Abstract
Outdoor experiential learning can help students develop alternative understandings of the ways in which nature should be valued, the relationship between themselves, community, and the environment, and the role science and society play in structuring these relationships. However, much of the literature on environmental education in Hong Kong is focused on curriculum building for primary and secondary schools, or workshops created for corporate social responsibility schemes. Research concentrates on whether these initiatives successfully raise awareness about ecosystem function and biodiversity, contribute to conservation projects, and change participant behaviors. This poster discusses the incorporation of optional field trips in undergraduate courses ‘Human, Animal and Planetary Wellness in Practice’ (BASC 3300), ‘Societies on the Water’ (CCGL 9080), and ‘All You’ve Ever Wanted to know About Humans’ (CCST 9081) and how they not only build up students’ understanding about the environment, but also how they relate to nature and to each other.
We draw upon students’ feedback and our observations as educators on three field trips: an archaeology field trip to Lamma Island, a marine biology-centric workshop at the Swire Institute of Marine Science, and ecological restoration activities at Ark Eden, to reflect upon how the structure and activities within benefit students’ learning. We find that guided tours on Lamma Island and Mui Wo by individuals who have first-hand accounts on studying or living in these places ground examples of historical human-nature relationships and coastal environmental change. Observing or handling animals during such field trips creates multispecies encounters that challenge or expand students’ relationship with more-than-human worlds. Bringing students from different courses together also allows for a cross-fertilization of ideas about sustainability, wellbeing, and themselves as environmental actors. We find that optional field trips contribute to students’ independent learning when such trips are well-structured, reflective, and relational. Students’ comprehension of how their positionality relates to human activity and environmental change can be enhanced through longer post-mortems and more direct co-designing of field trips with different communities. We hope future educators will conduct further useful research into how field trips and experiential learning experiences can help promote enjoyment, fulfillment, senses of belonging, prosocial behaviors, environmentalist mindsets, and human-nature relatedness.