Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
FIELD EDUCATION
Around 500 educational groups visit the peninsula every year. To many organisers of field study courses
the important feature of Gower, when compared with many other parts of Britain, is the ease of access
ontosomanyopenareasofland,theextensivenetworkofrightsofwayandtherangeofhabitats.Inorder
to cater for this demand, and to manage the use of sensitive areas, the Gower Field Education Project
was set up in 1975 by the Nature Conservancy Council and West Glamorgan County Council Education
Department. The remit of the Project was to advise and develop resource materials for West Glamorgan
schools using the peninsula's important natural sites so that they were used in a manner and intensity
which avoided damage whilst at the same time meeting the needs of the curriculum and pupils. This in-
volved spreading field use to include 'lower grade' conservation sites, in order to lighten pressures on
'classic' sites. With the assistance of the County Adviser, the Project Teacher (first Greg Nuttgens and
then Bob Burn) and Conservancy staff, teachers prepared resource materials. Schools from outside West
Glamorganvisitingthepeninsulaforfieldstudieswerealsoencouragedtoparticipateandpractisetheob-
jectives oftheProject,andverymanydidso(Fig.171).TheEducationProjectdidnotsurvivetheclosure
of the Oxwich Centre, but advice on the suitability of sites for fieldwork is now available from the Coun-
tryside Council for Wales.
Residential field centres were established by Oxfordshire County Council at Kilvrough and by the
London Borough of Merton at Stouthall. The latter was run as a Centre for Environmental Studies until
1998, when the Borough announced plans to close Stouthall in a cost-cutting measure. The centre was
host to thousands of Merton schoolchildren over the years, providing them with a trip away from home
and the opportunity to experience environmental studies at first hand. In contrast Kilvrough Manor Out-
door Education Centre continues to be run by Oxfordshire County Council. The old school in Parkmill
wasopenedbyGlamorganCountyCouncilin1972asafieldcentreandlasteduntil1984,whenitbecame
a centre for Guides. Rhossili School was also once a local authority centre, but it is now a private outdoor
pursuits centre, although some field studies take place. Of the centres funded by the local authority, only
Borva House in Port-Eynon survives, and this is used mainly by local primary schools.
