Field Studies Council
{{Short description|Educational charity based in the UK}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Field Studies Council
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| formation = {{start date and age|1943}}
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| founding_location = Natural History Museum, London, England
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| registration_id = 313364
| status = Charity
| purpose = First Hand experience in the Outdoors
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| headquarters = Shrewsbury, England
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| website = {{URL|https://www.field-studies-council.org/}}
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File:Juniper hall.jpg Field Studies centre in Surrey, operated by the Field Studies Council]]
Field Studies Council is an educational charity based in the UK, which offers opportunities for people to learn about and engage with the outdoors.
History
The organisation was established as the Council for the Promotion of Field Studies in 1943.{{cite journal |last1=Miyake |first1=Shiho |last2=Nogami |first2=Tomoyuki |title=The History of the Field Studies Council (FSC) in Britain: The Creation Period as the Council for the Promotion of Field Studies (C.P.F.S.) (1943-1955) |journal=Journal of Science Education in Japan |date=September 2005 |volume=29 |issue=3 |pages=196–212 |doi=10.14935/jssej.29.196}} It was originally based at Valley Farm, East Bergholt, leasing the property from the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. At this time the National Trust acquired nearby Flatford Mill and Willy Lott's Cottage. These buildings were then leased to the FSC to create the first Field Studies Centre, which opened in 1945,{{cite web |title=Field Studies Council |url=https://www.flatfordandconstable.org.uk/organisations/field-studies-council/ |website=Flatford and Constable |publisher=Field Studies Council |access-date=27 February 2025 |date=2 November 2020}} and to provide opportunities for school children to study plants and animals in their natural environment.{{Cite journal|author=Barrett, John H|title=The Field Studies Council: how it all began|journal=Biological Journal of the Linnean Society| volume=32| issue=1| date=September 1987| pages=31–41| doi=10.1111/j.1095-8312.1987.tb00408.x}} It subsequently became a nationwide provider of outdoor education, and has established a network of field centres providing facilities for people wanting to study natural history, ecology and the environment.{{cite web|title=About the Field Studies Council|url=https://www.theseashore.org.uk/theseashore/aboutfsc.html|publisher=The Seashore|accessdate=15 July 2020}}
Activities
Field Studies Council provides outdoor educational residential or day visits from the organisation's centres, and other outreach areas, including London parks.
The centres include:
- Amersham Field Centre, Buckinghamshire{{Cite web|last=Classroom|first=Countryside|title=FSC Amersham Field Centre|url=https://www.countrysideclassroom.org.uk/places/5500|access-date=2021-09-22|website=www.countrysideclassroom.org.uk|language=en}}
- Bishops Wood, Worcestershire{{Cite web|title=Bishops Wood Centre - An Organisation in Stourport-on-Severn|url=https://stourporttown.co.uk/organisation/bishops-wood-centre/|access-date=2021-09-22|website=Stourport Town|language=en-GB}}
- Blencathra, Cumbria{{Cite web|title=New Blencathra base for Mountain Heritage Trust|url=https://www.thebmc.co.uk/mountain-heritage-trust-moving-to-blencathra|access-date=2022-01-04|website=www.thebmc.co.uk}}
- Castle Head, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria{{NHLE|desc=Castle Head, Grange-over-Sands|num=1269676|accessdate=2021-08-09}}
- Dale Fort, Pembrokeshire{{Cite web|title=03 – Dale Fort – Dale Peninsula|url=https://walking-guides.co.uk/dale/03-dale-fort/|access-date=2021-08-09|language=en-GB}}
- Epping Forest, Essex {{Cite web|last1=Loughton|first1=Paul's Nursery Road High Beach Loughton|last2=Kingdom|first2=Essex IG10 United|title=Permaculture Association|url=https://www.permaculture.org.uk/|access-date=2021-10-06|website=www.permaculture.org.uk|language=en}}
- Flatford Mill, Colchester{{Cite web|title=Flatford Mill|url=https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/flatford/features/flatford-mill|access-date=2021-08-09|website=National Trust|language=en}}
- Juniper Hall, Surrey{{NHLE|desc=JUNIPER HALL, Mickleham |num=1228450|accessdate=2021-08-09}}
- London Parks: Bushy Park, Greenwich Park and Regent's Park{{Cite web|title=Partner organisations|url=https://www.royalparks.org.uk/about-us/partner-organisations|access-date=2021-10-06|website=The Royal Parks|language=en}}
- Margam Park, Neath Port Talbot{{Cite web|title=Margam Discovery Centre|url=http://www.margamcountrypark.co.uk/1735|access-date=2021-08-09|website=www.margamcountrypark.co.uk}}
- Millport, Island of Great Cumbrae, North Ayrshire{{Cite web|url=https://www.field-studies-council.org/locations/millport/|title=Millport – Field Studies Council}}
