What is it?
The word "environment" covers all naturally occurring things on Earth. Animals, chemicals, plants and minerals all count as part of the environment, which has incredible variety depending on the climate of the area in which it is found.
What does it involve?
The environment of earth includes a huge variety of genres, but in general use the word refers to the features of the landscape and the animals and plants most likely to be found in certain areas. Learning about the environment involves disciplines such as science, history and evolution, and as the environment is constantly changing, as does the study of it.
Why do it and what are the benefits?
Learning about the environment should be something all students take part in at some point, as respect for the planet and its natural resources are essential in maintaining it. The subject of the environment can cover many sub-topics, and it's a great way of understanding more about how things were in the past and how they developed into our current day situation; it's also a thought provoking subject in regards to the future of the planet.
What equipment do we need?
Simple observation and appreciation of the environment requires very little if no equipment whatsoever, but further study can involve more scientific methods of research where certain things may be needed. For beginners into environmental research, some information, a willingness to learn and curiosity are all that should be needed.
Who is it suitable for?
The environment is important for all ages to learn about and respect. Students both young and old will benefit from understanding what goes on around us a little more - for example, explaining why littering is bad to young children can go a long way!
Costs?
Depending on what sort of thing you do and where you go, costs of environmental studies can range anywhere from completely free upwards! Many natural parks will charge an entry cost for upkeep, for example, but the actual examination of the environment costs nothing.
Issues/Things to think about? (unsuitable for age groups, medical conditions etc)
You should ensure that the activity can engage the students appropriately! Younger students will need more to occupy them than older students will, and you should always have appropriate supervision for groups of children when taking them outside into unfamiliar territory.
How do we include?
Full inclusion will depend on the type of the activity. For example, venturing outside into rough terrain will hinder those with physical disabilities; make sure that whatever you plan is appropriate for everyone in your student group.
Doing it abroad?
The environment abroad will be great to study for those who are interested in the topic. You can see animals, landscapes and plants that you never would in the UK, and could be an invaluable experience for many.
Main website:
Consult individual venue websites to see more information about their environment and any acitivies they provide.
A great family day out in the countryside with farm animals to meet and other activities to enjoy. Free entry for kids under 2 years old.
A tractor and trailer ride is included in the entry price and takes you to the deer park, which has over 150 deer of several different breeds.
You will even get a chance to feed some of the tamer members of the herd.
A place to learn about the specialist wildlife work done by the hospital and to meet some of the rescued animals. Activities and Talks held during school holidays.
Kids can find out about how they either release animals back to the wild when they are fit, or gives them a home if not.
Nestled in a medieval deer-park, Knole is vast, complex and full of hidden treasures. Originally an Archbishop’s palace, the house passed through royal hands to the Sackville family – Knole’s inhabitants from 1603 to today.
The Highland Wildlife Park is a great day out for any visitor, but for young people it offers a marvellous educational opportunity, which helps to meet the demands of the Curriculum of Excellence and bring their lessons alive. We want to become an extension of your classroom and a valuable learning resource.
Open 365 days a year, Edinburgh Zoo welcomes students of all ages. For a great day out, you can't beat Edinburgh Zoo. Our world-class attractions and our extensive animal collection will provide you and your family with memories to last a lifetime!
What We Do at the Raptor Foundation:
Provide medical care for injured raptors. Return rehabilitated birds to the wild. Provide sanctuary for unreleasable raptors.
Provide research into environmental problems and conservation matters. Assist with "Breed & Release" programs to rebuild raptor populations across Europe.
Our aim is to inspire, delight and give children first hand knowledge about life on the farm
We believe it is fundamentally important children understand about the food they eat and the effect farming has on their lives. We want their experience at Old MacDonald’s Farm to be fun and one that they will never forget.
New Forest Wildlife was originally a Butterfly Farm and later became the Nature Quest Wildlife Centre.
Carol and Roger Heap and their son Ed Heap, who have been working in wildlife conservation for most of their lives, took over the park 17 years ago and later re-named the centre the New Forest Wildlife Park.
Education
Set amid woodland in North Yorkshire, this unusual monastery is the best preserved Carthusian priory in Britain.
Mount Grace Priory is the perfect tourist attraction for a relaxing and peaceful day out. Discover how the monks lived 600 years in the reconstructed monk’s cell and herb plot.
As you sail up Loch Scresort towards the new landing stage on Rum, Kinloch Castle dominates the view at the head of the bay. Today it is surrounded by trees but early pictures show it in isolated splendour in open country. The Castle remains the most intact Edwardian country house in Britain.
A passion for tradition and impressing guests inspired one man to transform a run-down country house and desolate landscape.
Founded in 1978, Calvert Trust is the inspiration of John Fryer-Spedding, whose vision was to enable people with disabilities to benefit from outdoor activities in the countryside.
With some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in Scotland, Torridon is a magnet for walkers, geologists and naturalists.
The estate includes some of Scotland's finest mountain scenery, comprising Liathach, 1,054m (3,456ft) which has seven tops and Beinn Alligin, 985m (3,230ft), composed mainly of Torridonian sandstone dating back 750 million years.
Glyndebourne is an English country house, the site of an opera house that, since 1934, has been the venue for the annual summer Glyndebourne Festival Opera.
Make an occasion of visiting Glyndebourne and come for the whole afternoon: you can explore the grounds, visit our Archive and Gallery or have a picnic on the lawn.
The Glyndebourne Gardens and Lake
This remote and dramatically-sited fort was founded under Hadrian's rule in the 2nd century.
Well-marked remains include the headquarters building, commandant's house and bath house. The site of the parade ground survives beside the fort, and the road which Hardknott guarded can be traced for some distance as an earthwork.
Lindisfarne is a delightful, unspoiled, historic island lies just off the extreme Northeast corner of England near Berwick-upon-Tweed. The small population of just over 160 persons is swelled by the influx of over 650,000 visitors from all over the world every year.
In a delightful woodland setting, these low, grass-covered ruins are the remains of a moated 13th century manor house built by Andrew de Cardinham.
Moated manor houses are found mainly in central and eastern England, but are rare in the south-west. Penhallam is therefore particularly unusual.
The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA) is an artist-led charity which supports artists and promotes engagement with the visual arts through a range of inclusive activities: exhibitions, workshops and demonstrations.
Discover Loughwood, one of the earliest surviving Baptist churches in the country. Founded in secret during a time of great persecution towards non-conformists, this beautiful chapel is set into the hillside and looks out over the rolling east Devon countryside with views of the Axe Valley.
A 21,000-acre mountainous place, acquired in 1951 from the Penrhyn estate, includes the Cwm Idwal Nature Reserve renowned for its arctic alpine plants. There are eight tenant upland farmson this land, 9,000 peaks above 3,000 feet and the famous mountain Tryfan where Edmund Hilary trained for his ascent of Everest.
Welcome to Woburn Abbey which has been the Russell’s family home since the early 17th Century. We hope you will enjoy exploring the beauty and history of The Abbey and its treasures, collected by our ancestors, who were as passionate as we are to share this experience with you.
From a former fort to the holiday home of a wealthy Edwardian bachelor seeking a quiet retreat from London, the idyllic location of Lindisfarne Castle on Holy Island has intrigued and inspired for centuries.
Visitors to Unst and Yell in Shetland are in for a treat – dramatic scenery and abundant wildlife coupled with a tangible and very special sense of remoteness.
The National Trust for Scotland owns pockets of land on both islands and they are easily accessible from mainland Shetland by regular vehicle ferries.
Blithfield offers a range of programmes to support education in schools on the themes of water and the environment.
Encircled by its protective wall, Dunham Massey is a green oasis nestling between the urban sprawl of Manchester and rural tranquillity of Cheshire. While the Georgian hall and Stamford Military Hospital are closed for conservation, the park and gardens are the ideal place to enjoy the crisp clear days of winter.
The Bushcraft Company offer residential school trips with a difference, taking students into the wild and giving them real back-to-nature experiences they will never forget.
A 15-year-old boy fell 60ft over the edge of a cliff whilst on a geography school trip, miraculously only suffering minor injuries.