Eco Literacy

Nature Wise for Community Groups

Nature Wise

Eco Literacy for Community Groups

Learn about the links between human activity and ecosystem disruption and develop the knowledge to enable you and your organisation to take action for nature recovery.

Nature Wise is a science-based, action-focused course to help participants understand the relationships between people and natural systems. It shares knowledge, builds understanding and provide the tools to motivate and catalyse action. 

Learning Outcomes

During the course you will learn about:

  • How ecosystems and species function, and the relationships between them
  • About the essential role nature plays in providing us with services and materials
  • How the natural world is changing and the threats it faces, what protections are in place, and how you can use these to influence decision-makers
  • What you can do to protect and restore nature – either on your own or as part of a group
  • How to motivate and inspire others to act

Who is this Course for?

Individuals will learn about the links between human activity and ecosystem disruption and develop the knowledge to enable action for nature recovery.

This course is available to any member of a voluntary organisation or community group in Wales (staff and volunteers). We are particularly keen to hear from non-environmental organisations.

Planning for a Successful Learning Experience

You will need access to computer with the internet to attend and participate in the online facilitated sessions.

This is an interactive course where you will be encouraged to participate verbally or in the chat messaging box.

The course includes two virtual sessions with your course-tutor(s) and fellow students. These sessions are essential to achieving your certification as well as providing a valuable opportunity to reflect on your learning and explore each topic in more depth.

To participate in the online facilitated sessions you will need access to a computer or tablet with a mic and camera as well as access to Zoom video conferencing.

Checklist

  • Access to a computer with a mic (camera preferable)
  • Access to Zoom or Teams
  • Availability to attend and participate in both virtual lessons

Course

Tuesday

Thursday

Course 1

12th & 14th October

Session 1

10am - 12pm

Session 2

10am - 12:30pm

Course 2

2nd & 4th November

Session 1

4 - 6pm

Session 2

4 - 6:30pm

Course 3

7th & 9th December

Session 1

10am - 12pm

Session 2

10am - 12:30pm

Coop-foundation-logo

The Coop Foundation

Thanks to funding from the Coop Foundation, these courses are available to any member of a voluntary organisation or community group in Wales. 

About Cynnal Cymru

Cynnal Cymru – Sustain Wales is the leading organisation for Sustainable Development in Wales.

Cynnal Cymru is the official partner in Wales for the award-winning Carbon Literacy Project. 

In April 2020, Cynnal Cymru was further recognised as a Carbon Literacy Training Organisation – the first in Wales.

www.cynnalcymru.com

You can explore the course below, and see what content is featured.

The course

Duration

Two sessions
4.5 hours total

Facilitated Sessions

Tuesday
Thursday

Self Directed Learning

Optional
additional learning

Certification

Subject to completion
of the course

Free courses to help community groups act on the nature crisis!

Nabod Natur – Nature Wise is an online training programme which teaches you about how the natural environment works, the threats it faces, and how we can all help nature thrive.

As part of the course we will help you to develop an action plan, using your knowledge for the benefit of wildlife and habitats in your local area and beyond.

During the course you will learn about:

  • How ecosystems and species function, and the relationships between them
  • About the essential role nature plays in providing us with services and materials
  • How the natural world is changing and the threats it faces, what protections are in place, and how you can use these to influence decision-makers
  • What you can do to protect and restore nature – either on your own or as part of a group
  • How to motivate and inspire others to act

The course is interactive. Attendees will work in small groups and also take part in group discussions to explore course topics.

Who should apply?

Thanks to funding from the Coop Foundation, these courses are available to any member of a voluntary organisation or community group in Wales (staff and volunteers). We are particularly keen to hear from non-environmental organisations.

Coop Foundation logo

Course Dates

We currently have five open courses for individuals from any organisation – and if more than six people from a group want to join then we can also discuss holding a separate course at a time to suit you.

Course Session 1 – Tuesday (2 hours) Session 2 – Thursday (2.5 hours)
1 12 October 10am – 12pm 14 October 10am – 12:30pm
2 02 November 4 – 6pm 04 November 4 – 6:30pm
3 07 December 10am – 12pm 09 December 10am – 12:30pm
4 11 January 4 – 6pm 13 January 4 – 6:30pm
5 01 February 10am – 12pm 03 February 10am – 12:30pm

Course Commitment (4.5 hours)

Learners will need to attend two online group sessions and complete an action plan.

On successful completion of your action plan you will be awarded a certificate.

Please note: you must attend both sessions to complete the course.

How do I book?

You can register your interest by emailing training@cynnalcymru.com

We will then send you a link to the booking system so that you can register the names of the individuals who would like to take part.

Places are limited, so we are aiming to allocate places as fairly as possible.

FAQs

What do I need to participate?

You will need access to computer with internet access to attend and participate in the online facilitated sessions.

We recommend a computer or tablet as you will be shown course materials containing images, slides and videos.

The online sessions will take part on Zoom or Teams. In the sessions you will need access to a microphone and .

Will there be more courses?

There will be more courses during 2022. We will also trial different times depending on feedback. If you would prefer a course at a different time please let us know.

Can you run a course just for my group?

Yes, if you have six or more people that would like to attend, we will try to offer bespoke sessions at times that suit you.

Is the course available in Welsh?

We hope to be able to offer the course in Welsh in 2022.

Where can I learn more?

For more details on our Nature Wise courses, visit the Cynnal Cymru training platform.

Wales Nature Week is coming! 29 May – 6 June 2021

One of the key messages emerging from lockdown has been a heightened awareness – or perhaps renewed appreciation – of the importance and benefits of nature. Gardens, parks, walks along open spaces, even balconies to experience bird song or rooms with a view of woodland or hedgerows have all been embraced, with growing recognition that these are not just nice-to-have backdrops but something fundamental to our well-being – anchors in daily life that restore and revive us.

If this rings true for you, and you have also found nature to be a soothing and restorative presence, then there is an opportunity to repay some of this natural bounty, and even help it spread, through Wales Nature Week, starting at the end of May.

Wales Nature Week is an annual celebration of the often overlooked but nonetheless incredible habitats and species of Wales. Temperate rainforests, globally significant seabird populations, insects and spiders found nowhere else in the world – these are all on our doorstep, alongside species recently re-introduced or coming back from the brink such as beavers, pine martens and red squirrels.

Through its virtual programme, which includes a participative Garden BioBlitz, Wales Nature Week shines a light each day on different habitat types and the species they support. There will also be helpful tips and support from a community of experts for anyone curious to learn more, particularly about how we as individuals can give back to nature in our homes or workplaces.

As the amount of land left to wilderness and wildlife shrinks, our collective potential contribution to nature recovery, as citizens, homeowners and inhabitants of work premises, becomes increasingly important. We explore this, and other contributions that individuals and organisations can make to nature restoration, in our new training course, Nature Wise – Nabod Natur, which we will launch on World Environment Day on 5 June.

If you want to learn more about the links between human activity and ecosystem disruption and develop the knowledge to enable you and your organisation to take action for nature recovery, then we hope that this will be the course for you. Please get in touch if you’d like to know more.

In the meantime however, for more insights into how anyone can take practical actions to help nature thrive, take a look at the Environmental Volunteering resource on our site and remember to sit back, recharge, re-energise and give back through logging in to Wales Nature Week.

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