Erasmus+ Wildskills EU

The idea

Breaking into a career in nature often requires practical skills and lived experiences – yet gaining these can be very difficult.  We asked Erasmus+ for some grant support to help us develop some distance learning solutions that can help.  Working with our European partners we have produced a series of tutor supported distance learning courses in specific nature-job related subjects.
 
Welcome to Wildskills EU

The courses

Each course explores a different subject which is relevant to employment in our sector: camera trapping, wildlife journal making, stakeholder engagement, tree i.d. & survey, environmental influencing and birds in education.  

We are looking at ways to make these courses as accessible as possible with a small administration fee (if there is sufficient interest – please register at the bottom of this page).

The wider WildSkills EU Project

In addition to the 6 distance learning course, the project did a lot of other things such as training for staff and students and exploring how to provide suitable recognition for learning. To explore these project outcomes and see the full Evaluation Report please follow this link.

Effective Camera Trapping

Wildlife camera trapping can produce great results of use to scientists and communicators. This course explores using camera traps for still and video, optimising their positioning by reading animal field signs and seeing how special methods can used for close up, time lapse and other effects.
 
This course includes the loan of a camera trap if you are in the UK. We can direct you to the make/model to buy if you are in Europe or further afield.
 

Course development led by Ambios Ltd

Wildlife Journal Making

Wildlife Journal Making allows us to record nature as we see it and in so doing we learn more about it and perhaps encourage others to explore nature with us.  

This course explores the use of different materials, encourages and challenges you to look at botanical art, birds and their behaviour, landscapes and habitats.

We ask you to purchase some small items of art equipment to allow you to follow this course.

Course development led by Ambios Portugal

Effective Environmental Influencing

With everyone’s access to social media to easy these days – we all have the power to be environmental influencers – but how?  What does the good practice look like?

This practical course explores how style and attitude shape influencing, how to produce different outputs for influencing – animations, narrated presentations and short videos.

We provide you with a time-limited software licence to make your own animations.

Course development led by the Barn Owl Foundation, Hungary

Tree identification and forest survey

European natural forests are amazing places. This course explores tree identification and the different types of forest as well as now to measure trees and begin to understand their vital and complex role in natural ecosystems.

We may ask you to buy a tree i.d. book and an inclinometer(!) in order to follow this course.

Course development led by the University of Padova, Italy

Effective Stakeholder Engagement

Human/wildlife interactions in the context of carnivores (wolves and badgers) make a fascinating case study through which we can explore how to become effective at stakeholder engagement.
 
Understanding the conflicts, talking with each side, the role of the media – these are some of the areas you can explore on this course.
 

Course development led by WWF, Hungary

Birds in Education

Birds are present in our everyday lives. We can see and hear them most places we go which makes them a good anchor to nature which we know improves our wellbeing. 

If you are interested in engaging people in environmental education, birds are a powerful tool and you know more about them than you think!

This course supports you as future or existing educators to explore how birds can capture people’s attention and illustrate our relationship with nature.

Course development led by the University of Evora, Portugal

Thanks to Erasmus+

We would like to thank Erasmus+ for funding this project under their Strategic Partnerships for Higher Education Mobility Projects. The project was a partnership of 6 organisations from across European and ran from Oct 2020 to Mar 2023 and produced the six distance learning modules described above.  We ran online meetings, involved students and staff in developing the courses and we showcased our results to many students from across Europe. The project also involved a joint staff training programme (in the UK) and two intensive study programme for student (one to Hungary, one to Italy). 

Wildskills EU partners

  • Ambios UK
  • Barn Owl Foundation, Hungary
  • WWF, Hungary
  • University of Evora, Portgal
  • Ambios Portugal
  • University of Padova, Italy

This project was co-funded by Erasmus+

Sign up to find out more

You might be interested in one or more of our Wildskills EU courses, please let us know the title(s) in your message below. With sufficient interest (12 students) we’ll open that course in the summer of 2023 – free of charge!  Sign up so that we can keep you informed.

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