At St Catherine's we are aiming to offer a learning experience to visiting schools and groups that uses the landscape as a personal stimulus for the wider issues of sustainability. Currently we are based in some traditional stone buildings at St Catherines and from here we explore the surrounding woods, fields and streams using a wide range of environmental education techniques to stimulate the senses and get people thinking about how to live sustainably.

In October 2007 we will complete work on our new eco-classroom – The Footprint. This will become the centre piece of our work at St Catherines and will be the first straw-bale build in Cumbria. Designed to be energy efficient and visually inspiring the Footprint will cut down on CO2 emissions using passive solar heating, the high insulation qualities of straw and sourcing construction materials locally. The construction of the Footprint is being carried out with a team of volunteers guided by a professional construction company. If you are interested in getting involved, do let us know.