Getting Started in Nature Writing



Overview

Gain an appreciation of different forms of nature writing and produce your own texts in a supportive environment with this online course.

We shall familiarise ourselves with various forms under the Nature Writing umbrella, and share texts on the flora and fauna of different habitats and genres, from Gilbert White to today's eco-warriors.

You will write about others' work and produce your own original writing based upon your personal experience of engaging with the natural world around you, wherever that might be. 

This course combines online study with a weekly 1-hour live webinar led by your tutor. Find out more about how our short online courses are taught.

Programme details

This course begins on the 13 Jan 2026 which is when course materials are made available to students. Students should study these materials in advance of the first live meeting which will be held on 20 Jan 2026, 7:00-8:00pm (UK time).

Week 1: Introduction: What are we doing here?

Week 2: Killers and collectors: the Victorians.

Week 3: Gilbert White's village.

Week 4: Different forms, different voices.

Week 5: The Hines brothers: fiction and memoir.

Week 6: Nature as therapy.  

Week 7: Your jungle or mine?  A wood of one's own.

Week 8: Little things are big things.  Bugs! 

Week 9: What about the future?

Week 10: Recap.  

Certification

Credit Application Transfer Scheme (CATS) points 

Coursework is an integral part of all online courses and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework. All those enrolled on an online courses are registered for credit and will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.

See more information on CATS points

Digital credentials

All students who pass their final assignment will be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so. 

Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail. 

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £360.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Mr Jeremy Hughes

Jeremy Hughes began his writing life with poetry. He was awarded first prize in the Poetry Wales Competition and shortlisted for an Eric Gregory Award. He has published two pamphlets breathing for all my birds, highlighted at the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival, and The Woman Opposite. He has published two novels – Wingspan (2013) and Dovetail (2011). He has been the recipient of a Literature of Wales Writer’s Bursary. His short fiction and life-writing have been widely published, and he has reviewed fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction for such publications as TLS, Poetry Wales, New Welsh Review, Acumen, and Oranges & Sardines. He was in the first cohort to study for the Master’s in Creative Writing at Oxford. He is a member of the Society of Authors.

Course aims

  • To allow students to gain an appreciation of different forms of nature writing and to produce their own texts in a supportive environment.  
  • To read and understand a variety of nature writing.
  • To analyse the ways in which nature writing sustains the reader's interest.
  • To provide a positive atmosphere in which students can explore their reading and writing from first draft to finished piece and give constructive feedback to others.

Teaching methods

Learning takes place on a weekly schedule. At the start of each weekly unit, students are provided with learning materials on our online platform, including one hour of pre-recorded video, often supplemented by guided readings and educational resources. These learning materials prepare students for a one-hour live webinar with an expert tutor at the end of each weekly unit which they attend in small groups. Webinars are held on Microsoft Teams, and provide the opportunity for students to respond to discussion prompts and ask questions. The blend of weekly learning materials that can be worked through flexibly, together with a live meeting with a tutor and their peers, maximise learning and engagement through interaction in a friendly, supportive environment.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

  • respond to different forms of nature writing with growing confidence and understanding;
  • be able to write in a manner which engages and sustains the interest of the reader;
  • be able to transform their own experiences into original writing;
  • be able to modify approaches to nature writing varieties.

Assessment methods

You will be set independent formative and summative work for this course. Formative work will be submitted for informal assessment and feedback from your tutor, but has no impact on your final grade. The summative work will be formally assessed as pass or fail.

Application

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment form for short courses | Oxford University Department for Continuing Education

Level and demands

The Department's short online courses are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level. FHEQ level 4 courses require approximately 10 hours study per week, therefore a total of about 100 study hours.

English Language Requirements

We do not insist that applicants hold an English language certification, but warn that they may be at a disadvantage if their language skills are not of a comparable level to those qualifications listed on our website. If you are confident in your proficiency, please feel free to enrol. For more information regarding English language requirements please follow this link: https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/about/english-language-requirements

 

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support