NHM Courses

The Old Malthouse offers a collaboration between the Cothill Educational Trust and the Natural History Museum, London through the Tree School Project.

Tree School allows young children to interact and work directly with scientists from the Natural History Museum. This in itself means that children at an early age become aware that science continues beyond school and the laboratories and can be a career path. The work they do is not limited to an hour’s session over a bench with a Bunsen burner.

Having spent time outside understanding the identification of trees using tailored field guides, the children seek confirmation through the use of advanced computer technology, which automatically looks at leaf shape and identification. Having selected a tree, the pupils then learn how to extract DNA samples and post their findings on the Barcode of Life worldwide database. This means that the children are part of an international undertaking sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in New York to register all tree life on earth. The use of the database to understand the distribution of plant life across the globe and the changes which are occurring due to climatic and other factors is explained to the children such that they can see science in action.

The Old Malthouse has bespoke laboratory provision for the DNA work but the greater part of the scientific study takes the children out into the environment to look at flora and fauna. They are encouraged to develop a respect for nature and the often delicate balances it achieves. The Old Malthouse aims to ignite and establish a real fascination for and love of matters scientific in young children. Thankfully, its location also means that time can be put aside to play on the beach, climb the cliffs and dip in the rock pools.

The Tree School project with the Natural History Museum is a successful example of modern, inspirational science teaching by practising scientists.

The project is expanding and there are plans afoot to broaden the children’s experiences by exploring the life along the water’s edge, sampling seaweeds and investigating some of the animal life too.