FSC News

FSC Lobbying Blog: A Level Biology Fieldwork Goes Into Nosedive Growing pressures on outdoor learning has led the FSC to become a vocal campaigning body, championing the rights and opportunities for people of all ages and interests to experience the environment at first hand.
New FSC Field Centre in the Olympic Park announced On Wednesday 19 May 2010, the FSC and the Olympic Park Legacy Company signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together to achieve their shared vision of developing a world-leading residential Field Centre specialising in outdoor education in the built environment.
Get Creative with the FSC Get in touch with or develop your creative talents on a Field Studies Council (FSC) craft course this summer. Learning how to create a dry stone wall, weave a basket from willow, bind a book or to stain glass, are just a few of the crafts you can have a go at one of the FSC’s centres set in stunning locations throughout the UK.
Family Summer Boredom Solved! The world cup is over, the school holidays are almost upon up us and this summer is hotting up to be one of the best on record, so what better time to get outside and explore the British coasts and countryside on an FSC family holiday course.

Scrape the kids away from their games consoles, facebook and big brother and get outside and enjoy spending time together, trying new activities and learning more about the natural world with environmental charity the Field Studies Council (FSC). All holidays are located in FSC centres situated in stunning locations throughout the UK. Many of the centres are historic buildings including converted mills and Georgian manor houses, adapted and extended to provide the services that visitors need.
Guide to common grasses This new FSC fold-out chart covers 30 common species of grasses found in Britain and Ireland.
Entomology Courses 2010 Every year the FSC offer a wide range of entomology courses for those with an amateur or professional interest in insects.
Butterfly identification made easy! This summer learn how to tell an orange tip from a brimstone on one of FSC’s butterfly courses. Courses include Highland Butterflies and Moths, Identifying Butterflies, Moths and Dragonflies, and Late Summer Butterflies and Moths all designed to help you to easily identify butterfly species and learn more about their ecology and distribution.
Olympic fieldwork in East London The 2012 Olympics is a unique opportunity to investigate geography in action – the transformation of a derelict river valley, urban regeneration on a grand scale, the potential for a sustainable Olympics. It’s all here in east London, to be seen and explored. It’s the sort of geography that excites students and can be turned into a great learning experience.

FSC News

Get Creative with the FSC

Get in touch with or develop your creative talents on a Field Studies Council (FSC) craft course this summer. Learning how to create a dry stone wall, weave a basket from willow, bind a book or to stain glass, are just a few of the crafts you can have a go at one of the FSC’s centres set in stunning locations throughout the UK.

Whether you want to brush up on your skills or try a new hobby, the FSC has a range of courses based at residential Centres in the some of the most scenic and beautiful areas of England, Wales and Scotland. Courses are offered at different levels from those for the complete beginner to improvers for those who want to develop a technique or skill. Many provide a combination of outdoor and studio-based activities, although the exact balance of demonstrations, individual or group activities depend on the type of course.

Highlights this summer and autumn include:

•Dry Stone Walling (17 August-18 August 2010, FSC Margam Discovery Centre, South Wales) , one of the oldest skills developed by man is a sustainable product made from natural materials, which is not only aesthetically pleasing but also offers a haven for a wide variety of animals, birds and plants. The two day course enables participants to familiarise themselves with the basic techniques of dry stone walling and to build ability and confidence in dry stone walling skills.

•Alternatively try the ancient, beautiful and practical craft of Cob Building (24 August-25 August 2010 FSC Margam Discovery Centre, South Wales) . It will enable participants to gain knowledge of the materials needed, how to locate them and create a good cob mix. It will cover the practical skills involved in building plumb walls and sculptural decoration and how to go about building a suitable shelter, foundation and finishing.

•Stained Glass for Beginners and Near Beginners (24 September- 26 September 2010, FSC Flatford Mill, Suffolk) .This stained glass course is for anyone who wishes to learn or find out more about the craft of Tiffany-style stained glass. The course is designed with beginners and near beginners in mind. You can have the choice of one of three main patterns as your project. The tutor will provide all the materials needed to cover the tuition in glass cutting (as much as you need!) and then for the manufacture and completion of your finished piece.

•Hedgerow Basketry (15 October- 18 October 2010, FSC Kindrogan, Perthshire) . This weekend course will concentrate on the use of willow in combination with other found materials such as dogwood, birch, hazel, broom which can be collected in and around the beautiful grounds of the Kindrogan centre. You will have the chance to make traditional baskets from these materials or to make more sculptural forms.

An FSC experience is more than just a course. It offers the opportunity to meet others in a relaxed atmosphere and to share ideas and views with ‘experts’ and ‘interested amateurs’. It allows you to use natural materials and observe the local landscape around the centres for inspiration.

Depending on what time you have to spare courses vary in length from a weekend to a week and fees start at £160 for the weekend including full board and accommodation, transport during the course and tuition.

Craft courses are part of the FSC’s varied programme of over 600 Art and Natural History courses. There are also creative holiday courses for families during half term breaks and the longer school holidays. Families can spend time together enjoy sharing activities, develop creative skills and be inspired by the natural world but above all have fun with others!

Click here to find out more about FSC Craft courses