Workshop aims to help educators explain nature to children
Children with RSPB wildlife explorers leader Hannah Jones Picture: Joan Hardingham - Credit: Archant
Suffolk Naturalists’ Society event to be held at the University of Suffolk on Ipswich Waterfront this summer
Isaac Sheldrake showing a beetle to Grandpa Nick Hardingham at Minsmere Picture; Joan Hardingham - Credit: Archant
A one-day workshop aimed at educators who want to explain better how nature works to primary-aged children is being held in Ipswich next month.
The event, which has been organised by the Suffolk Naturalists' Society, will feature a series of talks with activities on how the natural world has evolved and will cover subjects such as DNA and inheritance; fossils and evolution; species and the habitats and the ecosystems they occupy and how we classify the resulting enormous diversity.
All the speakers are professionals in explaining natural, scientific and biological principles to children and include Dr. Amanda Hartley from the The Little Story Telling Company in Norwich, Dr. Lucy Catto of Norwich Mini Professors and Dr. Jonathan Mitchley, who heads up the 'Dr. M Goes Wild' initiative in schools and online.
There will also be speakers from GeoSuffolk, Green Light Trust and Suffolk Wildlife Trust,
READ MORE: Finding the valley of the butterflies in the heart of Ipswich
Isaac Sheldrake at bird hide at Minsmere Picture: Joan Hardingham - Credit: Archant
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Joan Hardingham at the Suffolk Naturalists' Society said the event is aimed at wildlife educators including teachers, wildlife group leaders and volunteers.
She added: "If children engage with wildlife at an early age this can spark a life-long interest.
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"This may not emerge until much later when they might become serious naturalists or at least have an appreciation of the natural world and the threats it faces. The environmental crisis has been established, to a large extent, by amateur naturalists meticulously documenting their area of interest, as much as academics."
The workshop is due to be held on Wednesday August 14 at the University of Suffolk's Waterfront Building in Ipswich where delegates will be using two well-equipped laboratories in the Wildlife and Conservation Department. Each speakers will have 40 minutes to cover the basic principles of each topic and demonstrate activities.
The day cost £50. Visit www.sns.org.uk to view the programme and to register.
