Environmental Education
Working with young people to take climate action
Connecting young people with the natural world is the foundation of future climate action. More young people than ever before are experiencing eco-anxiety and apathy. To face these twin challenges alongside the climate crisis our young people must have a robust understanding of climate change, biodiversity, and sustainability – and feel that they can and should take climate action. Our education programme serves to meet these aims.
We provide outdoor and environmental learning sessions on a broad range of topics, catered to the needs of individual classes and youth groups. Please get in touch to discuss your requirements and receive a quote at c.mainprize@carboncentre.org
Current Projects
If you would like to find out more about these projects, to see if your school is eligible for free sessions, or to donate & fund our work, contact Carys at c.mainprize@carboncentre.org
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Biosphere Explorers: Climate Hub
Biosphere Explorers is a long running project using the local frame of the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere to teach pupils about climate change, biodiversity, and sustainability.
BE: Climate Hub runs Nov 2023 - Mar 1 2024 and free sessions are available to ALL Dumfries and Galloway schools subject to staff availability.
Thanks to funding from the D&G Climate Hub, which is a Net Zero Scotland project and lead by Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere.
Our Coast and Climate Change 2
Dumfries and Galloway primaries along the Solway Firth will learn about coastal habitats and climate change during this project, which runs until Dec 2024.
Funded by Robin Rigg Community Fund, administered by Solway Firth Partnership, and RSK.
Eco-Emotions
We believe that it is not enough for climate change to become embedded in the Scottish Curriculum, but that teachers and community leaders must also be provided with best practice guidance so that eco-anxiety and apathy is not exacerbated during teaching.
Although there is current research available on these topics, what works for other countries, demographics, or contexts may not apply to the rural Scottish context: therefore we wish to investigate what can be taken from this research into our local schools.
Throughout our environmental education sessions, and with partnered research projects, we hope to learn more about how eco-emotions affect the young people in Dumfries and Galloway, and how we can increase resilience so pupils are able to face the understandably challenging reality of climate catastrophe and environmental destruction.
Check back in the future for more information as these projects develop.
Peatland Mini Module
Peatlands are an important landscape for Scotland, both culturally and for carbon storage. We can use peatlands as a frame to teach young people about curriculum topics such as hydrology, carbon cycles, climate change, and biodiversity. Currently, we are putting together a pilot module in partnership with Wallace Hall Academy's Environmental Science course, and hope to create a customised SQA award to encourage pupils and schools to learn more about peatlands. Funded by RSK and NatureScot PeatlandACTION.