The first Earth Day on 22 April 1970 activated 20 million people from all walks of life to do their bit to protect our planet. More than 50 years on, it is estimated that one billion people worldwide will engage in this year’s Earth Day.

We know that microplastics have found their way into our food chain. Understanding the sources of microplastics, their journey to our plates, and what we can do to reduce the risks is essential for tackling this pressing issue.

Why do butterflies matter? Willow Neal explains why they should be prioritised for conservation and introduces us to some butterfly species in the UK.

Vicky Johnson explores why birds need nesting boxes and how you can create one to help the birds in your garden.

Bumblebees need areas free of insecticide and with suitable wild flowers. Neonic pesticide has linked to long-term wild bee decline. Learn how to make your environment bee-friendly in this guide.

Invasive species are a growing challenge: causing damage to species, ecosystems and people. Find out more about them in this article.

This free course, Eating for the environment, will explore the links between food, nutrition and environmental sustainability.

Climate crisis is one of the grand challenges we face as a society, but it can be hard to approach as a subject. Not only can the science at times seem dauntingly complex, but the solutions are also far from clear. This leaves many people feeling confused, guilty, anxious, angry, or else completely switched off from the subject. This course ...

Migration is a free course looking at the migrations of animals, with special reference to birds, and also introducing the themes of movement, selection and homeostasis.

In this free course, Evolution through natural selection, we describe the theory of evolution by natural selection as proposed by Charles Darwin in his book, first published in 1859, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. We will look at natural selection as Darwin ...

Mammals come in a bewildering variety of shapes and sizes and yet all of the 4700 or so species have some characteristics in common, which justifies the inclusion of diverse types within a single group. Although mammals evolved on land, a number of species have become adapted to spending part or all of their lives in water and it is these ...

We ask the question ‘Can renewable energy sources power the world?’ as a response to the growing awareness that increased use of renewable energy technologies is making a major contribution to global efforts to limit anthropogenic climate change. The course begins by examining the environmental concerns that have caused a rise in interest in ...