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Education
With support from Anglesey County
Council’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Sustainable
Development Fund, NWWT has been running a project called Terns,
Tides & People, part of which involves an educational
programme based at Cemlyn nature reserve.
The project started in November 2003, when a People And Wildlife
Officer was appointed by the Trust to (among other things)
organise and carry out a series of school field trips at Cemlyn.
The aim was to raise awareness in local children about the
importance of biodiversity and conservation by enabling them
to explore this unique wildlife habitat. Ben Stammers took
over the post in May 2004, and during the course of the summer,
over 200 children from 10 local primary schools visited, taking
part in a variety of activities.
The project was designed to link in with National Curriculum
topics covered in subjects including Science, Geography, History,
English & RE, and provide a basis for ongoing work in
the classroom. These different topics were often linked in
with general environmental themes, in a conscious effort to
encourage pupils to think about their relationship to their
surroundings.
The activities included carrying out habitat surveys, where
pupils recorded different species along a line of samples
(as in an ecological transect), investigating the wildlife
of the lagoon and shore using nets, and observing the tern
colony through binoculars. Art-based exercises focussed on
perception of surroundings through the senses and encouraged
pupils to explore, using materials found on the beach to create
their own 3D designs.
In some cases, the People And Wildlife Officer and field teachers
also went in to schools to give illustrated talks and initiate
written or interactive exercises in the classroom.
For more details on these activities, download our Suggestion
Grid for Schools.
(word
file 36k) (pdf
file 64k)
Outreach
The Terns, Tides and People project
also involves general education, awareness-raising and outreach
to the local community. Activities have been organised both
on and off the reserve - there was a Cemlyn Creature Count
in June 2005, and a Wildlife Art Workshop in July; guided
walks have also been arranged for the general public as well
as for youth clubs and a daycentre group for people with learning
difficulties. The project was represented in 2005 at the National
Eisteddfod, The Anglesey Show, and the Wylfa Community Fun
Day. Illustrated talks have also been carried out, so far
for an Urdd group, and for two branches of the University
of the 3rd Age.
The People And Wildlife Officer aims to extend the range of
this work, and is very keen to hear from any organisations
or community groups interested in either on or off-site activities.
For further information please contact:
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