Cat Hickey - Community & Learning Manager, ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) fully supports the introduction of a Natural History GCSE, which will deepen student understanding of the natural world, giving students the skills, knowledge and experience needed to reverse the current decline of biodiversity.
At ZSL, our work is centred on protecting nature through research, on the ground conservation and engagement with people and communities. Nature-based solutions are defined as actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems, that address societal challenges while simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits. Well-implemented and sustainably scaled, these solutions are a low risk, low cost, low maintenance answer to the existential threats we face. Deployed in the wrong place and in the wrong way, they become a menace to biodiversity, local communities and human rights.
There is a disconnect between many people and the natural world, a disconnect to seeing us, as humans, as part of the ecosystem and how us being an integral part of the natural world is impacting on it. We support this GCSE because it is not just for those interested in a career in conservation. But in the acknowledgement that for the decline in biodiversity to be addressed, for us to turn the tide on the climate change crisis, a connection with the natural world is needed by everyone.
ZSL London and Whipsnade Zoos provide opportunities for students and our local communities through our Education Access Scheme, Community Access Scheme and School programmes to experience nature first hand. To get up close to animals and begin to develop experience, knowledge and skills in caring for life everywhere. Our programmes are linked to the national curriculum, but we are promoting through our teacher training programmes, that teachers need support to integrate climate change, sustainability, and biodiversity across all curriculum areas.
With our involvement in the COP26 Climate Coalition teacher resources available through Twinkl , we developed a supporting teacher training programme. This programme has now further developed to support teachers integrating key issues around the health of the natural world into their lesson plans. The focus of this training is to empower teachers by giving them the experience, knowledge, and skills to teach in nature, to teach about nature and to support their students take action for nature.
Our work increases confidence in young people in accessing nature, decreasing social anxiety and supports pathways into a career in conservation. This new GCSE is a fantastic opportunity for students to learn in the natural world, develop skills to take action for the natural world and understand their pivotal role in safeguarding this world.
An understanding of the natural world and the ecosystems within which we rely on, which will be gained through this new GCSE, is an opportunity for students to understand how different impacts, how the breakdown in biodiversity, climate and social systems are all inter-connected. ZSL’s recent global studies illustrate that un-sustainable practices not only impact biodiversity but the livelihoods of those directly impacted by the decline of species. But this research shows that sustainable management of ecosystems has a dual benefits – for people and wildlife. How we rely on the our natural world for food, medicine, livelihoods as well as our mental health.
We see this GCSE as a pathway into understanding how sustainability, climate change and biodiversity are linked and how they are also the starting point for the solutions. Deepening students’ engagement with nature, by learning in and about nature, will allow for students to be equipped to tackle this at every level.
Cat Hickey - Community & Learning Manager, ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
Cat has an MSc Biodiversity and Conservation and BSc Genetics. She has worked in informal education in zoos for over ten years both in Ireland and the UK. She also spent a year as a research scientist working in Madagascar, collecting data on ring-tailed lemurs. Cat oversees the Community & Learning team at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo.
Cat is committed to ensuring that students from all backgrounds have the knowledge, opportunities and skills to develop connections to nature. Through the pathways programmes, she is keen for students under-represented in conservation to engage with the natural world and be empowered to act for wildlife and develop careers in conservation. The partnership work is focused on delivering teacher training, ensuring teachers have the confidence to be able to teach in and about nature.
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