Earthwatch Education

This Thursday 6th November, it is the biannual Outdoor Classroom Day! 🎉

This global movement encourages schools and educators to step outside and learn, explore or play outdoors—even for just one lesson or part of the day.

1. Join the Community – Sign up your class or school so you’re part of the movement and have access to all the tools. 🫂

2. Explore the Resources & Share Yours – Browse lesson ideas, inspiration and toolkits. And if you’ve already done something outdoors, upload your own. 📚

3. Take Action on the Day – Pick a lesson or activity and take it outside. It doesn’t have to be huge: one class, one activity — make it count. 🏞️

4. Share Your Experience – After the day, reflect and share what you did. Post photos, ask your learners what they noticed, and celebrate the impact.🗣️

If you haven’t registered yet, you can still sign up your setting on the Outdoor Classroom Day website to join thousands of schools worldwide.

Get involved and make 6th November a day where the outdoors becomes part of the everyday — learning outside, feeling connected and enjoying green space. It just might inspire you to do it more regularly! ✨

Find out more here 👉 https://outdoorclassroomday.com/

Photo credits: Get children outdoors to play and learn, on Outdoor Classroom Day and all year round!

Are you looking for an opportunity to bring student voice, creativity and real-world impact into your environmental education work? The YRE programme is a fantastic platform for young people (ages 11-25) to investigate, report and act on climate and environmental issues.

What YRE offers...

• Develop critical skills in storytelling, media, research and advocacy — from articles and videos to podcasts.

• Join a global network of youth making change in their communities and beyond.

• Turn local environmental challenges into action-based reporting that can influence peers, decision-makers and policy.

This could be a strong fit for your learners who want to go beyond the classroom and tell their own environmental stories. It aligns well with outdoor learning, enquiry-based projects and student-led change.

How to get involved: 👇
Visit YRE Join Us page
Check out the “Join YRE” section and explore the competition themes, educator resources and how your setting can sign up

Let’s support our students to become voices for change and to use the outdoor, nature-rich learning environments we’ve created as the backdrop for powerful stories.

Photo credits: Young Reporters for the Environment

Here are some exciting updates from the National Education Nature Park:

📈 Annual Report Highlights

• 🚸More than 1 in 4 primary and secondary schools are now registered 

• 🏫That's over 7,500 schools, nurseries and colleges in England! 

• 🗺️More than 13 million square metres of habitat mapped across the education estate 

• 💷Over £12 million in grants awarded to over 1,250 schools and nurseries 

• 📰Case studies from across the country showcasing the programme's impact, from enhancing student wellbeing to supporting curriculum learning

Have a look here at the Annual report and the accompanying press release 👉 Over a quarter of schools in England are transforming their sites for nature

🎥 Webinar: “Kicking Off a New Year of the Nature Park”

If you missed the live session, good news — the webinar is available to watch back.

In it, the Nature Park team shares:

• What to expect this year

• How schools can get started (habitat mapping, site planning)

• Updates on new curriculum resources and co-creative work with teachers and students

Whether you’re already part of the programme or thinking about getting involved, it’s a great one to catch up on! 👉 Webinar: kicking off a new year of the Nature Park

If you haven’t joined yet, now’s a good time to explore how to get involved or even just explore their resources — and use the webinar insights to help plan your next steps. 🌍✨

We came across a funding opportunity that might be of interest to London schools: John Lyon’s Charity – Schools in Partnership Fund.

Here’s a quick overview:

• The fund supports groups or clusters of two or more schools working together (not single-school applications).

• Grants can cover themes such as school access & progression, emotional wellbeing, arts & culture, and SEND enrichment.

• You can apply for up to £60,000, and funding may stretch across multiple years.

• The purpose is to support some of the most challenged pupils by strengthening links with home, enhancing collaboration, and boosting opportunity.

This is such brilliant opportunity - please take a look if you are looking to gain some funding for a project focussing on one of these areas!

👉 Schools in Partnership Fund | John Lyon's Charity

Photo credits: John Lyon's Charity

From 6–19 October 2025, we at Earthwatch Europe are inviting citizens, schools, and nature lovers to take part in our Tiny Forest Tree Survey.

If you know a nearby Tiny Forest (or your school has one), here’s how you can get involved:

• Sign up and download a free Survey Pack with instructions, recording sheets, and an autumn tree ID guide.

• Visit your Tiny Forest, measure and identify the tagged trees during the survey window.

• Submit your results online. You’ll contribute to important research on how Tiny Forests grow and how much carbon they store over time.

❓Why do we want you to measure Tiny Forest trees?

By measuring trees at your Tiny Forest, you will be contributing to scientific research!

You will help our team of scientists to explore how Tiny Forest sites grow, and how much carbon they store over time. This develops the scientific understanding of how Tiny Forests benefit people and wildlife in urban communities.

Be a science superhero! 🦸🏆

Taking part in a Tiny Forest citizen science survey is a great opportunity to spend some mindful time outside in your local area. It’s also a brilliant way to connect with your community and spend time with family and friends in nature.

If your school has a Tiny Forest or you care for one locally, this is a perfect opportunity to turn it into a living classroom. Sign up now and be part of the forest story! 👉 Tiny Forest Tree Survey - Earthwatch Europe

Let’s get out there and measure our trees! 🌱

From 3–9 November, the National Youth Agency is celebrating Youth Work Week under the theme:
“Building Brighter Futures: Safe places, trusted support, and opportunities to thrive.”

