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Ten years after its first publication, the new State of Nature Wales 2023 report reveals the devastating scale of nature loss across the country and the risk of extinction for many species.
18% (one in six) of our species is at risk of extinction, including plants and animals such as the Fen orchid, water vole and sand lizard. The abundance of land and freshwater species has on average fallen by 20% across Wales since 1994. Of almost 3,900 species assessed, more than 2% are already extinct in Wales.
Continued pressures on wildlife mean that Wales is now one of the most nature depleted countries on Earth.
Wales has committed to ambitious targets to turn around the loss of nature. While there is some progress, the response is still far from what is needed to deal with the scale and pace of the crisis. But action for nature can make a difference with success stories for some bat species, terns and some butterflies. Check out the full report here.
Support your learners to find a greener way to live and re-imagine how we use our natural resources to help tackle the climate and nature emergencies we face. Coming soon – New ‘developing your site for learning, health and nature’ resources. In the meantime, check out our Climate Change Emergency - There is no Planet B! resources.
Photo - Mandy Cartwright, ARC Trust
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With an environmental crime having been committed, educators take on the role of trainee NRW Environment Officers and take part in a day of cross-curricular learning, hands on activities and challenges in an outdoor setting.
Outcomes
Those who complete the training will be able to use it with their learners to:
- Put the Curriculum for Wales into action through the ‘Mantle of the expert’ pedagogical approach.
- Complete cross-curricular outdoor learning activities and challenges which incorporate the 6 Areas of Learning and Experience.
- Investigate a ‘crime’, gather evidence, and build a case to take the 'offender' to court.
Feedback from teachers on a previous Enviro CSI course:
- “Presented extremely well. Light-hearted and great to do the activities to do with the children in a fun way e.g., solve the crime!”
- “Excellent day thoroughly enjoyed the mantle. Will share this idea and encourage others to use this approach.”
- “Superb learning opportunity for teachers. Inspirational. Thank you.”
Educators from state funded schools or colleges can claim a £165 STEM Learning bursary towards supply costs.
Available dates and locations
- 11.23 - Llyn Llech Owain Park, Gorslas, Carmarthenshire (E) Book
- 11.23 - Llyn Llech Owain Park, Gorslas, Carmarthenshire (W) Book
- 11.23 - Scolton Manor, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire (E) Book
- 11.23 - Scolton Manor, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire (W) Book
More dates and locations coming soon in 2024!
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 Using tools with your group can sometimes appear daunting and even dangerous but with careful supervision and clear explanation, valuable life skills can be learnt. Our new resource cards aim to support the consistent teaching of safe tool handling and use, for gardening and working with wood. Simply use the acronym 'NACHPPUFM' to help your learners get to grips with the uses and safe handling of different tools.
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Growing your own fruit and vegetables is very rewarding but exactly how cost-effective is it for your settings’ finances? Foundation Phase pupils from Ysgol Bro Banw, Ammanford set about finding out exactly how much they could save by growing their own fresh produce. We spoke to Victoria Thomas, a Year 2 teacher from the school to find out how the project came about.
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In pre-Christian times, bringing in the harvest marked the last of the main agricultural tasks for the year and signified the end of summer and the onset of winter. Samhain, a Celtic harvest festival was a multi-day celebration to mark the beginning of winter and the end of the old Celtic year. From the 9th Century, this became bound up with the Christian festivals of ‘All Saints’ (1st November) and ‘All Souls Day’ (2nd November), after the Church moved these from the spring to the autumn. The evening before (31st October) was known as ‘All Hallows Eve’ and later ‘Halloween’. It is from this time that ‘Calan Gaeaf’ emerged in Wales. A time to thank seasonal farm workers and neighbours for their help. A feast would be held and ‘stwmp naw rhyw’ served, a mash of nine different root vegetables with milk, butter, salt and pepper. It was also the time to decide which animals to keep through the winter, and which ought to be slaughtered or sold before the winter months set in.
Bobbing for apples, now a Halloween staple game was originally a way for young lovers to capitalise on the apple harvest and court one another. Each apple represented a special someone and if the bobber, typically female, successfully bit into the apple with the name of a love interest in one go, then fortune favoured the lucky couple and fate gave them the go-ahead. Another fortune telling method was to peel an apple without breaking the skin and throw it over one’s shoulder. The letter created would indicate the initial of a person’s future partner.
Strange things were said to occur on nos Calan Gaeaf or All-Hallows Eve. Spirits were thought to roam freely and it was believed that the ghosts of the dead could be seen at midnight. Gathered around bonfires, people would dance and share stories such as the ‘Hwch Ddu’ (Black Sow) and the ‘Ladi wen’ (the White Lady). Faces would be carved into turnips to ward off ghosts. Attendees at gatherings would scratch their name onto a stone and cast it into the fire. If any stone was missing when the fire went out, the folklore reckoned that the person would die within the year. What do your learners think of these traditions? Why not get them cooking up a ‘stwmp naw rhyw’ or researching into how Halloween has been historically celebrated in Wales.
