{"id":3632,"date":"2013-04-14T17:35:19","date_gmt":"2013-04-14T16:35:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/?p=3632"},"modified":"2013-04-14T17:35:19","modified_gmt":"2013-04-14T16:35:19","slug":"learning-to-care-for-the-environment-and-for-the-rest-of-humanity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/2013\/04\/14\/learning-to-care-for-the-environment-and-for-the-rest-of-humanity\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning to care for the environment \u2013 and for the rest of humanity"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is the text of a letter that the\u00a0Sunday Times<\/em> published today, April 14th. \u00a0It was timed to fit with the approaching deadline for commenting on the government's national curriculum revision proposals. \u00a0Specifically, this addressed unnecessary and quite inexplicable changes proposed to the science curriculum. \u00a0I was pleased to sign it as President of NAEE \u2013 the National Association of Environmental Education. \u00a0I was in very good company as you can see from the list of those who also signed.<\/p>\n

Sir,<\/span><\/p>\n

As the loss of wildlife and habitats continues apace, both in the UK and globally, and as evidence suggests growing numbers of children are missing out on the mental and physical health benefits of spending time in nature, the place of the natural environment in the national curriculum is more critical than ever.<\/span><\/p>\n

Indeed, the British Government has committed to nurturing our children\u2019s love and respect for nature under two binding international agreements (the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on Biological Diversity Aichi targets).<\/span><\/p>\n

However, under the Government\u2019s new draft national curriculum for England, education on the environment would start three years later than at present and all existing references to care and protection would be removed. \u00a0This is both unfathomable and unacceptable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s children are tomorrow\u2019s custodians of nature. \u00a0Government has a duty to ensure that all pupils have the chance to learn about threats to the natural world, to be inspired to care for it and to explore ways to preserve and restore it. \u00a0These proposals not only undermine our children\u2019s understanding and love of nature, but ultimately threaten nature itself, and through it the well-being of young people and all future generations.<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Sir David Attenborough, Broadcaster and naturalist<\/span><\/p>\n

Sir Tim Smit KBE, Chief Executive of Development and Co-founder, The Eden Project<\/span><\/p>\n

Sir Christian Bonington, Mountaineer<\/span><\/p>\n

Andy Atkins, Executive Director, Friends of the Earth<\/span><\/p>\n

Baroness Young of Old Scone, Peer and former Chief Executive of the Environment Agency and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds<\/span><\/p>\n

Barry Gardiner, MP for Brent North<\/span><\/p>\n

Beth Gardner, Chief Executive, Council for Learning Outside the Classroom<\/span><\/p>\n

Camila Batmanghelidjh, CEO, Kids Company<\/span><\/p>\n

Chris Packham, Naturalist and broadcaster<\/span><\/p>\n

Dame Vivienne Westwood,\u00a0Designer<\/span><\/p>\n

David Nussbaum,\u00a0Chief Executive, WWF UK<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Mike Clarke, Chief Executive, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds<\/span><\/p>\n

Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, Writer, broadcaster and campaigner<\/span><\/p>\n

John Sauven, Executive Director, Greenpeace UK<\/span><\/p>\n

Jonathon Porritt, Founder Director, Forum for the Future<\/span><\/p>\n

Julian Huppert, MP for Cambridge<\/span><\/p>\n

Maggie Williams, Chair, Earth Science Teachers' Association<\/span><\/p>\n

Neil Sinden, Director of Policy and Campaigns, Campaign to Protect Rural England<\/span><\/p>\n

Professor William Scott, University of Bath and President of NAEE \u2013 the National Association of Environmental Education<\/span><\/p>\n

Simon King OBE,\u00a0President of the Wildlife Trusts<\/span><\/p>\n

Stacey Solomon,\u00a0Singer, TV presenter<\/span><\/p>\n

Stanley Johnson, Conservationist and former MEP<\/span><\/p>\n

Tony Juniper, Environmental advisor and writer<\/span><\/p>\n

Professor Alex Rogers, Professor in Conservation Biology, University of Oxford<\/span><\/p>\n

Alistair Gammell OBE, Conservationist<\/span><\/p>\n

Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavillion<\/span><\/p>\n

Cathy Dean,\u00a0Director, Save the Rhino International<\/span><\/p>\n

Ceri Levy,\u00a0Wildlife filmmaker<\/span><\/p>\n

Charles Secrett, National Coordinator of the ACT! Alliance<\/span><\/p>\n

Professor Chris King, Professor of Earth Science Education, Keele University<\/span><\/p>\n

Professor Cynthia Burek, Professor of Geoconservation, University of Chester<\/span><\/p>\n

David Bond and Ashley Jones, Project Wild Thing<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr David Chivers, Reader in Wildlife biology, primate socio-ecology and rain-forest conservation, University of Cambridge<\/span><\/p>\n

David Lindo, The Urban Birder<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr David Whitebread, Senior Lecturer in Psychology of Education, University of Cambridge<\/span><\/p>\n

Deborah Curtis and Gavin Turk, Founders and Directors, House of Fairy Tales<\/span><\/p>\n

Professor Dianne Edwards CBE FRS, President of the The Linnean Society<\/span><\/p>\n

