Field Studies Council

Field Studies Council, FSC, is an environmental education charity providing informative and enjoyable opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to discover, explore, and understand the environment. 

FSC is an independent charity receiving no statutory funding and we therefore rely on fees paid by our visitors and on the generosity of donors, trust funds and grant bodies to finance our activities.

What We Believe

FSC believes that the more we understand about and take inspiration from the world around us the more we can appreciate its needs and protect its diversity and beauty for future generations. 

In all we do, we are committed to:

• Delivering first hand experiences. FSC uses the environment to inspire. Taking in its sights, sounds and smells has the ability to motivate, deepen knowledge and broaden horizons.
• Providing opportunities for everyone. FSC strives to provide opportunities for everyone regardless of age, ability or background. Some of our proudest moments have arrived when trying to help those that would not otherwise benefit from an FSC experience.
• Sustainability for the future. A commitment to the environment is at the heart of everything FSC does: how we run the charity, what people learn on our courses and through our publications.
• A caring attitude.  From the way we treat our customers, our staff, the environments we work in and the feel of our locations, FSC demonstrates a personal approach with great care taken in everything we do.

What We Do

Each year over 140,000 people experience FSC, many through our UK wide network of locations.

• Learning outside the classroom experiences with their school, college or university.
• Professional training courses for environmental professionals and teachers.
• Natural history courses.
• Identification guides and free resources.
• Funded projects both in the UK and abroad.
• Art courses.
• Family holidays.
• Campaigns for the right to outdoor learning and fieldwork

The FSC run hundreds of courses for all ages and abilities, year round at our 17 locations across the UK. We also run professional development courses for staff and publish resources and publications, including for new GCSE course specifications.

Encouraging Learning

The FSC is aware of the importance of the right setting and right atmosphere to encourage learning. All Centres have been selected with great care over our 70 year history. Each is a delightful place in a rich and varied part of the country. As well as the formal work that is undertaken on courses, we aim to give visitors, teachers and students an enjoyable experience. Working out of doors in a range of environments, from natural, through intensively managed to built-up, has many educational benefits.

Many FSC Centres are historic buildings that have been a focus in the development of the landscape and environment in their immediate neighbourhood. The original buildings have been adapted and extended so that they have the full range of accommodation and services that visitors need.

14 of the 17 FSC Centres offer residential accommodation for between 70 and 130+ students. All residential centres also offer day courses. The remaining 3 Centres offer day courses for up to 120 students.

Centre Facilities

Each residential Centre has comfortable accommodation mostly in a mixture of twin and shared bedrooms or small dormitories. Nearly all rooms have wash basins, and toilet and shower facilities close by. All Centres have: a dining-room serving plenty of good food with vegetarian and other dietary options available; a drying room; a library with a wide range of environmental journals and other publications; computers for the analysis and presentation of data; a shop; and places for relaxation and recreation both in and out of doors. Above all, there are always friendly, trained staff on hand to deal with queries and ensure that everyone is well looked after, 24 hours a day.

Fieldwork Facilities

Fieldwork equipment is an integral part of each course and FSC Centres (residential and day) provide a full range of equipment and field sites not often available in schools. All Centres have a number of well-equipped laboratories and workrooms. Long-term data sets such as permanent plot records, aerial photographs, water quality and meteorological data are held by many Centres. Each field course is supported by a number of worksheets, information sheets and other documentation. Special clothing, where required, can be supplied at a reasonable extra charge.

Value for Money

FSC course fees include full board accommodation, tuition, the use of all fieldwork equipment, use of the library, laboratory and other facilities, plus pastoral care. Taking all this into account, an FSC experience offers great value for money!