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Want to plant trees with your learners? In Wales, the planting season is generally considered to run from October to April. Our activity plan explains everything you need to know - when and where to plant, and how to protect and look after your new trees.
Are you looking to maximise the learning and experience opportunities that a small orchard can provide? If you find the idea of cultivating an orchard with your learner’s 'apple-ing' our ‘Plan, develop, use, and maintain an orchard for learning’ resources are 'juiced' the ticket.
To receive free trees for your setting, contact the Woodland Trust or sign up to get involved in the National Forest for Wales.
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Play Wales have released a new online film - This is why play is so important. Featuring children across Wales, it celebrates play and highlights its importance for every child. The short film has a strong focus on children and teenagers’ voices – they tell us what play means to them and the film portrays why play is vital to children’s development, health, well-being and happiness. Narrated by actor Matthew Rhys, the documentary was filmed over two years across Wales and captures play in all its different guises. Play Wales commissioned the film to highlight to adults working with children and families – as well as parents and carers – the importance of play in children’s lives and how we can all support it.
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You and your setting are invited to participate in the first annual Water Night, organised by Waterwise, the UK’s leading independent voice on water efficiency. Water is the most essential of Wales’ natural resources. We need to balance the water needs of the environment, society and the economy, both now and in the future. We face a number of challenges which will have an impact on our water resources and the ways we manage them. These include population growth, an increased demand for water and climate change.
The Water Night campaign originated in Australia four years ago and for the first time, it’s going international! Water Night, a collective event dedicated to water awareness, will take place from 5pm -10pm on October 19th 2023. Will you and your learners switch off all your non-essential taps to meet the challenge and become ‘Water-legends’? Water Night is completely free and easy to participate in: the only ‘rule’ is to keep the taps off for the night! How many litres can you and your learners save?
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On the 28th September, Pembrokeshire Outdoor Schools (PODS) invited learners from 10 Pembrokeshire schools to celebrate progress made with their outdoor learning during the past year. The celebration event was held at Scolton Manor, Haverfordwest and the Minister for Education and Welsh Language Jeremy Miles, presented pupils from:
- Tavernspite School
- Templeton School
- Ysgol Puncheston
- Hook School
- Pennar School
- St Teilos Church in Wales School
- Ysgol Penrhyn Church in Wales
- Cosheston School
- Coastlands School
- Broad Haven School
with the Pembrokeshire Outdoor School award and a wooden toadstool to mark their contribution to learning in and about nature and the natural environment. Also present were representatives from PODS partners - Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Darwin Centre, Tir Coed, Pembrokeshire County Council, the CEO and Chair of Pembrokeshire National Park and an Education Advisor from Natural Resources Wales.
Pembrokeshire Outdoor Schools (PODS) Coordinator, Bryony Rees said “none of this would be possible without the hard work of the headteachers, teachers and support staff of the schools. Big thanks to our wonderful partners who support the schools all year round with outdoor learning and climate education. The learners who were present at the celebration took part in a range of activities and despite the grey skies there was a great deal of enjoyment and fun learning to be had throughout the day.” To learn more about what the Pembrokeshire Outdoor Schools are up to this term then check out their website or give them a follow over on Facebook or Twitter.
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Although the State of Nature 2023 report reveals devastating decline, conservation efforts are making a real difference for some species.
The results of the Big Butterfly Count 2023 reveal that more butterflies were seen this year than in the previous four summers. In total, over 1.5 million butterflies and day-flying moths were recorded from 14 July - 6 August. After an all-time low in 2022 of just nine individual butterflies spotted per Count, this year saw an increase to 12 butterflies recorded on average per Count. There had been fears that last summer’s drought could have caused mass deaths among many caterpillars as their food plants shrivelled and died, leading to declines in adult butterflies this year but a cooler spring and summer this year has helped as there has been food plants available for caterpillars, and nectar-rich flowers for adult butterflies and moths. In Wales, the top 3 butterflies recorded were Meadow Brown, Large White and Gatekeeper, with Red Admiral in 4th spot.
Find out what you can do at your setting to help butterflies and moths and wildlife here.
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 Would you like regular outdoor learning updates and news? Why not follow the Outdoor Learning Wales Twitter account or join the closed Facebook Group which both offer a platform to keep up to date, spread the word of ongoing projects and facilitate discussions with anyone with an interest in outdoor learning and environmental education in Wales.
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