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About us

Earthwatch Education is part of Earthwatch Europe, an environmental charity with science at its heart. We seek to drive the change needed to live within our means and in balance with nature, by connecting people with nature, monitoring the health of our natural resources, and encouraging people to take sustained action for the planet. 
Learn about Earthwatch Europe

Our Work

At Earthwatch Education we work with educators and young people to connect them to their local natural environment and equip them with knowledge, confidence and tools to take positive actions for our planet.

Our mission is to embed outdoor and environmental education within schools across the UK, with focus on inclusivity and equitable access to green spaces and opportunities. All our programmes are curriculum-based and aligned with the Department for Education’s Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy. 

Our Team

We are a small but powerful team specialising in curriculum-based environmental and outdoor education. We use our expertise in teacher training, youth workshops and collaborative resource creation and we constantly strive to make our work more inclusive. Staying up to date with the latest environmental and educational science development informs all our work, but we also learn from the amazing educators and young people we work with, while often reminding ourselves that nature is the best teacher.

Challenges and Solutions

There are three core challenges that motivate us in our work at Earthwatch Education and help us seek the best solutions. We recognise that to save the planet is to work with its most impactful inhabitants - people.  

Environmental crisis

Climate change is the greatest threat facing humanity today but it isn't the only human-caused environmental threat that we are facing today. Other issues, such as biodiversity loss or water pollution, are all driving unprecedented changes that will affect our lives.  
 
Engaging local communities and raising awareness on the causes and effects of climate change and other environmental threats are key in supporting actions needed to reduce our harmful impact and mitigate the changes that are already occurring.  
 
Schools are at the heart of local communities. With knowledge, action and passion growing at a class and school level, the impact ripples out into the wider community, creating a movement of positive action for the planet.  
 
At Earthwatch Education we empower next generations to recognise their role in the community, and provide them with subject knowledge, practical skills and confidence they need to prepare for a very different future waiting in the wings and implement creative youth-led solutions.  

Disconnect from Nature

With nearly 85% of the UK’s population living in urban areas and increased usage of modern technology, ever fewer children spend time in nature. This diminishing connection to the natural world is known as Nature Deficit Disorder and describes the negative effects of separation from nature.  
 
Nature plays an important role in supporting children’s wellbeing and in their personal as well as academic development. Additionally, research suggests that those with a greater connection to nature are more likely to behave positively towards the natural environment.  
 
Earthwatch Education creates opportunities for young people to develop meaningful connections with the natural world around them. It is the everyday continuous contact with nature that has the biggest impact on children’s physical, mental, and intellectual development.  
 
We recognise that many schools don’t have access to quality nature areas and educators often lack the time, confidence and resources to implement regular nature-based learning practises. This is why we work directly with practicing and trainee teachers to empower them to lead outdoor learning education regularly and make it applicable to their local area and curriculum subjects across all stages.  

Inequality in access

A third of UK households don’t have adequate access to greenspaces close to where they live, with fundamental disparities disproportionately affecting children from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds and those living on a lower income. 
 
Lack of diversity and inclusion is also found in environmental education and professions. The disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), suffer from extremely low participation of women and underrepresented minorities, whilst the environmental profession is the second least ethnically diverse in the UK.

Socioeconomic inequality is a crucial component to take into account when working towards solutions to the ecological crisis. A wide variety of ideas and solutions is needed to address the complex problems we face and ensure no one is left behind.  
 
We are committed to removing barriers that many children and young people living in the UK face ensuring that everyone feels empowered to take action for nature. We focus our work on underserved communities with limited access to green spaces, create equitable access to nature and STEM learning opportunities for children experiencing inequalities, adjust our resources to make them accessible to those with special educational needs and promote inclusive teaching practises in outdoor education.  
 

Programme Reports

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