Our flagship programme is our John Muir Award, in which we work 1-1 with a young person to explore a variety of outdoor places, discover what makes our chosen ‘wild place’ special, give something back through conservation work and share the place with others. Although we set the educational framework, our young people take ownership of their award and decide for themselves what places we will visit and what activities we will do. Most young people will do some photography, drawing/sketching, creative writing/poetry, mapping and wildlife surveying. The programme leads to the Discovery Award, operated by the John Muir Trust.
We’ve got a new toilet at Treacle Valley, some photos of the build process are here and you can also find out how our ‘loo with a view’ is helping families in Nepal.
We take our obligations as a not-for-profit Community Interest Company very seriously. Being a CIC means the directors of the company do not benefit personally from the success of the business; any profits that the
Crafting is something we do lots of at Taleblazers. It is a form of self-expression that allows people to create beautiful and useful objects and is more than just a fun hobby. It has also been shown to have a number of benefits for mental and physical health.
After gaining insights into the objectives of The Seal Project, two John Muir Award students developed posters to raise awareness about appropriate actions when encountering seals, highlighting what to do — and behaviours to avoid
Today, we embarked on a new challenge, joining the #BigSeaweedSearch at Broadsands and Elberry Cove.
Our dedicated John Muir Award student became a vital part of the team, collecting data and making a valuable contribution to seaweed and climate change research.
For the ‘Conserve’ element of the John Muir Award, young people are encouraged and challenged to take part in tasks that help to protect or conserve their chosen place. We explore the benefits of the activity for our young people and the positive educational impact that it can offer.
We delve into the therapeutic activity of hunting for sea glass along the shorelines of Torbay’s beaches. We discover how the journey of sea glass mirrors the challenges and growth in our own lives.
Today Alice did a photography lesson looking at light, aperture, and how we can completely alter the perception of the time of day by changing the focal length.
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year ! Today we have been thinking about changes that we would like to make and what we would like to ‘let go’ of in the coming year.
Writing haikus outdoors, immersed in nature, offers students a meditative experience. By observing natural phenomena and crafting poetic responses, they connect with the environment. Linked to the John Muir Award, this practice becomes a pathway to deepening appreciation for wild places.
When we prompt students
to focus on one part of
nature, a world opens up.
Students build a
relationship with nature as a
whole as they spend quality
time with the parts.
I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in. John Muir Today is John Muir Day, marking Muir’s 184th birthday