outdoor & woodland learning scotland bulletin january ... · entry is open to nursery, primary,...
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Outdoor & Woodland Learning Scotland Bulletin
January/February 2019
Welcome to the OWL Scotland bulletin which contains content from the Outdoor Learning Wales bulletin– Thank you to OLW for letting us share their bulletin! You can find more information on Outdoor Learning Wales here. If you have items for inclusion in the bulletin please send them to [email protected]
OWL Scotland – National News
New Resources Leaflet
We have produced a new leaflet outlining our Free Education Resources and how to
download or order them.
OWL Scotland National Networking Event
67 people participated enthusiastically in the national networking event at Dounans,
Aberfoyle from Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th February. Workshops included Winter Play, Fire
Old and New, Sustainable Forest Management, Wood carving skills, Outsider Decider and
Felt Feet. Everyone learnt something and there was a buzz of networking as new contacts
were made and ideas and practices exchanged.
OWL Scotland Review 2017/18 PublisheThe latest OWL Scotland Report for 2017/18 is now available. The review reports on the activities of OWL Scotland nationally and locally and shows the scope of outdoor learning activities being undertaken throughout Scotland. It includes local case studies and output statistics. Thank you to everyone who contributed and to all the OWL Groups and their members for their hard work and enthusiasm throughout the year.
Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards
Scotland’s Finest Woods (SFW) and the Outdoor & Woodland Learning Scotland (OWLS) have once again teamed up to run an annual Schools Award in Scotland for 2019. The Award is to encourage and reward schools that increase young people’s understanding and appreciation of the environmental, social and economic potential of trees, woodlands and forests and of the link between trees and everyday wood-based products.
We are now open for the 2019 competition and would love you to enter! Who can enter? Entry is open to nursery, primary, secondary and special schools anywhere in Scotland.
What sort of project is eligible? Entries can be practical or desk projects involving forestry, woodlands or trees. Here are some examples of projects that can be entered:
A programme of learning in a woodland or forest environment or in a forest industry setting. A classroom-based study of woods and forests or the forest industry. Practical tree planting or woodland improvement projects in school grounds or in the local community.
To enter the 2019 award competition go to www.sfwa.co.uk
Outdoor Learning Wales Collaboration
OWL Scotland and Outdoor Learning Wales have been successfully collaborating for
many years.
OLW recently published their version of the OWL Scotland “Tree Measuring”
Resource in both English and Welsh.
Cysylltu Coed a Chwricwlwm Cymru
Outdoor Learning Wales have a good selection of resources for outdoor learning on their
website in both English and Welsh.
Local OWL Events and News: Ayrshire OWL
“O” Factor Event
The ‘O’ Factor is organised by EAC Learning Outdoors Team to showcase good
practice in outdoor learning across the authority. Partner organisations – such as
OWL Scotland, the Field Studies Council, Cumbrae Watersports, Duke of Edinburgh
Award, Archaeology Scotland , the Royal Horticultural Society, RHET and Scottish
Natural Heritage - are also invited to the event to signpost the great services and
experiences they offer to young people.
The ‘O’ Factor is an opportunity to celebrate the best in teaching and outdoor
learning. Staff and pupils vote for those schools and individuals they believe are
delivering innovation and fun in outdoor learning. Votes are awarded in 4 categories
– Brilliant Residentials, Secondary Schools Outdoor Excellence, Special Education,
Primary and Early Childhood Centres. An Excellent Outdoor Teacher Award was
presented to Beth McGuffie of Loudon Academy.
