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Climate Change Conference
The Group is hosting a “Think Tank” on the theme of “Communicating
Climate Change through the Outdoors” at Low Bank Ground OEC,
Coniston on Friday 2nd November 2007. There will be representatives
from outdoor and environmental education centres, management training,
higher education, and conservation and recreation organisations. Ideas
and proposals from the “Think Tank” will form the basis
of a day conference for outdoor leaders on “Climate Change” in
2008.
Group meetings and issues
The AEA Group meets three
times each year, usually at Brockhole, the Lake District National Park
Centre, in January, April and September. The Group is focussing on
three current issues:
Issue
01 > Loss of Adventure
Young people no longer have so many opportunities for outdoor experiences.
We live in a risk-averse culture where parents are overprotective and
children do not experience outdoor informal play, for example camping,
building dens and dams and discovering natural areas. There are fears
of traffic and strangers. Teachers and leaders are more cautious to
take groups outdoors. At the same time, computers and game machines
keep children in the home. The loss to society is enormous. Young people
need to understand and manage risk, they need to take responsibility
for themselves and enjoy adventures. This is essential for our personal
and social development and also gives us a connection with nature and
an appreciation for our environment.
Issue
02 > Encouraging sustainable use of the outdoors
Some outdoor leaders still regard the environment as a gymnasium, playground
or laboratory for their activities. How can we create more sensitive
approaches to the environment? The AEA group has worked together with
many user groups to find ways of encouraging environmental awareness
and showing how leaders can adopt more sustainable practices.
Issue
03 > The urbanisation of the countryside
The countryside is under increasing pressure to provide more amenities
and wilder areas are tamed by visual intrusions such as telephone masts,
wind turbines and fences. The National Parks are subjected to physical
damage from 4 wheel drive vehicles and noise pollution from low flying
military aircraft. Signs are proliferating in the valleys and small
traditional paths turned into hard surfaced routes. This process of
urbanisation impinges on the intrinsic value of our wilder areas and
threatens their existence as an essential refuge for tranquillity, wildlife
and our own spiritual regeneration.
If you are interested in joining the AEA Group please contact:
Geoff Cooper,
Low Bank Ground,
Coniston,
Cumbria LA21 8AA
Tel: 015394 41314.
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