map Spare clothes and waterproofs Shelter tent Torch, compass, whistle

Risk Assessments

All our sites need to be risk assessed

Working Information Card

If an incident/accident does occur

• We must fill out 2 A4 forms, detailing what happened, injuries, who was involved, who witnessed it, where it was, exactly what time everything happened.

What challenges do we face?

• Money! - Self-funding - Courses must be ‘necessary’ so schools can

find the money to come - Training, equipment and staff are expensive - Only get schools/students that can afford to

come - We would like to offer more holistic field work - We would like to work more with

disadvantaged children.

• Health and Safety

- Legislation gets tighter

- Media interest

- Schools are worried about bringing groups – but this can be positive for the FSC

• Rely on field work being in the National Curriculum and Exam Specifications – they are all changing next year, may be some problems.

Other providers of environmental education in the UK

• Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)

• National Trust (NT)

• Wildlife Trusts

• Forest Schools

• Local Authority centres

• Independent centres

Why do I do this job?

• Always wanted to work in environmental sector.

• A well accepted career area in the UK. Many people want environmental jobs.

• Teaching allows me to influence people, help them appreciate the environment.

• Working outdoors is great! (Better than a classroom or an office)

Must we always teach our children with books? Let them look at the mountains and the stars up above. Let them look at the beauty of the waters and the trees and flowers on earth. They will then begin to think, and to think is the beginning of a real education. - David Polis

Risk is essential. There is no growth or inspiration in staying within what is safe and comfortable. - Alex Noble

A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world.- Paul Dudley White

That which ought and can best be taught inside the classroom should there be taught, and that which can best be learned through experience dealing directly with native materials and real life situations outside the school should there be learned.- Julian Smith, 1943, Outside the Classroom, The Educational Forum, 7(4), 363

Field Studies Council

www.field-studies-council.org

Jenni Taylor

tutors.pm@field-studies-council.org