Back when I had long hair, I studied geographyin Cornwall and spent a few years organising live music and events. It was herethat I experienced diy (do-it-yourself) culture and community and learnt whatwas possible when you combined creativity, action and a group of willing andsupportive people. I soon trained as a geography teacher at Cambridge beforeworking for a company making educational videos for schools. I went on to teachin a variety of schools from all girls to state and even boarding schoolsacross the south of England.Whilst teaching I always sought to explorewider education opportunities, working with charities such as The EqualityTrust, Royal Geographical Society and Geography Association to organise eventsfor young people and teachers. Covid happened and like many people itprompted me to change my circumstances. Life is too short, so I decided I wantedto have an impact beyond a single classroom and support teachers across thecountry. I took up a role engaging young people with ideas of air pollution andactive travel as part of the walking and cycling charity, Sustrans. Soon afterI found myself leading the Ministry of Eco Education, funded by theenvironmentalist Dale Vince. I continue to author innovative curriculum, oftenbased on the premise of taking radical books like Trespass and WhoOwns England? and turning them into dynamic learning journeys for teachersto inspire young people. Although I learned about climate changewhen I was 15, my environmental awareness was really sparked by the ExxonValdez oil spill in 1989. I gained a PhD in environmental geochemistry in 1995and completed post-doctoral research at the Natural History Museum. Afterleaving academia, I worked in IT before discovering, at 40, that my truecalling was teaching. I entered education just as sustainability and climatetopics were being removed from the national curriculum under Michael Gove′sreforms. Seeking greater autonomy, I found my home in middle school education,where meaningful learning could take precedence over exam preparation.A pivotal moment came in 2016 during timeoff following a cancer diagnosis, when I read Article 12 of the Paris Agreementhighlighting the critical importance of climate change education. This inspiredme to integrate the UN Sustainable Development Goals across all my KS2 and KS3science teaching. Alongside taking part in peaceful protest, I became a TeachSDG ambassador and later achieved UN Accredited Climate Change Teacher status.During my time in school my students and I won several awards for our sustainabilityprojects, reinforcing my belief in education′s power to create change.Now focused on climate and nature educationbeyond the classroom, I serve as education lead for TerraLigo, providing STEMoutreach into schools with a focus on nature-based solutions, while alsocontributing as a regional coordinator for the Ministry of Eco Education andthe North East regional lead for the Young Green Briton Challenge. I also writeregularly, occasionally under the pseudonym Melody Bird, on the urgent need foreducational reform and practice what I teach by tending my smallholding, growingfood sustainably, and breaking bread with friends and fellow educators.
