Yorkshire schools in green challenge at the University of York
Posted on 21 March 2006
Yorkshire schools have been invited to devise a strategy for reviving a piece of degraded land such as overgrown woodland, a derelict plot or an abandoned garden.Students with the most enterprising and practical proposals are taking part in the Wild Species and Wild Spaces: Earthwatch York Student Debate at the University of York, with five rival schools competing for a £150 action grant, to be used to kick start a local conservation project.
Wild Species and Wild Spaces offered students and teachers a practical and interesting opportunity to develop their environmental understanding, as well as the chance to prepare for, and take part in, a public debate. All proposals were assessed by experts from Earthwatch and the University of York Environment Department, and the winning students will promote their project to an audience of members of the public, who will be asked to vote for the winner.
Nigel Winser, Earthwatch Chief Executive, said: "This competition is a fantastic opportunity for schools to get involved with a leading environmental NGO. Earthwatch is dedicated to educating more people about environmental issues and this begins at home. Students and teachers of Yorkshire have risen to the challenge."
Professor Dave Raffaelli, Head of the Environment Department at the University of York added: "We only have one planet and its resources are finite. Here at York our mission is to train the new generation of students who will be the stewards of our environmental future."
The debate will take place on Friday 24 March between 1pm to 3pm. Schools involved will receive Debate Advice Pack and students from the University of York will be on hand to mentor the finalists. For more information about Earthwatch visit www.earthwatch.org/europe.
For press information, images and interviews please contact Emily May, Press Officer, 01865 318852 / emay@earthwatch.org.uk
Notes to editors:
- Earthwatch Institute (Europe) is an international environmental organisation whose mission is to engage people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment.
- Earthwatch Institute (Europe) is the European affiliate of Earthwatch Institute, which is based in the USA and founded in Boston in 1971. Other affiliate offices in the Earthwatch Institute network are based in Australia and Japan.
- Earthwatch currently supports over 140 environmental research projects in 50 countries by providing funds and paying volunteers who work alongside leading field scientists and researchers. Earthwatch projects are divided into six primary research areas, endangered habitats, threatened species, climate change, human / wildlife conflict, sustainable resource management and earth science and cultural evolution.
- Since 1971 the worldwide organisation has recruited over 80,000 volunteers in support of 2,800 field research projects in 118 countries. These volunteers have contributed over 10 million hours to essential field work.
- Costs to join a project range from £200 to £1900 and projects last from three to eighteen days. The price paid is a charitable donation, which funds the research work. Accommodation and food is included in most cases, but flights are extra.
- Website: www.earthwatch.org
- The Environment Department at the University of York was founded in 1992, initially to integrate ecological and environmental sciences with environmental economics. The aim was to improve understanding of environmental problems, and how to solve them, through the consideration of both the human dimension and the underpinning science. Its objective is to develop sustainable solutions to environmental problems that are consistent with human aspirations and with global, regional and local institutions and markets.