The Alba Explorers

This isn’t just art, it’s introductory chemistry and materials science, using art as the vehicle… Children extracted pigments from the environment crushing charcoal and selecting earths to create colour. They made mixtures and suspensions, adjusting water and material to see how consistency and tone changed. They observed how different materials behave (charcoal, clay, plant matter etc.) and how those differences affect what they can create. They tested how pigments interact with surfaces like paper and bark. Using shells as primitive paint dishes, they worked with materials in a way that reflects how people have created for generations. They then applied that understanding to represent native Scottish animals, linking what they see in the landscape to what they create. Out here, nature is the master teacher!

@theiaincameron Correct, Glas Maol is within The Mounth which is roughly speaking the SE portion of the Cairngorms National Park. Cairngorms to me is Cairn Gorm, Ben MacDui, Derry Cairngorm, Carn a'Mhaim, Carn Etchachan, Beinn Meadhoin and the associated tops.

*NOTE TO ALL NEWS OUTLETS* Glas Maol is *not* in the Cairngorms. The Cairngorms are a specific range that encompasses the land between Glen More, Glen Feshie, Braemar, and Glen Avon in the east. Folk now using the Cairngorms National Park as a synonym for Cairngorms *proper*.

Since the start of this academic year, 37 people from 13 families have signed up for our Saturday Family Workshops at Lochside PS, enjoying hands-on outdoor learning, nature crafts, cooking on the fire and time together in the fresh air. We’re now starting our third 5-week block on Saturday 15th November (Block C), and there are still spaces available! register here/ find more info - forms.gle/1QJSjkCPvneGPM… Supported by Angus Rural Partnership with funding from the Scottish Government’s Rural Community-Led Local Development Fund 2025–2026, part of the Scottish Rural Development Programme.

More schools are reaching out for ASN and behaviour support than ever before. We see the dedication of teachers every day, and the challenges they face. Our role includes giving pupils space to reset and reconnect through meaningful skills-based outdoor learning, but lasting change needs investment in staff, pupils, facilities and environments alike. Every Scottish child deserves to learn in a calm, supported classroom, and that goes for every teacher deserving the same! #educationscotland #ASN #behavioursupport #outdoorlearning #investments

This holiday, give your children something screens can’t: real wonder !The crunch of leaves under boots. The smell of smoke on their gloves. The thrill of spotting deer tracks in the woods... So bundle up, get outside. Make memories that last longer than any toys! #AlbaExplorers #ScotlandOutdoors #WinterWonder #1000HoursOutside #FamilyAdventure #NaturePlay #GetOutsideScotland

@ForresterWBH This looks so amazing!

What an experience meeting all these creepy crawlies 🕷️🐞 the kids were so brave and confident around them. We learned lots of new facts about each animal, great fun! 🐛 bugteam.co.uk

The air has shifted! A little chillier, a little fresher, with mushrooms starting to emerge for foraging. This term our partner schools are reaping the rewards of outdoor learning in very different ways. At one site, pupils harvested baskets of produce, carrots, beetroot, rhubarb, plums, apples, tomatoes, pumpkins, onions, and garlic - the fruits of their Term 4 planting earlier this year. Elsewhere, children studied local biodiversity through pond dipping, discovering newt larva, efts, great diving beetles, and water boatmen. And at another school, we began our woodland programme with an exploration of invasive species, learning to identify Himalayan balsam and discussing its impact compared to native plants. Every setting brings its own opportunities, but each one shares the same goal: helping pupils connect with the land, learn from it, and see their own impact over time! #outdoorlearning #natureeducation #scotlandoutdoors #thealbaexplorers

ADVENTURE Maclean brothers achieve world record A trio of Scottish brothers has set a new world record after completing the fastest human-powered crossing of the Pacific Ocean. Jamie, Ewan and Lachlan Maclean arrived in the Australian city of Cairns on Saturday, August 30 just at 1.52am BST, marking the end of the 139-day, five hour and 52 minute journey crossing the world’s largest ocean. The Edinburgh-born team is the first team ever recorded to row from South America to Australia. The previous record was held by Russian Fedor Konyukhov, who rowed 7,393 miles from Chile to Australia over 159 days and 16 hours and 58 minutes in 2014. During one storm, Lachlan was swept overboard by a large wave before being pulled back into the boat. The brothers, who have been reunited with their family and friends in Cairns, in eastern Australia, said they were looking forward to pizza - and a decent night's sleep. The MacLeans completed their row in their boat, Rose Emily, named in memory of their unborn sister. The brothers, who have so far raised more than £700,000 of a £1m target for clean water projects in Madagascar, had hoped to complete their journey in an even quicker time. "We left just with a dream to get across this ocean and raise as much money as we can... and it's just been absolutely insane, all of the support," Ewan said in an Instagram post that was published as their boat approached Cairns.

