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Chris Graham

@chrisgraham.bsky.social
2.2K followers 2.1K following 91 posts

🌿Biology teacher and sustainability lead at a sixth form college 🌳Trying to build plant and nature positivity in students and society as a whole 🪴Sustainability in schools - action for change, a voice for change, teach for change

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Reposted by Chris Graham
Chat Biology @chatbiology.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
It is @greencareersweek.bsky.social 💚 Check out our post full of useful links and an environmental careers story from @head-in-the-clouds.bsky.social Did you have a #GreenJob before teaching? How are you celebrating this week? Let us know below! #GCW2025 #GreenCareers #GreenSkills
chatbiology.com
Green Careers Week
From Biology Field Trip to a Green Career When I was at school, my original plan was to study Accountancy. It seemed sensible and a financially secure career path. Then came my A-level Biology field trip. It was one of those rare weeks of blistering sunshine on the coast of Wales, and I loved every minute of it. Being outdoors, surrounded by nature, collecting data with the sea breeze in my hair (I had more hair back then) — I was completely in my element.
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Reposted by Chris Graham
Science and Plants for Schools (SAPS) @saps-news.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
Plants, Sustainability & Science Education🌱🌎🍎 Join us with @chrisgraham.bsky.social for a session at the Secondary Science Festival at Bedford College on 8th July. For more info & to book, use the QR code. 📲 @cleapss.bsky.social @fieldstudiesc.bsky.social @stemlearning.bsky.social
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Reposted by Chris Graham
Science and Plants for Schools (SAPS) @saps-news.bsky.social · 20/05/2025
Are you looking to build your confidence in microscopy? Join us in partnership with @associationscied.bsky.social on 04/06 for a twilight event (1/3). Suitable for teachers with all levels of experience🔬🌱🧑‍🏫 For more: www.ase.org.uk/events/build... @stemlearning.bsky.social @royalsocbio.bsky.social
Course outcomes.Dandelion. Credit: Pixabay. Dandelion under the microscope. Credit: Chris Graham.
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
A rare find - very nice.
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 27/04/2025
Check out the new L3 certificate in sustainability: teach.ocr.org.uk/level-3-cert... I’m developing the teaching resources for it for OCR and I’m teaching it at Hills Road Sixth Form College in Sept 2025. I love the spec they’ve come up with - such a useful qualification for students. #EduSky
teach.ocr.org.uk
Level 3 Certificate in Sustainability
We've created a new Level 3 Certificate in Sustainability for students aged 16 to develop applied subject knowledge and transferable skills.
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Reposted by Chris Graham
Botanical Society of America @botsocamerica.bsky.social · 13/04/2025
🌱It's International Plant Appreciation Day!🌿 Support the plants & community that inspire you. Please consider making an unrestricted gift—it provides flexible support, ensuring resources go where they’re needed most: crm.botany.org/makeadonation Share your plant story! #LetsGoPlants #IamaBotanist
This image shows 8 BSA members near or holding plants and smiling. Text: “International Plant Appreciation Day, April 13, 2025. Support BSA with an Unrestricted Gift Today!” The image also includes the BSA logo.
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
Have a look at this newsletter for what I’ve been doing to support students learning how to use microscopes. 🔬 Lots of other great stuff too. 🌳
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Reposted by Chris Graham
Science and Plants for Schools (SAPS) @saps-news.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Looking for guidance teaching #Microscopy? 🔬🌱 Chris' latest article also featured in @associationscied.bsky.social School Science Review is available here with a presentation to download: www.saps.org.uk/growth-hub/t... #plantsci @chrisgraham.bsky.social @stemlearning.bsky.social
Cluster of sclereids (stone cells) in pear tissue, stained with toluidine blue to show lignin (x400 magnification).
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
We can: Link our teaching to local biodiversity - particularly plants since they are really obvious. Model the enthusiasm for nature. Run nature walks around the school site to share exciting facts about local biodiversity - we have a small urban site but there’s plenty of moss, liverworts, ivy etc.
