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 At last, we are springing forward into March! It is a busy month, as nature wakes up from winter and buds start bursting, welcoming the first day of spring, the day of the astronomical vernal equinox. This usually occurs on 21st March, with the arrival of British Summer Time seeing the clocks going forward 1 hour at 1 am on the last Sunday of the month. At this time of year it’s often showery, but days will get a little longer, and we will begin to see busy bees, dazzling daffodils, bursting blossoms and beautiful butterflies.
Many other cultures mark the beginning of springtime too. International Nowruz Day is one such celebration enjoyed by more than 300 million people around the world, particularly in Central Asia, the Middle East and the Balkans. Nowruz means new day, observing the first day of spring, renewal, and living life in harmony with nature. It is also the Iranian New Year, having been celebrated for more than 3,000 years. Nowruz is noted as an ancestral festivity by the United Nations due to its cultural significance.
Holi, celebrated in March, throughout North India, is an ancient Hindu festival celebrating spring, new beginnings, and love. This festival is famous for its bright colours and people throwing coloured powder.
Does your setting celebrate the coming of spring? What other national and global spring celebrations can your learners find out about?
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As well as being the first day of Spring, the 21st March is also International Day of Forests. It aims to celebrate and raise awareness of all types of forests and the benefits they provide. Our wonderful forests and woodlands help to purify water, clean air, capture carbon to mitigate climate change, provide food and medicines, and improve our well-being by giving us places to spend time in.
Our Trees and Woodlands webpages have everything you need to immerse your budding future foresters in finding out about how forests are managed, trying their hand at tree measuring, or digging the dirt on planting trees.
Add in a bit of DCF by getting involved in a citizen science project recording first leaf sightings of a range of trees from Alder to Rowan, on the Woodland Trust Nature Calendar.
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Does your group love learning about and helping nature? If you are teaching your learners about environmental topics, you could win up to £2000 for your school!
Unlimited learners aged 5 to 11 can enter up to 4 projects per school. Suitable projects can be in any of the 4 categories: being a green action taker, green entrepreneur, green creator, or green researcher. Deadline for entries is 3rd May 2024. You can check out examples of previous winning projects and how to register here.
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Books can be used as aids to promote learning in, learning about and learning for the natural environment as Heti, aged 7 explains in a short film. Having read the book ‘Tidy’ by Emily Gravett with her Mum, Heti wanted to go out to a nearby woodland to learn more about woodlands and the animals that live there. Enthused by the book, she took part in a range of hands-on outdoor learning activities that relate to the story and concludes by encouraging all of us to do little things to help nature.
Watch the film.
Ysgol Sychdyn primary school drew inspiration from the same book as Heti, as they learnt more about the sustainable management of natural resources.
Find out more in this film.
Books are a wonderful resource for introducing and deepening learners’ knowledge and understanding about the natural environment. We’ve developed a ‘Branching Out into Books’ booklist that will help your learners understand trees, woodlands and the creatures that live within them.
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Welsh Government is offering Coetiroedd Bach Grants to help learners connect to nature through creating Tiny Forests (the size of a tennis court). Funding is available with three online webinars/information sessions and two Open Days at Coetiroedd Bach sites coming up if you would like to find out more.
Webinars:
Open Days:
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Having a bit of a spring clean can be good for our well-being. According to the British Journal of Sports Medicine, just 20 minutes of cleaning can reduce stress and anxiety levels by as much as 20%. Adults and children can feel the benefits by decluttering and cleaning up around the home, or at school. Cleaning makes us more physically active, feel accomplished and reduces our stress levels. A spring clean-up around your local area promotes those feel good vibes as well, so how about organising a local litter pick and join the Great British Spring Clean. Take a picture, upload to social media using #LitterHeroes, to encourage others to do the same.
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Bursaries are currently available for young people aged 14 – 25 years to jump on board Challenge Wales and take part in transformative, personal development activities at sea. Through sailing Challenge Wales and being part of the crew (don’t worry NO sailing experience is required and all waterproofs, equipment are provided), young people will have the opportunity to improve their teamwork and communication skills, resilience; grow their self-confidence, improve their mental health and increase their awareness of Ocean literacy through citizen science and on board learning activities.
2024 activities include day voyages, mini-residential experiences and longer voyages, for both individuals and groups, enabling young people to learn, have fun and make lots of memories. In addition, Challenge Wales offers Gold DofE Award Residential activities, the John Muir Award, as well as Agored Cymru accreditation – all great for a developing CV.
With voyages currently starting from as little as £25 (which includes a full bursary) this is a fantastic opportunity to broaden horizons and experience the natural environment from a different perspective. In 2024 Challenge Wales will be sailing in the Bristol Channel, looking at ecosystems on Lundy Island and sailing further afield with voyages around Scotland, West Wales, Plymouth and Guernsey to name a few! Early booking is recommended!!
For full details of all voyages and bursaries visit https://challengewales.org/sailing
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In Wales, 5 sites have been designated as Special Areas of Conservation as part of the Natura 2000 network to try to preserve healthy habitats for the rare Great Crested Newt. Newts are amphibians, which hibernate during winter, and will wake up, sometimes as early as January, and make their way to a pond to find a mate.
Find out more about these amazing creatures by watching this short film.
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Show nature some love by switching off for Earth Hour on Saturday, 23rd March. Earth Hour is a moment of unity that brings the world together to shine a spotlight on the nature climate emergencies. Unplug your devices, lights, and other non-essential power users, from 8:30 pm until 9:30 pm.
Use the down time to enhance your health and take an evening stroll, do some meditation or yoga, or talk to each other about what nature means to you.
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Great searchable species databases that support language skills in English, Welsh and Latin. Check these out:
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What will you be doing to celebrate Wales’ biggest and best classroom, our amazing natural environment, this year?
Whether you are planning to involve your group in simple gardening activities, taking a year group out exploring the local community, or a full scale celebration of nature across the whole school or cluster, make sure the week of 22nd to the 28th April, is in the diary.
If your learners are having their say on what they want to do for #WalesOutdoorLearningWeek, we would love to hear all about it. We might even be able to make a case study to inspire others! Tell us more by getting in contact at education@naturalresourceswales.go.uk.
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Join our webinars for ideas to take your teaching or leading into the natural environment.
Coming soon:
Life on the rivers Dee & Taff
13th March 4.15pm Presented in English
14th March 4.15pm Presented in Welsh
Wales Coast Path - Your route to coastal learning
19th March, 4.15pm - Presented in English
20th March, 4.15 pm - Presented in Welsh
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Our Education, learning and play YouTube playlist offers a range of a short how-to videos to provide inspiration for some outdoor adventures.
Would you like regular outdoor learning updates and news? Why not follow the Outdoor Learning Wales X account or join the 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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