East Lothian Forest Schools

Many thanks to Juliet Robertson of Creative Star learning for this round up of useful information.

EMERGENCY CALLS FROM A MOBILE – DIAL 112

Some important information about the 112 emergency service number when using a mobile phone which many of us will not have heard about before. Please take the time to watch this wee film as it may save a life.

 WWF – GREEN AMBASSADORS SCHEME & AWARDS

Register your schools for this great scheme provided by WWF to educate a generation on sustainability in schools and how to look after our planet. A short film can be viewed on the website giving more information and introducing the fun characters that will guide the children along their journey learning about topics such as recycling, water, food and greener travel. Also, WWF’s President HRH The Prince of Wales, has announced the new Green Ambassadors Awards through a short message to schools. In this film HRH tells of meeting members of the scheme and how inspired he has been by their ideas, hence creating an award for pupils and teachers who have made remarkable effort to protect the environment and embrace sustainability. For your chance to win some fantastic prizes you can apply online.

BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION

Interested in Butterflies? Want to know more about the species? Then take a look at this website. Full of facts and beautiful photos of many multi coloured butterflies , the website also provides details of the species you may find in your area. And provides you with a great New Years Resolution of making your own wildlife garden. 

LEARNING RESOURCES – SATROSPHERE

Satrosphere have a list of Teacher guides and Classroom Activities via their website which can be downloaded. Some of the topics on offer are: Renewable Energy Workshop, Bug Show and Tell and a Volcano workshop, which are all aimed at specific ages from Early years through to 4th.

 LEARNING RESOURCES – FORESTRY COMMISSION

‘Trees and the Scottish Enlightenment’ is an outline of the story of the Enlightenment and the beginnings of modern forestry and is intended as a brief introduction to a complex subject, which is complemented by the more detailed stories told in ‘Trees, People and the Country Estate’
(available online). This great learning resource has been developed by Sally York, Bonnie Maggio and Nicholas Shepherd.

There will be a printed version of the shorter resource ‘Trees and the Scottish Enlightenment’ available in the New Year. The resource, plus the longer version ‘Trees, People and the Country Estate’ developed by Christopher and Jackie Lee,  are now online athttp://www.foresteducation.org/search/site/search&keywords=enlightenment
&channel=learning_resources+regional_downloads&x=87&y=9/

And remember the equally fantastic ‘Wolf Brother’s Wildwoods’ resource, which blends learning about the Scottish Mesolithic with learning about our Native Woodlands, is also available online at http://www.foresteducation.org/search/site/search&keywords=wolf&channel=
learning_resources+regional_downloads/

New resource available on the FEI website

FREE: exploring the learning possibilities of a place near you (East Scotland)

Building on Education Scotland’s successful ‘3-18 Places Project’, this FREE half day event will prepare you to build the curriculum around the possibilities of an outdoor place near your school. We aim to give you an inspiring and enjoyable day that will open your eyes to the many possibilities of teaching outdoors in a local space, and leave you with practical ideas for how to get started.

Venue

Apri. 15th 2013 1:30pm – 5:30pm

Hermitage of Braid, Edinburgh. EH10, UK

THIS EVENT WILL BE OUTDOORS SO PLEASE CHECK THE WEATHER FORECAST AND DRESS APPROPRIATELY.

Date

15 April 2013

Click On this link to Grounds for Learning website for more info http://www.ltl.org.uk/resources/results.php?id=620

Great resource from John Muir Trust

http://www.jmt.org/assets/john%20muir%20award/downloads/jmt_cfe_final-1.pdf

Steven Wray

Support from the Start – East & Midlothian’s Equally Well test site has supported the development of forest school and nature play and nurture over the last two years. Staff and volunteers have been trained through different levels of training, and equipment has been purchased. Lots of children have had time in the woodlands of East Lothian as part of their learning at school or nursery.

Its time to celebrate the hard work of everybody that has been involved, and to tell the stories of its impact on children.

Sanderson’s Wynd have kindly agreed to host a celebration on Friday 28th October – a programme is being developed for circulation at the start of the new term – but put this date in your diary.

If you have been involved if forest school or nature play in East or Midlothian and want to tell your story then you can do that at this event. I am very keen to get people to display children’s work connected to forest school, and to hear from teachers / rangers and volunteers if their are particular stories abut the impact of a forest school.

For more information – contact myself or Tina Misselbrook

Regards

Steven Wray

swray@eastlothian.gov.uk