Well, it is
the end of an era for me this month. In March 2009, FSC Preston Montford
recruited me as a Tutor to teach geography and biology. I spent the next 9.92
years learning about the power of curiosity, asking questions and using good
quality data to inform environmental decisions. My personal growth is largely
thanks to the boundless enthusiasm and diversity of the FSC community,
students, staff and volunteers, of all whom generously shared their philosophy,
values, knowledge and skills with me. If you are needing inspiration, then you
can’t go far wrong spending some time at FSC Preston Montford.
My time started with a job interviewer who
handed me a white tray and asked me to talk about the “exhibit” within it. Was
it a conglomerate? No, a random piece of road rubble, that I was asked to be
curious about. And that set the tone for my journey into fieldwork teaching. I
have found myself in many random and curious places since: Enjoying the
midnight sun in Finland with other European educators exchanging ideas; asking
students to talk to the rocks up in the stunning Stiperstones; marveling at
cross sections of mosses through a microscope; releasing a blue tit after
seeing how it was ringed; capturing the solar eclipse in a colander with
Bilborough College on the fire assembly lawn; acting out the story of the rock
giant Tryfan (with voices!); sniffing otter poo on the river bank declaring
that it does smell like jasmine tea! It has been a many and varied set of
experiences. Even the estimated 400 journeys along Carding Mill Valley I hear
you and countless GCSE students ask me? Well, the seasons are always
different, student reactions are different, the river is different – no flow, flood
flow, frozen!Amongst the random and routine moments, I have learnt some amazing skills that will stay with me forever. I have learnt to use identification keys and now volunteer for the National Plant Monitoring Survey. I have so many bio-recording apps on my phone and have turned my appreciation for the great outdoors into a scientific pursuit. First Brimstone recorded yesterday! It feels good to know that the data is being used to help environmental decision makers. The FSC also trained me as a Mountain Leader, a remote first aider, a safety manager and a team leader, which helped me to become a better Senior Tutor and then Education Team Leader.
All these
skills and experiences will serve me well as I move on to Project Manage a
heritage and conservation project at Lake Vyrnwy for the local community, RSPB
and Hafren Dyfrdwy. It will be an interesting challenge to use the understanding
from my teaching on habitat monitoring, place rebranding, carbon and water
systems and my leadership skills to bring long term environmental, economic and
social sustainability to this unique and special place.
And I go
knowing this bunch of “outstanding” educators will be there for you, to continue
to encourage you to be curious, look again, look more deeply and ask great
questions.
By Angela Munn, Education Team Leader