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
The environment leaders programme is good: www.wwf.org.uk/get-involved.... I run it as an enrichment at college. I’ve got 14 students with a variety of local biodiversity enhancing projects going. One student has 50 free dogwood plants arriving next week to boost our native plant life. 🌳
wwf.org.uk
Environment Leaders Programme
The Environment Leaders Programme, developed by WWF, RSPB and the Leadership Skills Foundation, supports young people to deliver positive change for the planet.
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
And sustainable futures from wwf: www.wwf.org.uk/get-involved...
wwf.org.uk
Sustainable Futures - free secondary schools programme
Sustainable Futures is a free UK programme for secondary schools and colleges that equips young people with knowledge and skills to help them in a green economy
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
There’s this from Kew too: www.kew.org/about-us/pre...
kew.org
Grow Your Future: new digital careers hub from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew set to inspire the next generation into green careers
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Reposted by Chris Graham
Chat Biology @chatbiology.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
In case you missed it the amazing @chrisgraham.bsky.social will be joining us for #ChatBiologyLive 🙌🏻
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
Looking forward to meeting some of my biology education heroes in person for the first time, catching up with others and meeting new people. Excited to have the opportunity to talk. 💚🌳💚
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
💚
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
The #CANBill simply says that we will - do what we say we’re going to do - be informed by experts and by the people. I, and many, will feel a massive betrayal if this doesn’t pass its second reading today. @teamlabouruk.bsky.social @conservatives.bsky.social @libdems.org.uk @greenparty.org.uk
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
One of the many really interesting points that Hannah writes about in her book ‘Not the end of the World’. There is lots that needs to be done but there is hope. Hope that comes from data like these, past successes and the growing awareness of a need for action and participation in this action.
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 03/01/2025
Does this image mean that we need to reduce global emissions by about 60% to stop increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere? Does this count as ‘Net Zero’? It’s from: drawdown.org/drawdown-fou... What would figures look like for 2024? #Sustainability
Image showing relative contributions of different emissions sources to the atmosphere and then how much natural sinks take out of the atmosphere (about 40% of what goes in)
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
Check out the Wild Check report from the FAO (www.fao.org/newsroom/det...). There are some great examples and data about the importance of plants and it shows how connected we are to ecosystems even though we usually feel quite separated from the rest of nature. #ITeachBio🧬 @saps-news.bsky.social
fao.org
The Wild Dozen: Prized as ingredients, vulnerable wild plants face surging demand
A new FAO report raises awareness about the need for their sustainable use
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 29/12/2024
Thanks - will investigate.
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 29/12/2024
I’m exploring setting up savings accounts for my children (8, 9, and 11) and would like to choose a bank/building society with strong sustainability credentials. Does anyone have any advice?
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 22/12/2024
Just read @hannahritchie.bsky.social ‘s book in 2 days (unheard of for me!). So quick because: 1) it’s very easy to read 2) it’s fascinating and I couldn’t put it down 3) we’re at the grandparents house and they’re entertaining the children. Lots to reflect on - highly recommended 💚🌳💚
Front cover of Hannah Ritchie’s book ‘Not the end of the world - How we can be the first generation to build a sustainable planet’
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Love the dried pasta idea.
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Always meant to try this but never have.
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Very interested in this!
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Yes to supportive. We do some at the end of Y12 and the rest at the start of Y13 so weather is fine. All done onsite. Lesson time pressure due to overfull spec is biggest constraint. Then it would be planning something for 400 students per year group that isn’t ecologically destructive! #chatbiology
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 05/12/2024
📌
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
Seeing chloroplasts moving in pondweed shows the dynamic nature of cells well. But maybe we should focus on the wonder and importance of photosynthesis itself. E.g. every carbon atom in our bodies has recently been through photosynthesis. 🤯💚🌳💚 (a bit like isolating DNA turns white gloop into 🤯)
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 30/11/2024
Is that a foxglove too? 💚🌿💚
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 28/11/2024
Looks really interesting Joe. Will pick myself up a copy.
