ONE of the UK’s largest environmental education charities the Field Studies Centre (FSC), which hosts school residential trips and other courses on the edge of the Exmoor National Park at Nettlecombe Court, near Williton, is marking its 80th anniversary this year.

To mark the occasion, FSC has published its latest impact report which highlights welcoming nearly 120,000 schoolchildren to its sites nationally during 2022 and connecting hundreds of thousands more young people to nature through its projects, online education resources, and scholarships.

The FSC was created in 1943 with a vision to connect people with the great outdoors.

Chief executive Mark Castle said: “Our founders had an amazing vision which centred on the need for the UK to have dedicated places where people could study nature and the environment.

“That they also had the tenacity and determination to get the Field Studies Council up and running during the difficulties and privations of World War II is truly remarkable.

“What was relevant then is just as relevant now, a world emerging from a crisis but knowing that opportunities for everyone to study in and about the natural world are essential. 

Nettlecombe Court Field Studies Council nature education 80th anniversary
Youngsters immersed in nature with the Field Studies Council. (FSC)

“There is not a lesson in the school day that cannot be enriched by connecting to nature, or a subject in the curriculum that cannot be enhanced by outdoor learning.

“Independent evaluation and powerful stories tell us again and again how valuable and valued the experiences we offer are for learning and improved wellbeing.

“We want to create not just happy students, but students who are equipped to fight for nature.”

The charity’s latest impact report was published this month and also showed more than 13,000 adults trained in applied biodiversity skills online and in person at FSC centres and 22 partner locations last year.

More than 142,000 wildlife guides were used by volunteer recorders, families and professionals, and the free resources pages for students and teachers on the Field Studies Council website were visited more than 500,000 times in 2022.

Mr Castle said: “Knowledge and understanding of the natural world is more important now than ever before, and we will work tirelessly to make sure that we continue to be a leading player in environmental education and policy.

“We will continue to make our voice heard as we strive to make sure everyone, regardless of background or personal circumstances, can improve their skills and wellbeing through being outdoors.”

Field Studies Council Nettlecombe Court Exmoor Scott Wycherley
Scott Wycherley, Field Studies Council education manager. (FSC)

The FSC has a number of events and projects planned to mark its 80th anniversary, including planting 80 trees at its centres to highlight net zero carbon goals and nature recovery.

It is also further developing its Young Darwin Scholarship, which brings together young people with a passion for the natural world who need support and friends to follow their dream.

Mr Castle said: “I am delighted that we will be awarding another 80 Young Darwin Scholarships to mark the 80th anniversary.

“All of our scholars so far have left the course with more understanding of what environmental career pathways they could follow, while being able to enjoy learning surrounded by like-minded people.

“This year, we have grown and diversified our Young Darwin community by focusing on new locations, neuro-diversity, and ethnicity, and we are grateful to our generous donors who have allowed us to make the opportunity available to scholars who would not otherwise have been able to afford the course.”

More information about the Field Studies Council and the learning and leisure opportunities it offers is available via its website at www.field-studies-council.org.