Dixe Wills,\u00a0Author<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Duncan Jones, Headteacher, Northleigh Church of England Primary School and EcoSchool, Worcestershire<\/span><\/p>\n

Professor E J Millner-Gulland, Professor in Conservation Science, Imperial College of Science and Technology<\/span><\/p>\n

Elisabeth Whitebread, Director, Climate Rush<\/span><\/p>\n

Elizabeth Rollinson, Executive Secretary, The Linnean Society of London<\/span><\/p>\n

Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield, Authors of Going Wild, Nature's Playground and Make It Wild<\/span><\/p>\n

George Monbiot, Journalist and writer<\/span><\/p>\n

Georgina Domberger,\u00a0Director, Whitley Fund for Nature<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Heather Koldewey, Co-founder and Field Conservation Manager, Project Seahorse<\/span><\/p>\n

Helen Buckland, Director, Sumatran Orangutan Society<\/span><\/p>\n

Jean Lambert, Green Party MEP for London, former teacher<\/span><\/p>\n

Jean-Paul Jeanrenaud, Director, Business Innovation and Education, WWF International<\/span><\/p>\n

John Reynolds, Geoconservation UK<\/span><\/p>\n

Jon Millington and Julie Holland, Wild Learning and Development Ltd<\/span><\/p>\n

Jonathan Elphick, Natural History Author<\/span><\/p>\n

Professor Jonathan Gosling, Professor of Leadership Studies, University of Exeter<\/span><\/p>\n

Joss Garman, Campaigner<\/span><\/p>\n

Jules Howard, Zoologist and nature writer<\/span><\/p>\n

Juliette Daigre, Education Manager, People and Planet<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Kirsten Pullen, CEO, British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums<\/span><\/p>\n

Lord Judd, Peer<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Lucy Gilliam, Director, New Dawn Traders<\/span><\/p>\n

Lucy McRobert, Director, A Focus on Nature<\/span><\/p>\n

Professor Malcolm Kirkup, Director, One Planet MBA, University of Exeter<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Mark Avery, Naturalist and author<\/span><\/p>\n

Mark and Mo Constantine, Co-founders, Lush Ltd<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Mark Harrison, Managing Director, Orangutan Tropical Peatland Project<\/span><\/p>\n

Mark Pritchard, CEO, Green Light Trust<\/span><\/p>\n

Mark Shand, Co-Founder, Elephant Family<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Martin Warren, Chief Executive, Butterfly Conservation<\/span><\/p>\n

Matt Williams, Co-Director, UK Youth Climate Coalition<\/span><\/p>\n

Mike Browne,\u00a0Chairman, GeoConservation UK<\/span><\/p>\n

Natalie Bennett, Leader, Green Party of England and Wales<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Netta Weinstein,\u00a0Lecturer in Psychology, University of Essex<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul West, Primary school teacher<\/span><\/p>\n

Pete Gamby,\u00a0Marketing Manager, Opticron<\/span><\/p>\n

Richard Hawkins, Director, Public Interest Research Centre<\/span><\/p>\n

Richard Louv, Journalist, author and Founding Chairman of the Children and Nature Network<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Rob Lambert,\u00a0Lecturer in Tourism and the Environment, Nottingham University Business School<\/span><\/p>\n

Robert Lucas, Chief Executive Officer, Field Studies Council<\/span><\/p>\n

Ruth Powys,\u00a0Director, Elephant Family<\/span><\/p>\n

Ruth Wharrier, PGCE, Teacher, Snape Primary School, Suffolk<\/span><\/p>\n

Saci Lloyd,\u00a0Author and teacher<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam Fanshawe, CEO, Marine Conservation Society<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam Hewitt, Founder and Director, Sea Urchins magazine<\/span><\/p>\n

Sara Oldfield, Secretary General, Botanic Gardens Conservation International<\/span><\/p>\n

Professor Susan Page, Head of Dept of Geography, University of Leicester<\/span><\/p>\n

Sara Parkin, Founder Director, Forum for the Future<\/span><\/p>\n

Sue Sheward MBE, Founder and Chairperson, Orangutan Appeal UK<\/span><\/p>\n

Sharon Johnson,\u00a0Chief Executive, Trees for Cities<\/span><\/p>\n

Tamsin Omond, Campaigner<\/span><\/p>\n

The Woodland Trust<\/span><\/p>\n

Tim \"Mac\" McCarthy,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Founder of Embercombe<\/span><\/p>\n

Tim Appleton MBE, Rutland Water Nature Reserve Manager<\/span><\/p>\n

Tim Mackrill, Senior Reserve Officer, Rutland Water Nature Reserve<\/span><\/p>\n

Tom Rippin,\u00a0CEO, On Purpose<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr William Bird MBE, General Practitioner, CEO Intelligent Health and Former Strategic Health Advisor, Natural England<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is the text of a letter that the\u00a0Sunday Times published today, April 14th. \u00a0It was timed to fit with the approaching deadline for commenting on the government's national curriculum revision proposals. \u00a0Specifically, this addressed unnecessary and quite inexplicable changes...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":237,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2,3,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3632","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-comment","category-new-publications","category-news-and-updates"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3632","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/237"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3632"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3632\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3632"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3632"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3632"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}