Growing up surrounded by the quiet countryside of Kildare during the nineties, I developed a great interest in the natural world. I enjoyed walks and cycles on my quiet country roads and got my teeth stuck into the local football pitch. Unphased by mud, wind and the constant rain, the outdoors was my playground and, in a time, when smart phones were yet to exist, I had no distractions.
Living close to a bog meant I could easily escape to nature. I spent many days there, walking, running and sometimes just listening to the sounds around me. My love for the outdoors inspired me to become a primary school teacher, a setting where I could invoke a love for the outdoors amongst children. In 2016 I moved to Milan and taught in a bilingual school for 2 years. I travelled and hiked all over Italy, admiring the glorious flora and fauna found there.
My love for the environment flourished when I walked the Camino del Norte. It was the first time in my life that I felt completely at one with nature. With only the bag on my back, a map, and the Camino shell to follow, I was completely dependent on the nature surrounding me. I reflected on the two years that I had spent teaching in the busy Milanese city and felt a yearning to venture away from city life to reconnect with nature. I found myself applying for a Masters in Outdoor Education and Sustainability in Sweden, where the Scandinavian perspective ‘uteskola’ (outdoor school) is at the very core of their education system.
Sweden’s harsh landscape took me on walks in vast forests, swims in freezing lakes and exposed me to the coldest temperatures I had ever endured. It also drew me into the notion of a sustainable way of life. I learned about outdoor classrooms and outdoor schools, the importance of native trees and wildflowers and the harm that plastic and disposable products have on the environment. With just my second-hand bike and waterproof pants I cycled alongside my friends and university professor to explore more impactful learning in the great Scandinavian outdoors.
A module in Sustainability Stories sparked an interest within me to write books for young children. My experience with outdoor schools proved to me that there was so much to learn if you just venture out your front door and took a look underneath your feet. Nature, raw and beautiful nature, life, biodiversity, all at your fingertips. You don’t need to move to another country to see the beauty of nature. You don’t need a lot of money to live a sustainable life. More than that, with this #sustainabilityseries you will discover that doing less is actually more.
Stories are the best way to engage with young children. An integral part of approaching education for sustainable development is to tell intriguing and informative stories about the (un)sustainability of different settings. By creating these stories that are grounded in a child’s perspective, global issues can appear more accessible. With this series I hope to share sustainability stories that will invoke the imaginations of young children and inspire them to live sustainable lives and to look outside of their own immediate environments to get a more complete sense of being global citizens. A Sustainability story is a concept for composing a narrative that is holistic, pluralistic and action orientated. Sustainability stories promote ESD (Education for sustainable development) which is a key factor in NCCA Irish curriculum and promoting the Sustainable Development Goals. This sustainability series will not only help guide children, parents and fellow teachers to connect with local sustainability issues, but will also show ways in which they can participate in realistic and attainable ways.
My love for the outdoors is reflected in my passion for protecting the world that we live in. With this series of children’s sustainability books I hope to instil a passion within readers to care for that magical world that is our only home.
*Rachel Scully’s debut book with Book Hub Publishing will be published in Spring 2021 and will be c0-illustrated. This is her first monthly blog in her #SustainabilitySeries.