It’s a powerful reminder of the role trusted adults and safe, inspiring spaces play in helping young people grow, explore, and imagine new possibilities.

In our own work, whether in classrooms, school grounds, or community spaces, many of us see how these same principles shape positive experiences for young people — giving them the confidence to try, connect, and care for the world around them.

This week is a chance to:

• 🌿 Celebrate the impact of youth work across the UK

• 🗣 Amplify young people’s voices and stories

• 🤝 Recognise the many ways different sectors contribute to safe, supportive spaces

👉 Join the conversation with #YouthWorkWeek #YWW25.

👉 Find out more at Youth Work Week 2025: Building Brighter Futures  - National Youth Agency

Date: 7th October 2025, 13:15-13:45pm GMT

The Our Shared World Learning Lunches are back, and they are kicking it off with an exclusive session with Dr Paul Vare.

Join them on the 7th October 2025 at 13:15pm to hear from Paul, Chair of the NAEE and Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Education, Health and Sciences at the University of Gloucestershire, and get stuck into a discussion amongst peers!

Alongside his other work, Paul co-developed the Rounder Sense of Purpose Framework, funded by EU Erasmus+ . In this Learning Lunch, Paul will walk you through the palette of competences the RSP framework supports and develops, focusing one in particular: empathy.

After a short overview, join OSW members in discussing the provocation: What should we be attending to in order to build care and connection in troubled times?

Secure your free ticket now!

Roald Dahl’s much-loved books don’t just spark imagination — they also provide powerful entry points for exploring sustainability with learners of all ages. Each story is full of lessons that connect directly to how we treat our planet:

We are sharing ….

sustainability concepts in Roald Dahl’s stories linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 🍫
Fairness, food systems, waste
SDG 2: Zero Hunger
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

Matilda 📚
Education, resource sharing, empowerment
SDG 4: Quality Education
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

James and the Giant Peach 🍑
Biodiversity, ecosystems, interdependence
SDG 15: Life on Land
SDG 14: Life Below Water
SDG 13: Climate Action

The BFG 👣
Needs vs. wants, sustainable consumption, ecological footprint
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 13: Climate Action
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy (if linked to using resources wisely)

Fantastic Mr Fox 🦊
Food security, land use, fairness, resourcefulness
SDG 2: Zero Hunger
SDG 15: Life on Land
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

The Twits 🐒
Pollution, waste, cruelty vs. kindness, regeneration
SDG 15: Life on Land
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

George’s Marvellous Medicine 🧪
Safe vs. unsafe chemicals, pollution, natural alternatives
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being

Together, these stories cover the “big ideas” of sustainability:
✨ Fairness & equity
✨ Consumption & waste
✨ Food systems & farming
✨ Biodiversity & ecosystems
✨ Education & empowerment
✨ Resourcefulness & creativity
✨ Chemical use & pollution
✨ Kindness & responsibility

Across Roald Dahl’s books, learners explore sustainability through storytelling while touching on at least 8 of the 17 SDGs — making them perfect for linking local classroom activities with global citizenship.

By combining storytelling with hands-on sustainability activities, we can help learners see how Dahl’s magical worlds connect directly to real-world challenges — and inspire them to imagine a fairer, greener future 🌍🌻💚

Find out more here 👉The Sustainables Academy

We invite you to join our LinkedIn Earthwatch Europe Educators community! 🏫👩‍🏫📖

This group is a space for Teach Earth alumni, teachers, and informal educators connected with Earthwatch to share, learn, and collaborate. Our aim is to foster two-way communication and create an active community where ideas, experiences, and resources can flow freely.

Rules

Our tone:

• Supportive & respectful – every member’s contribution is valued. 💚

• Open & collaborative – we learn best when sharing experiences and listening to others. 🧑‍🤝‍🧑

• Professional yet friendly – we want this to feel like a trusted network, not just another feed. 👩‍🏫

What we expect from members:

• Engage and share – Comment on posts, ask questions, share your own experiences and ideas. 🤳

• Stay relevant – Keep posts and discussions focused on education, environment, and opportunities connected to Earthwatch’s mission. 🌍

• Be constructive – Feedback is welcome, especially on resources and opportunities, but keep it solution-focused. 💪

• No promotion or spam – This group is about learning and collaboration, not advertising. 🚫

• Respect confidentiality – If schools, colleagues, or learners are mentioned, please share responsibly and without sensitive personal details. 🦺

Together, we’ll make this group a place where alumni and educators can connect, exchange ideas, and support each other in bringing environmental education to life.

Click here to join 👉 Earthwatch Europe Educators | Groups | LinkedIn

What's in your water? Live is an engaging, curriculum-linked live lesson for KS2 pupils that brings science and geography to life through real-world action. Developed by Earthwatch Europe, this interactive session immerses young learners in the world of fresh water, environmental threats, and the Great UK WaterBlitz a UK-wide citizen science project.

Aligned with national curriculum and timed to support World Monitoring Day (18 Sept) and Great UK WaterBlitz Week (19th–22 Sept) this session empowers pupils to become scientists for a day — and environmental champions for life.

Get your class involved in the autumn Great UK WaterBlitz - sign up here (sign up will shut on 7th Sept): Great UK WaterBlitz -Org signup - Earthwatch Europe

Find out more by clicking the link below 👇

What's in our Water? LIVE Flyer(375 KB)