Another year has passed. It was time to head off to the University of the West of England (UWE), just north of Bristol, for geography southwest’s annual secondary conference, organised so efficiently by Simon Ross and John Davidson in conjunction with Dr Harry West and colleagues in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management. This is one of the highlights of my year as it provides a great opportunity to connect with teachers from throughout the south west region, as well as contacts from various subject-related organisations. Moreover, in between registration and presenting duties, I had the chance to enhance my geographical knowledge, understanding and skills and gain inspiration for future speaker sessions for GlosGeog, Gloucestershire’s local Geographical Association (GA) branch that I chair.
I have supported Simon Ross and John Davidson with geography southwest from its establishment back in 2019 and it is wonderful to witness its widespread impact. Both Simon and John should be congratulated on their efforts; a time-consuming, but hugely satisfying and worthwhile venture. Today had some fine speakers lined up, as well as a wide range of workshops to dip into.
After registering, delegates were free to grab a cup of coffee/tea, network with others and have a wander around the publishers’ exhibition. At 10.20 am, we were all ushered into the large lecture theatre, where we received a warm welcome, the usual housekeeping instructions and introductions from Simon Ross, John Davidson and Dr Harry West. Then, it was over to Jon Carnell, Primary Curriculum Lead at the Geographical Association (GA), to talk about ‘Geography green skills‘. I always find Jon’s lectures and workshops so engaging and thought-provoking. Here, Jon emphasised that there is a need for green thinking in all jobs and we must ensure that we train pupils for the future. There is an element of politics involved here too; both the government and organisations must have a longer-term view. Remarkably, there is not a single definition of ‘green skills’; they are not just STEM skills, but also incorporate soft skills, such as problem-solving, decision-making and critical-thinking. Jon shared some of the research and subsequent thinking around green skills that has been conducted by bodies like PLAN International, the Green Alliance and SOS-International. He introduced us to the concept of green knowledge, green abilities, green values and green attitudes. Geography is certainly well-placed to deliver these so-called green skills and has much relevant subject content. Jon referred to a blog post written earlier this year by Dr Rebecca (Becky) Kitchen, Head of Professional Development at the Geographical Association (GA) (https://ga-blog.org/2025/01/21/building-green-skills-into-your-geography-curriculum/). He also discussed some work that both him, Becky and Steve Brace, Chief Executive of the Geographical Association (GA), have been working on, which focuses on ‘green skills pathways in geography’; showcasing progression from EYFS to Key Stage 3 and beyond. It is not just about climate change, but also sustainable living, both at home and further afield, e.g. when we travel/go away on holiday.
The second lecture was given by Dr Tim Scott, Associate Professor in Ocean Exploration at the University of Plymouth, and centred upon ‘Coral atolls and climate change‘. Tim considered the future of low lying atolls, largely in the Indian and South Pacific Oceans. I was introduced to a couple of new terms during this session, namely overwash and vertical accretion. Tim explained that overwash leads to saline soils, meaning that agriculture is limited, food supplies have to be imported and self-sufficiency is compromised. Overwash pushes sediment inland, building up the island; whilst there is likely to be coastal retreat, the island increases in height. A number of simulation models were played to demonstrate what might happen in the future. The survival of these islands is dependent on sediment accummulation being greater than sea level rise. However, it appears that a degree of intervention is also needed; we cannot rely simply on natural processes to extend their habitability. Tim also raised awareness of the fantastic careers linked to oceanography and hydrography; there is a real demand in the sector and they are well-paid!
