A leading Shropshire outdoor education provider has launched a major series of Eco-Skills courses aimed at boosting people’s knowledge of natural history, biodiversity and environmental arts subjects.
The Field Studies Council, which has been providing environmental education for more than 75 years, will host more than 200 different courses between now and the end of the year covering everything from bats and wildflowers to nature writing and photography.
Courses will run virtually to start with and then from July will take place at FSC properties across the UK with learners able to book day courses, short breaks or even holidays to combine their hobbies and interests with time away from home.
It’s expected that more than 10,000 hobbyists, nature lovers and those with a professional interest in the environment will sign up to the expert-led courses throughout 2021 to broaden their skills and knowledge.
Clare Rooney, FSC’s eco-skills training and learning manager, said: “We are hugely excited to launch our new Eco-Skills programme.
“The coronavirus pandemic has brought people closer to nature and connected them to the world in which they live like never before. People have been spending more time outdoors, they’ve taken up new hobbies and some have even reassessed their jobs and careers, all of which has triggered a growing interest in environmental learning.
“Our new courses aim to support these newly adapted habits and interests by helping people to learn new skills and broaden their knowledge in natural history, biodiversity and environmental art.
“We’ve spent a great deal of time curating a unique list of courses which covers more than 35 different subject areas and we’re confident there is something to suit everyone’s interests, whether it is learning more about trees and plants, marine mammals and wildlife or nature writing and photography.
“Courses offered in each subject area will range from introductory level through to advanced level and each one will be delivered by highly talented, expert FSC associate tutors. We’re also extremely fortunate to have partnered with several expert organisations assuring quality course content which is current and engaging. We aspire to a system of national accreditation for all the courses developed.”
Visit https://www.field-studies-council.org/2021/04/27/spring-online-training-programme/ for details about the courses.
The Field Studies Council, which is based at Montford Bridge near Shrewsbury, has a long and successful track record of delivering environmental training and education to learners of all ages from primary school level through to university postgraduates and beyond.
With the current heightened focus on environmental protection and understanding from businesses, organisations and individuals across the UK, the charity is expecting interest in the new eco-courses to be extremely high.
“Based on previous courses we’ve run and growing interest from our established network of learners, we’re expecting around 10,000 bookings for our eco-skills courses this year which will be fantastic,” added Clare.
CAPTION: Nature photography is just one of the many Eco-Skills encompassed by the new programme.