Welcome Joe! We’re delighted to welcome Joe, who joins us this academic year after being selected from a strong field of 35 applicants. Joe has a deep passion for Scotland’s wild landscapes and the animals, trees, and plants that shape them. A graduate of Gray’s School of Art, he combines impressive creativity with a strong ecological knowledge base, developed through helping in his family’s wildflower nursery and delivering nature-based events for children in northern Aberdeenshire. His blend of storytelling, ecology, and art will bring real energy and inspiration to our work! He went through 7 days of intense training, and started today highly prepared and full of ideas. Watch out for him and all he will achieve!

Welcome back to all the hardworking staff starting the new 2025/ 2026 academic year! Knowledge begins in books but it comes alive in the natural world. Here's to another year where learning is not only read, but lived in its natural Scottish setting! #HereWeGoAgainAgain #OutdoorEducation #TeachingIdeas #thealbaexplorers #BackToSchool

@IndeedInforms I'm about to go into a meeting and present candidates for shortlisting, but I can't access the final applicants! #Stressing

Users have reported issues with accessing Indeed today. Our Product team is actively working to resolve these issues, and we apologize for any disruption. We’ll provide an update here once things are back up and working again!

@richard_gwynne Maybe next year Richard! Keep an eye out for future adverts and good luck finishing your PhD.

@AlbaExplorers Shame about the timing. I used to teach bushcraft, Im a biologist, ex Seacadet Instructor, have minibus licence, first aid lapsed but can requal. But Im in last six months of my PhD

We’re hiring! Join our award-winning team bringing outdoor & environmental education to children across NE Scotland 🌿 🗓 Aug '25 start | FT/PT | £27k+ | 10 weeks hols 🪓 Kit provided | 📚 CPD | ❤️ Max job satisfaction Apply now 👉 uk.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=d… #OutdoorJobs #EducationJobs

⭐ Since its partnership with Alba Explorers in 2019, staff at Strathmore Primary School have been upskilled in approaches to outdoor education with the help of Pupil Equity Funding (PEF). More on page 4 of the report 👉 ow.ly/OZcT50VUSAg

@DanWuori @Earlychildhood This video is perfect.. children need to get back outdoors!

Your child’s emerging social and emotional competence not only helps them look inward but nurtures their curiosity about the world around them.   In recent weeks I’ve been partnering with @earlychildhood (the UK’s Royal Foundation Centre on Early Childhood) to explore children’s social emotional development in celebration of the Centre’s newest publication, The Shaping Us Framework.   And today we’ll discuss the framework’s sixth and final pillar: Explore the World.   One of the simplest ways to nurture your child’s innate curiosity is to provide a regular change of scenery.   Witness 19-month-old Bonnie’s wide-eyed wonderment as her family explores a nature trail beside a stream.   “What’s this?” she asks over and over as she seeks and confirms new information.   The experience - coupled with engaged conversation with her parents - exposes her to a wide variety of vocabulary and concepts (nature, pinecone, a stream, a puddle… all new additions to her mental database enabled by a simple family stroll.)   As this lovely video (shared to IG by rileykayscott) illustrates, new experiences needn’t be costly, distant, or exotic to be educational.   Indeed, most communities are jammed packed with new things for your toddler to see and do as part of your everyday life… opportunities that nurture curiosity and expose them to new experiences and terminology - the grocery store, a laundromat, a local park, the library.   Step out of your daily routine. It will light up your baby’s brain…and help support their social and emotional development.   To learn more, check out the full Shaping Us Framework linked in the first reply below.

We’re not another forest school. We’re a full-service outdoor learning partner with 60+ clients. 94.5% attendance, 92% engagement, zero hassle for your staff. Inspection-ready | Behaviour improvement | ASN reports included | Elite learning, competitive price... This is serious outdoor education, all built into one premium, hassle-free yet affordable package. Email today - you know you want to! #OutdoorLearning #EducationMatters #SchoolLeadership #BehaviourSupport

Save time, reduce error and improve confidence (and legal compliance) with our 'Outdoor Learning Risk Register packs.' With self-guided teacher training pdfs, easy to implement controls and council-aligned compliance tips, this comprehensive register is tailored around all the situations you might encounter moving education outside. Authored by a specialist in school risk and outdoor safety, DM or email us today for your unlimited-use pack. #OutdoorLearning #TeacherConfidence #TheAlbaExplorers