Angela McKay - A Rocha InternationalA Rocha International

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Christian in motivation, focused on Conservation, Community-based
The Indian Vulture is one of the 211 IUCN Red-Listed species we study and protect

Volunteer Environmental Education Coordinator

Angela has a degree in Botany and Ecology from Liverpool University and a Diploma in Management Studies. After graduating, she worked in several roles at Coventry City Council, including as a Research Assistant in the Education Department and as Administrator in Environmental Health.

She has over 25 years’ experience of teaching in primary schools, where she has taken the lead on Science and Special Educational Needs.

Angela lives in Coventry with her husband, David. They have two children and a grandson who live in London. When she isn’t working, Angela enjoys helping overseas students improve their English and she is also Ladies Captain of a Running Club.

How did you first become interested in conservation?

When I did my Botany degree, my professor was excited about reclaiming land degraded by the extraction of coal and china clay. I saw slag heaps transformed and realized that even the most damaged land can be improved.

Has conservation influenced you as a teacher?

Yes, I’ve introduced topics such as the Red List of endangered species and stories of practical conservation in the developing world. I’ve used some A Rocha resources too. I love to see children learning to appreciate their environment and expressing wonder and concern for animals and plants.

Tell us about your coordinator role.

I started in December 2014 and work one day a week. The first stage is groundwork: gathering information about all of A Rocha’s environmental education activities. The next stage will be to identify and encourage best practice and learn from one another. I’d like our teams to share stories of their successes. We also want to help them produce even better resources and share them as widely as possible.

Why A Rocha?

I’ve visited A Rocha projects in the UK, Portugal, Finland, Switzerland, Kenya, Uganda and Ghana with my husband David, who is ARI’s Finance Director. In Uganda and Kenya I accompanied Environmental Education Officers to schools and was impressed by their positive impact on the lives of families whilst also protecting and caring for the local environment. In Uganda I saw kids learning conservation agriculture techniques and making sack gardens, growing veggies to improve their diets. That’s got to be good!

I couldn’t do my job without…

The technology to communicate with people around the world, so I’m grateful for the experts who come to my rescue when my computer doesn’t cooperate!