About Us
Our community is inextricably linked to the environment: the drama of the lakes and fells, the beaches and salt marches of the Solway Firth, the mudflats of Morecambe Bay and forests of Ennerdale or Grizedale. Young people across Cumbria have joined global action and advocacy for environmental protection. The Cumbrian Ecoforum has two aims.
Aims:
- To have every school in Cumbria engaged in environmentalism. Supported by
- An eco-connections hub - support and information resource for schools starting out or at any stage in their environmental journey.
- Start up grants for environmental initiatives.
- To celebrate and reward the best schools in the county through an annual competition.
Team:
Emily Fitzherbert (PhD)
Emily spent the first 15 years of her career as an interdisciplinary conservation biologist working on finding evidenced based solutions to conservation issues ranging from economics of sustainable Oil Palm production to using traditional institutions to halt lion killing. In 2013 she returned with her daughter to her home in Cumbria and trained to be a teacher. She has worked in schools across the county and currently teaches Biology at the Lakes School. She is passionate about linking her environmental conservation with education. She has led fieldwork expeditions for students both locally and internationally. She was a National Geographic Explorer and currently sits on the committee for the Royal Geographical Society’s regional division. A keen (although slow) fell runner and paddleboarder she wouldn’t want to live anywhere else in the UK.
David Guthrie
David has been a safari operator in Tanzania for 30 years. His passion for the wildlife and people of Tanzania quickly led him into community-based conservation work and he has played a significant role in highlighting the plight of the nation’s embattled elephant population, whilst running community projects such as Doctors on Safari.
He has also worked with national parks and community members in Slovakia, focusing on human/bear conflict issues around mountain resort towns.
Schools environmental education has increasingly become his focus and he is commencing programmes to connect students from around the world with their natural environment and with each other.
The Cumbrian schools eco awards and forum evolved as a result of his shock at the lack of government support or recognition for those schools intent on reducing their individual footprint. He hopes it will help pull together the burgeoning community of concerned and mobilised folk, all of whom share the dream of a county full of truly global citizens who understand the impact of their actions on the planet.
Craig Chamberlain
Craig manages the Eco Forum’s technology, developing the website and supporting systems.
Eric Sallu
Eric is from Tanzania and has been studying Business and Tourism in the UK. He is passionate about protecting the environment and hopes that the Eco-Forum can help us collectively make the changes we need to protect future generations starting now. Eric will assist in the forum’s administration and produce content for this site.
Our Hosts:
- Sedbergh School