What does it mean to be connected to the Earth? With the biodiversity and climate crises escalating, this is an opportunity to hear Katharine Burke in conversation with Meryl Batchelder about her inspiring work with school students. This work has beencaptured in Katharine’s timely and important book, Earthwards: Transformative Ecological Education, which has been described as ‘a gamechanger’.
The discussion between Katharine and Meryl will cover the power and practice of building a relationship with nature which fosters creative thinking, helps to alleviate feelings of grief or loss, and builds a culture of care. With plenty of examples from lived experience working with students and teachers, they will present the tangible impacts of a curriculum that integrates nature with children’s learning.
As Earth's life support systems become increasingly fragile, now is the ideal time to embrace a change in educationfor both the wellbeing of our children and the planet we call home.
Speakers
Katharine Burke, M.Ed has been an educator for over 45 yearsand has taught primary, secondary and college level students. The past 22 years she worked in International Baccalaureate schools where she was first a primary years classroom teacher and curriculum coordinator, and then a secondary schoolteacher of Geography and Humanities.
Dr Meryl Batchelder gained 15 years of experience as a secondary science teacher before leaving the chalkface to focus on developing climate and sustainability initiatives in education. She is a regional coordinator for the Ministry of Eco Education and a Climate Ambassador with STEM Learning. Meryl is also a writer and blogger and lives as sustainably as possible on a smallholding in Northumberland.