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 28/11/2024
📌
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 27/11/2024
Can’t wait for this. Hoping it will give me more ideas for enthusing my students about the nature around them. 💚🌳💚
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 27/11/2024
Very much looking forward to this book! 💚🌳💚
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
A good education in all this would generate the societal conditions that would make the government’s life so much easier when making the changes that are needed - it’s bonkers that education is not already front and centre of the ‘mission’ and wasn’t started ages ago as you say.
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
There are things that people can point to I suppose but I think it does little to help us face the challenge ahead. We’re exploring the EU’s GreenComp framework (joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/greencomp-eu...) to help us embed it in our teaching but it would be better it curricula drove this.
joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu
GreenComp: the European sustainability competence framework
GreenComp is a reference framework for sustainability competences. It provides a common ground to learners and guidance to educators, advancing a...
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
Let’s hope that this and other efforts lead to a real focus on sustainability and nature connectedness in education in the next stages of the process 💚🌳💚
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
Great work Meryl. Hopefully the need for embedding this comes across strongly in the review 🤞🤞
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
In honor of National Tree Week in the UK here’s one of my favourite autumn sights. I give you the elegant branches of a naked hornbeam. Such a pleasing and distinctive pattern and shape it warms my heart when I see one.
A hornbeam without leaves outside our college’s sports and tennis centre.
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 25/11/2024
Vibrant 💚 Any Idea what it is?
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Reposted by Chris Graham
Matt Livesey @mlivesey.bsky.social · 24/11/2024
Great PhD opportunity at @uniofexeter.bsky.social & Natural England to help tackle one of the current big questions in UK conservation - “How does gamebird release and management affect the population stability and recovery of UK bird species?” www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin....
exeter.ac.uk
Award details | Funding and scholarships for students | University of Exeter
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 24/11/2024
Hi James, love the footage. What hardware are you using for that? The clarity of the image is great!
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Reposted by Chris Graham
Science and Plants for Schools (SAPS) @saps-news.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
"Education has a responsibility to make the future as bright as possible for our students. A big part of that is about addressing the climate & biodiversity crisis..." @chrisgraham.bsky.social seconded to SAPS Find out more about #BiologyForABetterTomorrow here: buff.ly/3Z5Q6le 🌱💚🌏 #plantscience
buff.ly
Home | Biology for a Better Tomorrow:Creating a Resilient Environment
‘Biology for a Better Tomorrow’ is a comprehensive digital series created in partnership with the Royal Society of Biology and Content With Purpose (CWP). This series delves into the vital work of bio...
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Reposted by Chris Graham
Gatsby Plant Science Education Programme @gpsep.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
We're delighted to see this series 'Biology for a Better Tomorrow' - a digital series from the RSB highlighting, in this video, the vital role of plants in biology. Featuring our very own Chris Graham and Dan Jenkins! #Bioscience #BiologyForTomorrow
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 21/11/2024
📌
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 21/11/2024
Hi Kathy, Thanks for making this list. There were a few familiar faces that I hadn’t come across on Bluesky yet. Please could you add me to the list? Thanks.
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
I’m not a professional or full on amateur naturalist but I do post about nature-based things so would be interested in joining the list. I have done butterfly and bumblebee surveys in the past. Happy if you decide I’m not naturalisty enough though!
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Reposted by Chris Graham
Chat Biology @chatbiology.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
We are so excited to announce that Chat Biology Live is a go! All the event information can be found here: buff.ly/3UZMlv7 Please share as much as possible Tickets will be on sale soon, we hope as many of you can join us as you can! #EduSky #iTeachBio 🧬 #SciTeachUK
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
Thanks Kathy 💚🌳💚
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
This is me: Sustainability and education: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... Teaching classification and evolution using plants: www.saps.org.uk/growth-hub/t... Ideas for plants throughout biology: www.saps.org.uk/growth-hub/g... Ecological literacy: contentwithpurpose.co.uk/rsb/biology-...
contentwithpurpose.co.uk
Inspiring Ecological Literacy | Biology for a Better Tomorrow
Chris Graham
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Chris Graham @chrisgraham.bsky.social · 17/11/2024
Sounds great but can’t join you sadly. Would love to hear what plans and ideas come from it. 💚🚶💚 📌
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