Holidays are supposed to be a time of joy and celebration, but for some people, December is a tough time of year.  One setting which recognises the healing power of nature and strives to promote health and well-being is the Woodland Skills Centre, Bodfari, Denbighshire.  The community-owned, not-for-profit Social Enterprise company runs wide-ranging social prescribing programmes supporting people of all ages.  The centre offers the Agored Cymru Level 3 accredited, Wellbeing in Nature Practitioner training course.  Rod Waterfield from the centre explains what the course involves:

“Completing a ‘Wellbeing in Nature Practitioner, Level 3 Certificate’ develops an understanding of the principles of well-being, develops effective facilitation and leadership skills and qualifies practitioners to lead nature-based well-being groups.  Anyone who is currently working with groups who support improvements in health and well-being or has an interest in developing their skills in order to work in this sector may be interested in gaining accreditation.”

The certificate consists of 3 mandatory units:

• Principles of well-being in nature
• Facilitating well-being in nature (including a practical assessment)
• Sustainable use of natural resources

If you are interested in learning more about this qualification, please contact the Wales Outdoor Learning Training Network who will point in you in the direction of a suitably qualified and endorsed trainer local to you.  You can learn more about the Woodland Skills Centre by checking out their website.

According to Forest Research’s Forestry Facts & Figures 2021 report, the total woodland area in the UK has increased by 23,000 hectares since 2020. The publication includes UK statistics on woodland cover, timber and wood products, imports and exports, economics, employment, woodland visits and international comparisons.  Why not got your learners learning more about our ‘tree-mendous’ trees and woodlands with some of the resources we have on our webpage before analysing and interpreting the data held in the report. 

In a nutshell, Natur a Ni/ Nature and Us is a year-long project to involve the people of Wales in a national conversation about the future of our natural environment. The aim is to develop a shared vision for the year 2050, by encouraging people to share views about their relationship with the natural environment and consider the changes we need to make leading up to 2030 and 2050, as individuals and as a country.  It will build on messages from COP26 and will look at how society’s relationship with nature needs to change and what changes we need to make to adapt over the next 30 years. 

The national conversation is a collaborative effort, involving lots of different people and organisations, from young children to big companies. Everyone can have their say. It will be an inclusive and COVID-friendly process that asks people to share their views by completing surveys, joining interactive webinars, attending workshops, and taking part in focus groups.  

We are aiming to launch in early 2022 and we would love as many education settings as possible to take part either as individuals, a class or as a school. There will be a toolkit of products available including videos and an activity plan to support completing a survey. Webinars explaining more will be offered along with our other courses on Tocyn Cymru.  We will forward further information to you about this as soon as it’s available.

Melanie Treadwell, (pictured third from right) a teacher at Coychurch Primary School in Bridgend has taken part in the Office for Climate Education's first ever 'Teachers COP' event, presenting the eco-work of the school to a global audience.  Melanie is one of only three UK-based teachers chosen to make a presentation on leading the way in Climate Education at the event, and the only primary school teacher to do so.  The event in Glasgow, which preceded the COP26 climate change conference, involved teachers from around the world and provided an opportunity to vote on adopting a statement with concrete propositions to improve climate change education.

Following the event, Melanie said: "I want our children to be ethically informed citizens and understand climate change and create a sustainable future for themselves, their communities and beyond.  The ethos of the school is vital and, working alongside other outside agencies, we will continue to reflect and strive to make a positive, achievable difference."  Learn more about Melanie’s time at the Teachers COP event here.

Held at Theatr Clwyd, Mold, Flintshire on the 1^st November 2021, and hosted by the naturalist, Iolo Williams, the event was held in partnership with GwE, Natural Resources Wales, Wrexham Glyndwr University, RENEW Wales and other strategic partners.  Bringing together 100 primary and secondary pupils from across North Wales, the event gave a platform for pupils to talk about the climate crisis and share their experiences and ideas as to what could help make a difference. Each school gave a TED talk which was filmed, links below.

• Pupils from Ysgol Uwchradd Bodedern, Anglesey discussed hydroponics and vertical farming.
• Ysgol Maesglas, Holywell, Flintshire, students called for action in helping to secure solar energy for schools.
• Pupils from Ysgol Pentrecelyn, near Ruthin, Denbighshire, questioned the need for the produce to make their school lunches having to travel as far as it does.
• Concerned about deforestation in favour of the production of palm oil, Ysgol Cystennin, Colwyn Bay, Conwy, asked everyone to only buy produce that contained certified sustainable palm oil.
• Alun High School, Mold, Flintshire, pupils (pictured) discussed the introduction of Meat-free Mondays in their school. Whilst pupil, Seren Dovey Evans called on attendees to take responsibility, make a difference and change their mindset.
• Castell Alun, Hope Wrexham - One speaker described her morning routine and it’s impact on the planet and suggested that we can all change our routine to contribute to change.  Whilst the next two speakers from the school spoke about ocean acidification, the ongoing decrease in the pH value of the Earth's oceans, caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere which is killing a long list of ecologically important marine species.

