Instant Genius How to engage more deeply with the natural world
Apr 5, 2026
Jo Harris, education manager at the Field Studies Council who leads outdoor learning and citizen science, shares her path into nature education. She describes what outdoor learning looks like, year-round courses and locations across the UK. She highlights citizen science projects, seasonal surveys and real discoveries. She talks about growing eco-awareness in young people and how anyone can get involved.
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Immersion Is Essential For Environmental Care
- The Field Studies Council uses immersive outdoor experiences because you can't care about what you don't know.
- Jo Harris argues understanding requires immersion: hands-on time in habitats turns knowledge into care.
Field Trip That Changed A Career
- Jo Harris discovered her career after a wet A-level field trip counting barnacles and searching rock pools at a Field Studies Council centre.
- That week convinced her to study marine biology and later work at the same centre teaching the next generation outdoors.
Use Guided Outdoor Learning Anytime
- Use outdoor learning across ages and contexts, from forest school play to curriculum-led fieldwork for GCSEs and A-levels.
- Jo Harris recommends simple guided activities like a dog walk with an expert or guidebook to learn anytime.