nature education – Out There Learning

Why we need to find a way to reconnect with Nature

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Receiving theSCANZ science communication prize for 2019

After 12 years living my dream job at GNS Science in New Zealand, I left the organisation in early January 2020 to become a self employed educational consultant and science communicator. So why leave GNS and expand my horizons? Here is my Why: There have been so many incredible highlights from my time being connected with GNS, going back as far as 2001 that I find it hard to write a full list, but here is a taster: running field trips for students and teachers all over New Zealand, including exploring glaciers in the Southern Alps, on the volcanoes and many other fascinating locations, being the logistics manager for the Alpine Ice Core project, drilling ice on several glaciers in the Southern Alps working in Antarctica as an educator for the ANDRILL sediment coring programme Being a script editor, science advisor and presenter for several TV documentaries shown to a worldwide audience Creating the GNS Science YouTube channel, by far the most popular video channel for any New Zealand university or Crown Research Institute Creating the GeoTrips website that shows interested non specialists where they can explore geological outcrops, landforms or informative displays. Science Communicators’ Prize for creating the GeoTrips website Visiting and exploring many fascinating locations in New Zealand and Indonesia to document the work of science teams out in the field, including areas affected by the Christchurch Earthquake, Kaikoura Earthquake, Volcanoes such as White Island, Tongariro, Ruapehu and the Auckland Volcanic Field. Discovering fossils in remote areas including an unknown species of fossil whale Best of all has been to get to know a huge range of teachers, scientists, students and others, many of whom I hope to continue to work with. In my new role I will continue to work independently with science organisations, schools and individuals who are interested to communicate about geoscience, ecology, education and adventure in the outdoors. Julian Thomson, Rangipo Desert with logs burnt by the Taupo Eruption,

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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, with possibly more to follow. The rationale for this initiative is that outdoor education can be designed to offer several benefits, including physical fitness, psychological challenge and resilience, aesthetic appreciation and scientific learning. One thing that interests me in particular is the relationship between being in or near to green spaces and natural environments; specific nature connectedness activities; psychological well-being and environmental action taking. These are topics that I will elaborate on at a later date. For now let me leave this video with you that is the way I see things in this space of education and nature:

Welcome to my site

Hi I’m Julian Thomson and I am involved in science communication and education in ways that link geoscientists with teachers and students, mostly in New Zealand, but also in Asia. This includes consultancy with school faculties and individual teachers around their earth science, ecology or outdoor programmes, running geoscience workshops and field trips, creating school learning resources, making educational videos and authoring web pages.

In my work I love to highlight the wonders of the natural world and ways that we can explore, become fascinated and never lose the sense of awe. I am also very interested in ways we can best safeguard ourselves from Natural Hazards which are a continual issue in New Zealand, sitting across a collision plate boundary as we do.