Mermaid's Purse Project

Mermaid’s Purse was developed to increase young people’s understanding, enjoyment and stewardship of coastal and marine environments in the North West of England.

Project Background

The Mermaid’s Purse survey, conducted in 1998, outlined the lack of appropriate teaching materials regarding the UK coastline; highlighting the necessity of support required by teachers to deliver the sustainable development and citizenship components of the National Curriculum.

The survey additionally identified environmental and scientific organisations seeking the opportunity to widen their work and support initiatives within schools; to reach young people.

Project Objectives

  • To build young people’s action competence (understanding, skills, attitudes and self-confidence in decision-making) in relation to the coast

  • To improve the opportunities for continued professional development for teachers through a learner-centred accredited certificate course

  • To develop the capacity for numerous stakeholders (government, private and voluntary sector organisations) to better engage with local schools and support the delivery of the National Curriculum whilst furthering their own goals of sound coastal management

  • To raise standards in schools; through the promotion of activities and developing materials to support sustainable development education

  • To provide support and training to teachers and pupils in the development of an interactive website, educational materials and activities to support young people’s understanding and engagement in the issues surrounding sustainable use of the coasts

  • To establish active long-term links between students, teachers and organisations concerned with coastal management and other environmental issues

  • To disseminate learning from the project through the production of a highly readable and informative handbook

Project funding

The project operated in conjunction with the Partnership of Irish Sea Coast and Estuary Strategies, (PISCES), from May 2001 until September 2002; with further funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The project was facilitated at the Morecambe Bay Partnership offices in Kendal, Cumbria.

Project Outputs

Through the Mermaid’s Purse Project, Living Earth published a resource pack titled Thinking on the Edge: Thinking activities to develop citizenship and environmental awareness around Morecambe Bay.

The project worked with nine schools surrounding the Bay to produce the resource pack for teachers. Information focused on philosophy for children and critical skills approaches to developing children’s reflective thinking on the coastal environment; with particular reference to environmental and citizenship education around Morecambe Bay.

The pack was designed to be suitable for teachers at a Key Stages 2 and 3 level, with ideas appropriate to pupils studying Geography, Religious Education, Art, Science through to Environmental and Citizenship Education.