Manchester Environmental Education Network - MEEN

02/11/2025

Earthworms are the unsung champions of the soil.
In healthy ecosystems, they can move up to 10–20 tons of soil per acre each year, continuously mixing and enriching it.

As they tunnel through the ground, they create channels that let air and water reach plant roots. At the same time, they recycle decaying matter into casts that are several times richer in nutrients than the surrounding soil.

These tiny engineers help gardens and farms thrive by stimulating beneficial microbes, improving drainage, increasing drought resistance, and storing carbon in the soil.

Want to support them? Feed the soil with organic matter, disturb it as little as possible, avoid harsh chemicals, and keep it slightly moist.

While exact numbers vary, scientists estimate trillions of earthworms live worldwide, working quietly beneath our feet to keep the planet’s soil alive.

15/10/2025

Potawatomi scientist and storyteller Robin Wall Kimmerer weaves ecology and Indigenous teachings to show us that caring for the Earth begins with relationships. Through simple acts of gratitude, reciprocity, and respect — whether planting a seed or picking a berry — we sustain both the planet and ourselves.

10/10/2025

24/06/2025

Misuse pesticides and the use of banned substances can affect yields, quality & food safety.

Join 🌍 experts Thursday 26 June at 12 CEST for a webinar on how FAO tools support safer & more sustainable pesticide management.

Register now👉🏿👉🏿👉🏿 https://www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/resources/events/detail/en/c/1738829/

06/04/2025

Soil stories and mycorrhizal magic!

01/04/2025

MEEN’s Sustaining Soils project is currently working with two primary schools in Manchester. Working with pupils the soil is tested for contaminants, such as those listed below, then we have to work out methods for a little soil restoration. ‘Worm Heaven’ is one of the small sites we’re working on, it’s not where the worms go when they die, but where they thrive! (Thanks to the National Heritage Lottery).

that contaminants have a direct impact on human health?

🔍 Check out this diagram relating each soil pollutant with the organ it most affects in the human body 🧠🫁🫀

📚 Learn more about ➡ https://doi.org/10.4060/cb4894en

22/01/2025

This is a solar-powered sea slug — the first animal known to photosynthesize:

The eastern emerald elysia (Elysia chlorotica) can photosynthesize like a plant. By feeding on algae (Vaucheria litorea), it absorbs and stores chloroplasts in its cells, allowing it to convert sunlight into energy.

Some individuals can even go without eating for up to a year, surviving solely on sunlight.

This unique adaptation makes Elysia chlorotica one of nature’s most remarkable examples of life’s ingenuity. What’s more, the slug’s green hue, derived from its chloroplasts, doubles as a natural camouflage, helping it blend into its surroundings and evade predators.

Measuring up to 60 mm (2.6 inches), these sea slugs thrive in shallow waters like salt marshes and tidal pools, where sunlight is abundant. With its ability to harness solar power, Elysia chlorotica not only defies the boundaries between plants and animals but also offers exciting possibilities for understanding photosynthesis and energy efficiency.

Learn more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elysia_chlorotica

Image: Patrick Krug /Scientific

12/01/2025

Inspiring words from our co-founder, David Suzuki. We must protect nature's diversity and the well-being of all life, now and for the future. 🌿

20/11/2024

Great article by the Chief Financial Officer of Wellington School about her experience working with GMCR and advocating for other schools to choose community energy.

This article is a clear and honest case study of what we do 💪

Great climate leadership from the team at Wellington once again 👏

https://buff.ly/3UWSkRv
Education Executive Magazine

18/11/2024

The beauty of aboveground biodiversity wouldn't be possible without the hidden heroes of belowground biodiversity! 🍄

From fungi to bacteria, the soil is teeming with life that keeps our planet healthy and thriving!

Via Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

03/11/2024

In her enlightening book "Braiding Sweetgrass," author Robin Wall Kimmerer delves into the indigenous perspective on plants, shedding light on their crucial role as caretakers of humans. This indigenous worldview emphasizes a profound reverence and gratitude towards the botanical world, encapsulated in the notion of certain plants being referred to in Native languages as "those who take care of us." Such terminology underscores the deep-seated understanding of the interconnectedness and interdependence between humans and plants, recognizing the ways in which plants sustain and provide for human life.
By framing plants as caretakers, Native languages serve as a poignant reminder of the myriad ways in which plants nurture and support us. This outlook stands in stark contrast to the prevailing Western view that often reduces plants to mere commodities, highlighting instead the intrinsic value and agency that plants possess. The Indigenous perspective challenges us to shift our paradigm from one of dominance and exploitation to one of stewardship and reciprocity. It beckons us to acknowledge the agency of plants and embrace our responsibility to care for them, thereby fostering a more balanced and respectful relationship with the natural world.
Such indigenous wisdom engenders a sense of humility and gratitude, fostering a deeper connection with the natural world. It inspires a shift towards a mindset that values the mutual flourishing of all living beings, promoting harmony and sustainability. By embracing this perspective and honoring the caretaking role of plants, we can cultivate a more symbiotic relationship with nature, ensuring the continued abundance of plant life for generations to come.
With Ta Pejuta Wicahpi Win aka Erica Crazy Hawk, Lakota🥰🔥😍🥰