Projects

Projects I am or have been involved with

Geology of Bitou, Lailai and Beiguan, Taiwan

Bitou – this small fishing village is about 70km north of Yilan City. Right next to it is the Bitou Geopark. Here you can take a clifftop walk above steep sandstone cliffs, or descend to the shore platform to see some strange mushroom like features at close quarters Here the shore platform is festooned with […]

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Geology on the Yilan Coast, Taiwan

To find worthwhile locations that offer great learning opportunities in geology, you have to spend time exploring outcrops, trying to make sense of the geological features that are exposed and then think of ways that students can explore and make sense of them out of their own activity. This inquiry learning process can work well

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In the Snowy Mountains Forest, Taiwan

The teachers of CuXin school in Yilan, Taiwan have been interested to find a location for a week-long wilderness camp for the year 9 class. We wanted to design a camp where students will have to rely on good survival skills and self management. We also want them to be able to learn the lore

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Jinguashi – Gold and Copper mining in Taiwan

During my stay in Taiwan I have been invited by the teachers to visit several areas that they consider to have educational potential for school camps. Iron and Copper minerals have stained the famous “Golden Waterfall” The first area was on the NE coast around Keelung Mountain which is an old dacite volcano. This area

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A nature connection curriculum in Taiwan

Fresh water in Transylvania / J.Thomson In my view there are compelling reasons to increase the amount and quality of outdoor education in schools. We have an unprecedented environmental crisis that is accelerating the decline of ecosystems worldwide on the one hand, and a crisis of mental health, disconnection and loss of hope in many

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Developing a nature and outdoor education programme in Taiwan

Stone circle art at Nanao River, NE Taiwan

I have been asked to work with a group of teachers and school administrators in Cu Xin school, Dongshan Township, Yilan, Taiwan, to help them develop and refine their nature and outdoor education programme in the high school. I will be there for the month of February 2020 and this will be the first visit,

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Natural Hazards Science for East Coast Schools

Natural Hazards Activities for Schools This article is about a science education project that I was involved in that was supported by MBIE’s Unlocking Curious Minds fund in 2018. It involved four three-day natural hazards science camps for intermediate level students in New Zealand’s rural Tairawhiti (Gisborne – East Cape) region. A total of 109

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Volcano City

Mangere Mountain, L. Homer / GNS Science Volcanic cones, explosion craters and lava flows form much of Auckland’s natural topography. All of these, apart from one (Rangitoto Island) are from vents that erupted once only (monogenetic), with eruptions lasting a few weeks or months and then ceasing completely.  There are many accessible and beautiful locations

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Tracking Dinosaurs in NW Nelson

Greg Browne. Image Julian Thomson @ GNS Science In New Zealand there is only one area (with six individual locations not far from each other) in which dinosaur footprints have been identified. This is in NW Nelson in the South Island. They were discovered and researched by Greg Browne, a sedimentologist at GNS Science who

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Beneath New Zealand 1 Documentary

Making Movies is an Auckland based film company that creates adventure and nature documentaries. I was asked to help with the script editing and presentation on a movie about the mountains of New Zealand. This involved spending time with the film team in the Southern Alps, amongst some of the most spectacular landscapes in New

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