Posted on: October 18, 2011
Some quiet time to reflect.
Children playing outdoors and groups being taken in to natural spaces is nothing new. Forest School in the UK has been developed over the last 15 years through influences from Scandinavia but also from a long history in the UK of groups playing and learning outside.
What is starting to develop now is a wealth of both informal and formal observations and case studies of the benefits of supporting groups of all ages to access nature. Anyone who has come across Richard Louv’s book Last Child in the Woods will be more than convinced by the need to get children out in to green spaces. Over the last 10 years Forest Research, which is part of the Forestry Commission, has expanded its research to explore in detail the ways in which trees benefit wider society. The breadth of evidence presented by Forest Research of spending time in woodlands along with books such as Sara Knight’s Forest School for All helps to establish the importance of these experiences for all of us.
Common themes emerge from Richard Louv’s overview of global research and of the work of Sara Knight and researchers at Forest Research. Experiences in nature, particularly but not exclusively for children, have the potential to provide the following key benefits: Increased confidence; Increased social skills; Improved language and communication; Improved motivation and concentration; Improved physical fitness and ability and increased levels of interest in and concern for nature. An important point as highlighted by Richard Louv is that if society does value the benefits of spending time in the natural world then it is important that children develop a lasting and caring relationship for it as they will be its future stewards.
Locally the work of the Natural Connections project, at the Forest of Avon Trust, and Rowena Kenny, of Forest Foundations, have explored these themes through case study projects in the Bristol area.
Rowena’s in depth Exploratory Case Study of Forest School in the Early Years Foundation Stage and her wider work can be found online here.
Jon Attwood’s case study project in partnership with Twerton First Steps Nursery in B&NES can be downloaded here.
Posted on: October 14, 2011
Exploring natural colours in the woods and creating a Natures Palette
Sessions run by Natural Connections to work with Adults with Learning Disabilities are being further developed through a new project ‘Into the Woods’. The development of a new partnership with the Silvanus Trust and the Faculty of Education at the University of Plymouth has made it possible to extend this work and explore in more detail the potential benefits. The project is being developed and run by Nicola Ramsden and Rachel Tomlinson for the Forest of Avon Trust and has three main aims:
- To explore what people think and feel about their involvement in woodland activities and how their experiences contribute to their personal and social wellbeing;
- To help people providing these activities to establish the benefit they have;
- To share the results and any lessons for best practice, with other people who provide woodland activities, as well as funders and researchers.
Information and feedback will be collected before, during and after the six sessions being run with the groups, from Shirelink day care centre and City of Bristol College. A report will be produced evaluating ‘Into the Woods’ and findings will be used to inform best practice.
Posted on: September 20, 2011
We are looking for a committed person to support our winter tree planting work with communities in Bristol and beyond. You will need to be able to work with a range of community groups to plan schemes and plant trees. If you can spare 15 hours a week, want some great experience and to make a real difference, please download the attached file and give Jon Clark a call on (0117) 963 3383.
Community Trees Officer_9.11
Posted on: August 18, 2011
You’ve heard about Forest School – now come and experience one! This course offers the opportunity to develop confidence, skills and knowledge in order to work with groups in an outdoor setting. The course will be taught at Lawrence Weston Community Farm in North West Bristol by Jon Attwood from the Forest of Avon Trust. 
Over the two days you will:
- Experience a Forest School session
- Explore the benefits of using a Forest School approach with groups of all ages.
- Learn practical skills and activities to use with groups in an outside setting.
- Develop an understanding of how to work safely in a woodland environment.
This level 1 course is suitable for anyone with an interest in leading and supporting groups in a natural outdoor setting. The cost of the course is £190.00.
This course also provides a stepping stone for those who want to go on and take the Forest School Leaders Course Level 3 (due to be delivered in July 2012- Please call for more details)
For further information please contact Jon at the Forest of Avon Trust: jonattwood@forestofavontrust.org 0117 9633383. To book contact Kerry at Lawrence Weston Community Farm: kerry@lwfarm.org.uk 0117 9381128.
Comment from previous delegates;
“I loved the experience of being outside, this has made me really enthusiastic”
“Meeting others, fun practical activities that allowed me to be a child again”
“The resources that have been brought in are fantastic and have supported the activities brilliantly”
introductiontoforestschoolnovember2011
Posted on: June 30, 2011
Inside The Wild About Tree Tent, Crowds gather to sample the activities.
On Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th June 2011 The Forest of Avon Trust took part at the Festival of Nature in Bristol. Preparations began on Thursday to dress the marquee. Our marquee, called “Wild about trees” was shared with Bristol City Council and Avon Gorge and Downs project based at Bristol Zoo. Huge thanks go to John Lewis Cribbs Causeway Visual Merchandise Team who very kindly brought to life our visions for the sensory woodland and produced the displays, signs and interactivities for our woodland trail. Activities were on offer such as feely boxes filled with forest material, sounds & smells from the woodlands all designed to tempt visitors to share with us their views and feelings when in the woods. A memory tree shown above, invited those who had gone through the sensory boxes to share their memories that were prevoked as a result by writing them down onto a sticky flowerpad. These were then placed onto the branches of the tree. Some of the memorable experiences written down were:-
“Discovering wild strawberries in a wood in Yorkshire when I was 9″
”Walking up a river through the woods in our boots”
“Playing hide and seek in the woods with my friends and coming home smelling of forest”
Thanks also to Almondsbury Garden Centre for the loan of some fantastic plants to decorate the marquee and to Timberland from The Mall at Cribbs Causeway who eagerly volunteered to help run the actvities. They also donated a pair of Earth Keeper Boat shoes that were used as a prize draw for those who completed a feedback form and were won by Matthew Hanbidge from Bristol.
Posted on: June 20, 2011
Wellsway Secondary School worked with neighbours Chandag Junior in Keynsham to plant boundary hedgerows this spring. Trees were provided under the Trust’s Free Trees scheme.