The final lecture of the morning was delivered by Professor Lisa Mol, who is based at the University of the West of England (UWE), and was entitled ‘Heritage destruction before our eyes; what is a geographer to do‘. Lisa talked about her involvement with the ‘Heritage in the Crossfire’ project (https://www.heritageinthecrossfire.com/), investigating the impact of ballistics on sedimentary stone and their consequences for further deterioration. This is particularly important in light of the ever increasing power of arms and their ubiquitous use in ongoing conflicts. Several countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have experienced a very sharp rise in heritage destruction in recent years and they have been the focus of their research. Lisa discussed their work in the field and laboratory, as well as educational efforts. She emphasised that heritage is often considered to be a pillar of society; it is something that individuals can cling onto when all else has gone. Lisa mentioned that there is also a long legacy of heritage impact in the UK, with evidence to be found within 30 minutes drive of everyone in the room. She provided a couple of local examples of bomb damage from the past: Temple Arch in Bristol and the Stock Exchange in Bath. The drone footage gathered during field visits has been used to create some incredible 3-D immersive experiences, as well as integrated with GIS. In addition, Lisa highlighted how heritage is being impacted by climate change, with reference to Tataouine in Tunisia.
Following a short break for lunch where there were further opportunities to chat with others and peruse the publishers’ exhibition, delegates were able to sample two workshops:
- Andy Owen (Author and assessment consultant) ‘Spaces for everyone‘;
- Katie Hall (Schools Manager at ESRI UK) ‘Teach with GIS and the National Festival of Fieldwork‘;
- Karen Corfield (Education Development Consultant at Discover the World Education) ‘The New Era of Tectonic Activity in Iceland‘;
- Robyn Landy (FSC) ‘Practical ideas to increase fieldwork provision at KS3‘;
- Eleanor Pinches (Royal Meteorological Society) ‘Climate change misconceptions: unravelling fact from fiction‘;
- Martin Williams (Belmont Estate) ‘Re-wilding and re-wiggling nature and ourselves at the Belmont Estate‘;
- Peter Vujakovic and Emma Espley (GlosGeog) ‘Students as landscape detectives‘.
Since I was presenting with Peter Vujakovic during the second half of the afternoon, I only had chance to pop into one. I decided to hear what Andy Owen had to say. As a moderator of approximately 200 NEAs each year, Andy had some valuable tips to share. His presentation covered the current limitations of space/place-themed NEAs; encouraging students to think about the aims, theoretical context and validity of their project; some possible aspects of space/place to consider and enquiry questions that youngsters might investigate. Andy directed us towards several useful websites/resources in the process too.
We had several delegates attend our workshop. Peter Vujakovic and I had previously delivered two CPD workshops for primary teachers in conjunction with GlosGeog, which had been well-received. It was decided to do an abridged version of this given the 40 minutes that we had. Not only were delegates introduced to a range of new resources and shown how geographical skills can be developed within a context with a particular purpose, but they also had an opportunity to trial the activity themselves. And, they did not do too badly either!
At 3.30 pm, we reconvened into the main lecture theatre for The RGS Lecture. Dr Rachael Squire, Senior Lecturer in Human Geography in the Department of Geography at Royal Holloway University of London, directed attendees towards the university’s Teacher Hub (https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/research-and-education/departments-and-schools/geography/teacherhub/), which includes a number of teaching resources for use with A level students (https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/research-and-education/departments-and-schools/geography/teacherhub/teaching-resources/). Afterwards, she spoke about a new set of resources produced with the Royal Geographical Society (RGS-IBG) called ‘I can see the sea‘ (https://www.rgs.org/schools/resources-for-schools/i-can-see-the-sea), which gained a Highly Commended at the Geographical Association (GA) recent Annual Conference and Exhibition. Rachael emphasised the importance of the oceans; they are lived spaces. Alongside green spaces, blue spaces, connect us with nature and are vital for our general health and well-being. These new resources are keen to demonstrate that local actions can have a global impact and promote activism and advocacy among young people.
All in all, an enjoyable and invigorating, if not rather long and tiring day. Well done, and thank you, to all involved in instigating and delivering this FREE event for all those within the south west region of England; they are very lucky! I look forward to the next one in the summer of 2026.
It was lovely to receive the below from Simon Ross on my return too:
Many thanks Emma, for your amazing help and support today. It’s wonderful to have someone so reliable and efficient on the welcome desk . . . it really helped to make the rest of the day go smoothly. It was great fun and so good to see lots of keen and interested geographers.