COVID School Closure resources
There are so many new, free to access, online resources out there. This is from Kew Gardens
Click on the title above to watch the animated film about planting to make the world a better place.
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The Promise is a new BBC film based on the children’s picture book by Nicola Davies and Laura Carlin. We want to support families and communities to seek action from those with power to bring nature back into the places we live. We will be having a go at planting this week in the woods.
Forest School Day
​October 9th, 2020
An annual celebration day to connect, share and celebrate everything that is great and wonderful about forest school.
Here at Sawpit Woods we are always grateful for our experiences at Forest School. We will be thinking about reasons we are grateful for Forest School this week and next. Why are you grateful for Forest School?#ForestSchoolDay
We've got a little survey to help us continue to make our sessions as brilliant as they can be for all involved
We found this link which shows an approach to activities in nature, that promotes positive ways to connect with nature.
What is the time Mother Nature?
We found this beautiful clock of wildflowers
Tree Planting
Woodland Trust Community Tree pack
November 2020
We applied to the woodland trust for some trees for a community tree planting event. And we have been successful! We are receiving 400 trees in November, so will be in touch with details of planting once we know a confirmed date of delivery.
The Big Butterfly Count
We are going to be doing this next week in the woods. Down load the app for info about how to identify and record how many butterflies you can see in 15 minutes.
We are calling for a Nature Premium to fund regular nature experiences for every child.‘We believe that the Nature Premium would improve children’s mental and physical wellbeing after lockdown and demonstrate a positive investment in their future development as part of the Green Recovery’. Lily Horseman, Chair of the Forest School Association
The Nature Premium would help children recover from lockdown and set them up to learn. Research published in 2018 showed that children used more energy on a school day with Forest School (playing in woods), than on a school day with P.E. Wildlife Trust research also found that natural environments can play a key role in increasing physical activity levels. It could be that not all children enjoy organised games and team competition, playing in a nature rich environment is more inclusive.
Watch the film, sign the petition, share with others @naturepremiumuk
We found this pdf online about why trees are so brilliant.
Summer woodland play and learning
We have got a couple of spaces due to peoples changing plans. Send us a message and we will see if we can fit you in!
People's engagement with nature
From 2009 to 2019, Natural England ran the Monitor of Engagement of the Natural Environment (MENE) survey. It collected data about outdoor recreation, pro-environmental behaviours, attitudestowards and engagement with the natural environment.
Plant portraits
Seeing as it is mid May, we thought we'd create a new May based Bingo card or two
May Wildflower bingo
May Wildflower bingo 2
Don’t miss out on any of our media coverage.
Whispering Earth
This was sent in by the lovely Vics, whose son Max usually explores in the woods with us every week. It has some great ideas of things to forage and explore with the children. The cleaver juice is a favourite of ours and the wonderful plantain leaves are a fantastic healer of small wounds and scrapes. Have a look and see what you can forage with the small people in your lives.
Beltain
The beginning of May sees the festival of Beltain. (Goodly – Fire : Bel-tene) It is a time to honour, in particular the flowering of this season – so pertinent for 2020. It celebrates the transition from spring to summer and to secure a green summer full of fruiting and promise for the autumn harvesting…an ancient festival celebrated throughout Europe, particularly Celtic Europe.
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It is a time for May festivals and Maypole dancing, which we are sadly missing this year.
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And then there is Venus, female energy and in the evening sky it is shining its brightest; Venus is the symbol of love and Beltain.
This is a gorgeously hypnotic film showing the lifecycle of plants. Enjoy.
TED Ed Earth School
Fancy embarking on a month of daily adventures – or Quests – that will help you understand and celebrate our natural world while learning about how dependent we are on our planet?
Teacher uses the pavement as a blackboard
For all those of you who have ever hung out with a small person obsessed with machines and tools....the chainsaw makers STIHL have created some great tree identification resources; with well designed information and interesting facts and details.
Here is our friend Finn with his favourite chainsaw. And Jack and Fergus with their father's chainsaw. Risk benefit analysis: Obviously the safety of the footwear needs revision before use. But between them, the've got ear protectors, helmets and the gloves are a must! They have evidently got the curiosity and the enthusiasm for using tools. Hours of engagement lie ahead. So now they've got some Tree ID sheets, nothing can stop them all!
Wildflower Hunting
This has a great resource for spotting wildflowers in different environments...woods, country and town plant ID.
April Wildflower Bingo
Inspired by our daily walks and those of our friends and family. Here is a little bit of Bingo to use to engage with the plants and flowers which are out and about this month.
There are many ways that you and your family can experience the moments of joy that nature gives us. Use all your senses to explore the sights, sounds, smells and textures of the natural world around you.
The guardian newspaper have this feature every Monday
Get connected to nature
Noticing Nature
The first report in the Everyone Needs Nature series
