Centre of the Earth
Encyclopedia
The Centre of the Earth is a purpose-built environmental education centre in Birmingham
, England
, run by the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country.
City Centre and was opened in 1993, and is claimed to be the first such purpose built centre in an urban setting in Europe. The Centre is set in landscaped grounds (originally a council yard), providing a resource for learning and play. The Birmingham Canal is adjacent, and the Centre has its own wharf, which has been recently restored.
The architect for the timber-framed building, which demonstrates the sustainable use of natural resources, was David Lea, renowned for his ecologically sensitive designs . Keith Hall, a founder member of the Association for Environment Conscious Building, built the Centre. The building and its grounds are easily accessible to people with limited mobility.
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, run by the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country.
Location
It is 1.5 km away from BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
City Centre and was opened in 1993, and is claimed to be the first such purpose built centre in an urban setting in Europe. The Centre is set in landscaped grounds (originally a council yard), providing a resource for learning and play. The Birmingham Canal is adjacent, and the Centre has its own wharf, which has been recently restored.
Building
Activities
The Centre is used as a base for a range of educational activities including:- Activities for Primary and Secondary schools.
- TrainingTrainingThe term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of...
for teachersTeachersTeachers may refer to:* Teachers, people who provide schooling for pupils and students* Teachers , one of the five Ascension Gift Ministries* Teachers , a British sitcom* Teachers Teachers may refer to:* Teachers, people who provide schooling for pupils and students* Teachers (ministry), one of the...
, communityCommunityThe term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
, youth and play workers - Workshops for students in higher education and teacher training.
- Afterschool activities and study support for children of different ages.
- DemonstrationsScientific demonstrationA scientific demonstration is a scientific experiment carried out for the purposes of demonstrating scientific principles, rather than for hypothesis testing or knowledge gathering ....
of habitat creation in small urban spaces. - A venue for meetings, workshops and training days
- A place to enjoy and study urban wildlifeUrban wildlifeUrban wildlife is wildlife that can live or thrive in urban environments. Some urban wildlife, such as house mice, are synanthropic, ecologically associated with humans. Different types of urban area support different kinds of wildlife...