BEE A NATURE GUIDE

"There is nothing like this at all in the UK and this is a golden chance to be actively involved in natural history education"

- Roy Stewart, trustee at BNA

THE COURSE.

Our BEE a Nature Guide training course is the first of its kind in the UK. Covering topics from Life sciences, Earth sciences and Human sciences, the comprehensive programme will equip you with all the necessary knowledge and skills to BEE a successful nature guide!

Although new to the UK, this training model has been successfully pioneered by our partners in Belgium the Cercles des Naturalistes de Belgique (CNB) since 1975. We are excited to bring this training method to the UK and help to develop and support a growing community of nature guides.

The Course will initially be taught in Suffolk and Norfolk. With time we plan to expand our programme to cover all areas of the UK.

The Course is broken down into 3 stages, outlined below:

1. Learn

Attend our annual programme of learning sessions, combining outdoor practicals with a follow up classroom/online session, covering all of the subjects required to be a nature guide. Continue learning at your own pace through our online learning platform. Our sessions are led by our skilled and knowledgeable teachers. You can meet some of them here.

2. Experience

On completion of the learning programme, put your newfound knowledge and skills to use by attending our leadership skills sessions where you can practice leading a group, and testing your knowledge with our online quizzes.

3. Lead

Research, plan, write and lead your very own guided walk (either on your own or in pairs), which will be assessed to obtain your BEE a Nature Guide certificate.

Flexibility

Stages two and three of the course can be completed together in one year, or split across two years, giving you the flexibility to complete the course at a pace that is comfortable for you. If you miss one or two of the stage one learning sessions you will have the opportunity to attend these the following year alongside our next intake of nature guides whilst you continue with stages two and three.

Certification

The course is assessed via 2 methods - preparing and leading your own guided walk, which we assess with our partners at the British Naturalists' Association (BNA), and completing all our online quizzes. On completion of the course you will receive your BEE a Nature Guide certificate and become a Biodiversity and Environmental Educator (BEE). You will also be eligible to apply for the BNA Registered Member certificate (MBNA). If you wish to just attend the stage one learning sessions without preparing your own walk or do the online quizzes you will be eligible to apply for the BNA Associate Member certificate (ABNA). Click here to read a letter of recommendation from Steven Rutherford, the chairman of the BNA.

Spread the word

Once you are certified you can join us in our mission to build a network of nature guides leading walks to inform and educate the public about our natural history and the importance of protecting our environment.

Booking Terms and Conditions