NAEE UK has, for over fifty years, provided support for educators and education professionals to supply and deliver all aspects of environmental education across all levels of the curriculum.

NAEE (UK) is a voluntary organisation, with no state funding, run by experienced teachers from a wide variety of educational institutions. We use funds raised from subscriptions and donations to promote the teaching of environmental education across the curriculum as well as education for sustainable development.

NAEE UK is linked to key players in the field of sustainable education here in the UK, as well as USA, NZ, China. We also link with other smaller charities around the world.

NAEE is going through some exciting changes: a new president, Professor William Scott; new Vice-Presidents, Mick Waters and Anne Kenrick; and our upcoming new website.

NAEE NEWS:

• In December 2011, a report was presented to the DfE: The Framework for the National Curriculum: A report by the Expert Panel for the National Curriculum review (www.education.gov.uk/publications).  
  One of the main aims suggested for the school curriculum was to promote understanding of sustainability in the stewardship of resources locally, nationally and globally [Aim 5]. We would like as many people as possible to write to their MPs to endorse this view.

  To find the address of your MP, go to: http://findyourmp.parliament.uk/

  Click here to download our letter, which you can send to your local MP.

• We're looking for articles, book reviews and website reviews for the next edition of our journal. To celebrate 100 editions, this will be produced as a paper copy. EE100 will focus on 'the state of environmental education' in the UK, plus supporters and partners around the world. We aim to cover including all sectors – the Early Years Foundation Stage, Primary, Secondary, Higher Education, Further Education, Continuing Education, Special Educational Needs as well as community and youth groups. Please contact us if you are interested.
• UK Students can get free membership of NAEE. All we need is a copy of your student card or an official letter from the university. Download a membership form here.
• One of our partner organisations, Nature Club of Pakistan, is looking for British secondary schools to link with for conducting collaborated research projects in weather, botany and art. If you are interested, please email NAEE for their contact details.
• NAEE will soon be launching an exciting new fund to enable schools to visit outdoor environmental education centres (initially Birmingham only). Watch this space!
• Click here to read our President, Professor Bill Scott's thoughts on the Expert Panel’s recommendations to government about revisions to the English national curriculum; in particular those aspects of the review document that relate to sustainability. Bill's full blog can be viewed here. To read the panel's report, visit the DfE website.
• NAEE's latest e-journal Environmental Education 98 has now been emailed to all members. To become a member and to access the e-journal, please visit the membership page.
• Professor Joy Palmer-Cooper, one of NAEE's Vice Presidents, is a keynote speaker at the International Conference on Environmental Education and Sustainability: Challenges and Best Practices. It is organised by the University of South Africa and takes place on 16-20 April 2012. Click here for more information.

OTHER NEWS:

• Worrying news...The Guardian Online (02/02/12) highlighted the news that the biological identification courses run by Birmingham University are threatened with closure. These courses, closely linked with the work of the Field Studies Council, have been a mainstay for developing the taxonomic and systematic science skills for the hundreds of ecologists who work for the UK's environment sector. Last year in their review of skills needs for the future the Institute of Environmental and Ecological Management (IEEM) identified these skills as crucial to delivering the biodiversity and environmental targets being set at international and national levels. This threat to the provision of training and development comes at a very difficult time, just as the new Government White Paper on the Environment and the England Biodiversity Strategy are beginning to be implemented.
• 12th - 18th March 2012 is Climate Week.  Click here for more information.
• 12-18 Mar Climate Week Challenge.  Registrations are now open for the Climate Week Challenge, a national competition for teams of four to six from any school or organisation. The exact challenge is kept secret until the 12th March but the Climate Week website has lots of other useful information and resources related to climate change. Click here for more information.

• 'Green Geography Matters!' a one-day conference and campus tour at Harper Adams University College, Shropshire on 23rd March 2012. For secondary geography teachers on the themes of renewable energy, food security and sustainable land use. Click here for more information.

• 'Thinking Beyond the Classroom'. An on-line CPD resource exploring ways to teach science and maths outdoors. It includes details of ten activities for KS3 students, and guidance for teachers on managing lessons outside the classroom. Click here for more information.
• Two new resources from Education Scotland: ‘Outdoor Learning: Practical guidance, ideas and support for teachers and practitioners in Scotland’ and 'Building your Curriculum: Outside and In'.
• TeachShare - links to free sustainable schools resources online. Supporting Education for Sustainable Development covering subjects including energy efficiency in schools, recycling, funding for schools, green school projects, carbon reduction commitment in schools, Carbon Reduction Commitment, information about integrating sustainability, Ofsted inspections on ESD, the Sustainable Schools self evaluation form S3, Green Schools Revolution, Healthy Schools programme and Department for Education sustainable schools strategies. www.teachshare.org.uk.
• Click here for details of forthcoming natural history courses run by FSC (the Field Studies Council).
• Creative STAR Learning Company is a social enterprise based in Scotland. Any profit is reinvested into getting children outside and supporting people, groups and organisations to do this. Visit their website for information about their resources and courses.
• RHS and Growing Schools CPD events. Click here for course dates and more information.
• Food and Farming Awareness days.   Free workshops for teachers and teachers’ assistants exploring the educational value of farm visits, organised by FACE and Harper Adams University College at a variety of venues. Click here for more information.

• Rio+20, United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 20-22 2012.  The Conference will mark the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), in Rio de Janeiro, and the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg.