The use of urban open spaces for environmental education

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Abstract
Problems encountered in teaching ecology, particularly fieldwork, are discussed with emphasis on the special difficulties in urban areas. Even when suitable sites are available, the task of setting up fieldwork can be very daunting to an inexperienced teacher. Nonetheless, the increased emphasis on environmental aspects of biology in the new GCSE syllabuses should make fieldwork imperative. Criteria for selection of good sites for fieldwork are suggested and the role of the Urban Ecology Study Unit (UESU) at Thames Polytechnic in surveying sites and producing teaching materials for local schools is outlined. To illustrate the outcome, a case study of how an urban open space can be developed and promoted, both as an educational resource and as a public amenity, is given in a summary of the Devonshire Road Nature Reserve in the London Borough of Lewisham.

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