- Nettlecombe Court, Somerset{{Cite web|title=Field Studies Council Nettlecombe Court {{!}} Somerset Wildlife Trust|url=https://www.somersetwildlife.org/field-studies-council-nettlecombe-court|access-date=2022-01-04|website=www.somersetwildlife.org}}
- Preston Montford, Shropshire{{Cite web|last=Scagell|first=Robin|date=2018-06-02|title=Preston Montford Field Centre|url=https://www.popastro.com/main_spa1/preston-montford-field-centre/|access-date=2022-01-21|website=Society for Popular Astronomy|language=en-GB}}
- Rhyd-y-creuau, Conwy {{Cite journal |last=Sankey |first=John |date=9 July 2006 |title=Outdoor Education for All |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0140528790010408?journalCode=tsed19 |access-date=16 December 2022 |journal=European Journal of Science Education|volume=1 |issue=4 |pages=449–450 |doi=10.1080/0140528790010408 |url-access=subscription }}
- Slapton Ley, Devon {{Cite web |title=Slapton Ley Field Centre |url=https://www.bythedart.co.uk/locations/slapton-ley-field-centre/ |access-date=16 December 2022|website=By The Dart |language=en-us}}
The Field Studies Council creates a programme covering a wide variety of outdoor education, including fieldwork opportunities in geography and biology, providing fieldwork opportunities to allow students to investigative practical skills and to be given the chance to evaluate and analyse data they collect themselves, and data already held by the organisation.{{Cite web|title=Collaboration with the Field Studies Council|url=https://www.discover-the-world.com/study-trips/fsc-fieldwork/|access-date=2021-08-25|website=Discover the World|language=en-GB}}
The Field Studies Council also publishes fold-out charts and guides.{{Cite web|title=Royal Geographical Society - Geography resources for teachers|url=https://www.rgs.org/schools/teaching-resources/local-fieldwork-toolkit/|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.rgs.org}}{{Cite web|title=Partner organisations|url=https://www.royalparks.org.uk/about-us/partner-organisations|access-date=2021-07-27|website=The Royal Parks|language=en}} BioLinks South East and BioLinks West Midlands are lottery funded schemes set up to strengthen UK biological recording.{{Cite web|title=New opportunities for 'citizen scientists' {{!}} The National Lottery Heritage Fund|url=https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/news/new-opportunities-citizen-scientists|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.heritagefund.org.uk}}
With the goal of promoting and improving geography fieldwork, the Field Studies Council has entered into a partnership with The Geographical Association. Together, they work towards creating cases for geography and fieldwork within policy, and creating resources for education and career development.{{Cite web|title=Strategic partnerships|url=https://www.geography.org.uk/Strategic-partnerships|access-date=2021-08-06|website=www.geography.org.uk}}
Partnerships projects include:
- Forgotten Places: Greening Coastal Towns and Cities{{Cite web |date=2022-02-15 |title=Forgotten Places: Greening Coastal Towns and Cities |url=https://treesforcities.org/forgotten-places-greening-coastal-towns-and-cities |access-date=2022-12-22 |website=Trees for Cities |language=en}}
- The Generation Green project Access Unlimited{{Cite web|last=YHA|date=4 November 2021|title=Generation Green|url=https://www.yha.org.uk/generationgreen}}
- Mission:Invertebrate{{Cite web|title=Project partners|url=https://www.royalparks.org.uk/get-involved/mission-invertebrate/about-mission-invertebrate/project-partners|access-date=2021-11-04|website=The Royal Parks|language=en}}
- Our Bright Future{{Cite web|last=Maggs|first=Anna|title=Growing Confidence|url=https://www.ourbrightfuture.co.uk/projects/growing-confidence/|access-date=2021-11-04|website=Our Bright Future|language=en-US}}
- Nature Friendly Schools{{Cite web|title=Our Partners {{!}} Nature Friendly Schools|url=https://www.naturefriendlyschools.co.uk/our-partners|access-date=2021-11-04|website=www.naturefriendlyschools.co.uk}}
- Work to change policy within education to include environmental studies to school and college students{{cite journal |last1=Glackin |first1=Melissa |last2=Greer |first2=Kate |title=Making the case for A-level biology residential fieldwork: what has nature got to do with it? |journal=School Science Review |date=June 2021 |volume=102 |issue=381 |pages=21–26 |publisher=Association for Science Education |url=https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/files/154824679/SSR_June_2021_21_26_Glackin.pdf |issn=0036-6811}}
References
{{reflist}}
- {{EW charity|313364}}
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Category:1943 establishments in the United Kingdom
Category:Scientific organizations established in 1943
Category:Charities based in Shropshire
Category:Ecology organizations
Category:Environmental organisations based in the United Kingdom