This professionally developed and facilitated course is taking place in communities all over the country, and has been running in St Andrews since 2011 with 180 participants so far. The course is run by Transition University of St Andrews with funding by the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund, allowing us to offer the course free to all living or working here in St Andrews.
Each participant is provided with a 130 page handbook of facts and activities worked through during the course, and providing a lasting reminder of the important information discussed. Each session contains time for a drink and snack, as well as individual reflections, paired and group discussions, and some interesting games.
Courses usually have between six and twelve participants of all ages and backgrounds, and consist of five weekly (or occasionally fortnightly) sessions of two hours. A sixth session is arrange soon afterwards, at a time and location to suit the group, and focused on questions or activities the participants have decided to be important to their own understanding of, or response to, climate change. The image to the right shows a group who chose to go for a walk locally with an experienced food-forager to learn more about what edible plants were growing locally – and got a few tasters along the way! Other groups choose to go out for or cook a meal or watch a movie together, or just continue to discuss on a topic which came up in the course and merited further exploration.
Three Carbon Conversations courses are currently open for participants, or you can put your name down to be informed of future sessions. We also welcome requests form groups of friends or colleagues who are looking for an activity which will be both enjoyable and centred around a worthwhile discussion on an important issue. Find out more or sign up on the Carbon Conversations page of our website.