• Ysgol Cerrigydrudion, Conwy, pupils discussed food miles and the importance of shopping fairly, and responsibly.
• Representatives from Ysgol Y Foel, Cilcain, Flintshire, shared information about their school’s decarbonisation project and called for other schools to follow suit.
• Ysgol San Sior, Llandudno, Conwy, pupils voiced concerns about plastic pollution and microplastics. Using eco-bricks made at the school: plastic bottles filled with single-use plastics, the pupils are looking to build an eco-brick building on the school grounds in the future.
• Encouraging the audience to plant for pollinators, Ysgol Clywedog, Wrexham pupils stressed that we should all follow the example of bees and take back control of our future by coming together in a swarm to make a difference.
• Lastly, pupils from Ysgol Abererch, Pwllheli, Gwynedd reported on the importance of gardening for the planet and for pupil well-being. Believing it is a great stress reliever, they have created their own allotment at the school.

The Creative Engagement team from the theatre worked with the pupils present to write a song summing up their hopes and fears for the future.  Looking forward, the partners hope to continue to support all schools involved and encourage other schools from across the region and further afield to recreate some of the projects described.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is about to start work to make sure Wales’ largest natural lake, Llyn Tegid in Bala, remains safe in the long-term.  Although Llyn Tegid is a natural lake, it also needs to be managed under reservoir legislation as the lake’s embankments give protection from flooding to the town of Bala.  The lake also plays a vital role in managing floods and for recreation and industry in the Dee Valley.  The works involve strengthening embankments and replacing the lakeshore wave rock protection, with construction starting in January 2022 and lasting until Spring 2023.  A new video explaining the project can be accessed here.  We hope to share further updates in the coming months to help education settings learn more about reservoir safety and what we’re doing to minimise disruption.  

Teaching, and educating is a rewarding profession, providing you with opportunity to make an impact on a future generation. No two days are ever the same, but it can also be difficult and draining. When difficult subjects or questions come up, it’s not easy being a teacher or educator, especially when that subject is climate change – a complex, unsettling and daunting topic. But teachers and educators are often the first and best source of trusted information for children. You are the people who can help them cope with the big feelings that inevitably ensue upon realising future climate change related difficulties. How do you do so without creating an anxious or, perhaps worse, a despondent child?  Fortunately, you don’t have to be an expert to talk to your learners about the climate crisis.  Our ‘Climate change emergency – there is no planet B’ resources walk you through some of the causes and consequences of climate change as well as share what’s being done to combat it and how everyone young and old can play their part.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is working with Flintshire County Council to increase outdoor learning opportunities for learners across the county by providing training and support for schoolteachers and practitioners so that they can increase the amount of time spent learning in, about and for the natural environment.  Initial research by Flintshire County Council’s Education team suggests that, currently, Foundation Phase pupils in the county spend around 30% of their time in outdoor spaces adjacent to their classes, whilst Key Stage 2 learners spend about 10% of their time on outdoor activities.  The Council has partnered with NRW to help achieve the aim of increasing the amount of outdoor learning that is delivered by schools in the county, especially amongst 7-11 year olds.

Jane Borthwick, Senior Learning Adviser at Flintshire County Council explained: “We have added a bespoke target to our annual business plan to support our schools to increase outdoor learning.  We know there is very good practice in delivery of the forest school approach in the county and that schools do focus on outdoor learning through focused days and sessions. Our aim is to equip more practitioners across more schools to be able to provide learning in the outdoors as a natural element of the Curriculum.  As part of the Flintshire business plan, and in conjunction with the regional school improvement service, GwE, we are offering a series of training and access opportunities for teachers and pupils to get into the outdoors and gain more strategies for effective outdoor learning.  We’re absolutely delighted to launch this programme with a series of introductory sessions led by NRW over this half term.”

Sue Williams, NRW Team Leader for Health, Education and Natural Resources said: “We really commend Flintshire County Council on its county-wide approach to outdoor learning.  The Welsh Government’s guidance on the new Curriculum for Wales states that there should be parity between indoor and outdoor learning. Using evidence from their schools’ survey, it’s great to see the Council act proactively to increase how much learning is done outdoors to bring it closer to the amount of time spent in the classroom.  We’ve designed our sessions to be as interactive and hands on as possible in a way that gives teachers the motivation and the tools to be able to deliver more learning experiences in an outdoor setting and help establish pro-environmental behaviours from a young age.”

Would you like regular outdoor learning updates and news?  Why not follow the Outdoor Learning Wales Twitter account or closed Facebook Group which both offer a platform to keep up-to-date, spread the word of ongoing projects and facilitate discussions with anyone with an interest in outdoor learning and environmental education in Wales. 

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