Forth Valley OWL Group
Calendar of Events
Month Time/Date Location Skill share Input by
March 4pm, 4th March
RSPB Skinflats Bothkennar Research Station, Haughs of Airth, Falkirk, FK2 8PP
Fauna ID Ami (RSPB)
April 5pm, 3rd April Falkirk Sewing Studio, Callendar Square Shopping Centre, High Street, Falkirk FK1 1DU
Outdoor Cooking
Dani Lisney, Woodcraft Folk (at Callendar Park, 6.30pm)
May 4pm, 16th May
Balmaha Visitor Centre, Balmaha, G63 0JQ
Flora ID Ali Cush (Loch Lomond and Trossachs NP)
June 4pm, 13th June
Plean Country Park, Cadgers Loan, Plean, Stirlingshire. FK7 8BB
Foraging Di Blackmore
Dumfries and Galloway OWL Group
Although we had to have both an AGM and an EGM to be quorate DGOWL has appointed a
new committee with Co-Chairs Elizabeth Tindal and Lusi Alderslowe; Secretary, Simon
MacRae and Treasurer, Kirsty Tomlinson. The committee felt that we needed a plan for the
future of DGOWL and have started a visioning process with members to create a strong and
forward looking group. If any other OWL groups have been through a similar process we
would love to hear from them.
The visioning process took up most of our indoor meeting in December so it was lovely after
lunch to head outside and have our Skills Share with Darren Flint, Castle Loch Lochmaben
Community Trust’s Project Officer exploring Castle Loch. We walked along the stretch of
footpath put in by volunteers and contractors after the community buy out in 2014 and
opened up the site for walkers to complete a full 5km circuit of the loch. It is a popular path
with 18,000 people completing the loop annually, including local residents who regularly
walk the woodland and grassland paths and visitors to the area exploring for the first time.
Around the site there are two well used forest school areas, wooden sculptures, bird hide and
castle ruins. Darren focused our attention on one particular area with a shared access track,
which becomes very muddy and churned up after wet weather and in winter, causing access
issues and an ongoing expense. Early in 2018 an adjacent area of woodland of some 20 acres
came up for sale and the Trust raised the funds to now purchase this. The initial steps will be
to remove the rhododendron and improve the broadleaf and wet woodland habitats for flora
and fauna and reroute the footpath away from the shared track, before creating some outdoor
learning activities.
Darren was interested in the rest of the group’s thoughts about the site’s potential for youth
engagement. Ideas included: Natural adventure playground, loose part play, rope trail, stumps
for seating/balancing/building, creating spaces for parents to sit, explorer rucksacks,
community engagement with grandparent morning and dad groups to explore the wood and
give their ideas, foraging, areas for lead outdoor sessions to forage, make jam, cook…
Anyone can attend our meetings and skills shares and we are looking forward to having some
Ayrshire OWLs visiting in February. Our meetings are still every second month on the 8th
and we are visiting WWT Caerlaverock on Feb 8th with our skills share on waterfowl and
their management. Next Babes in the Wood Head-quarters on 8th April with our skills share
concentrating on preschool and permaculture. Then June 8th is World Oceans Day so we will
be meeting at a beach.
Greater Glasgow OWL Group (GROWL) Summer Foraging Course 21 July, 2019, near Kirkudbright, SW Scotland. Guided forest, hedgerow and coastal foraging walk with Mark from Galloway Wild Foods, especially tailored for GROWL members. (Also open to D & G OWL Members if there are spaces). Free Skillshare events Join us for our quarterly seasonal skillshare events. A great chance to hear the latest GROWL news, learn new ideas to facilitate outdoor learning and meet great people around a fire. Bring along something to share if you can - eg. a song, a recipe, a game, a craft - relating to the season. Spring skillshare - 6-8pm, Thurs 7 March The Children's Wood, North Kelvin Meadow, G20 8QX Email us at [email protected] to reserve your free place One day training event designed by The Children's Wood for people working with pre-school and 'early level' children up to aged 8. The course will teach you the basics of getting children outdoors for play and learning, and why this is important for learning and development. To book, you must be a member of GROWL. Email [email protected] for more information about becoming a member or to book. The GROWL Development Officer has been focusing on building an online directory which will map all the Outdoor and Woodland Learning providers and practitioners in the Glasgow region. If you live or work in the area (either personally or via an organisation), please fill in this survey, to automatically become a GROWL member giving you access to CPD training, use of kit and to appear on our online directory (optional). We have also been developing our membership scheme, our fundraising proposal system and events programme and improving in general the way we operate. GROWL are currently looking for funding for a secure shed to store our communal outdoor education kit on the site of our partners, Glasgow Botanic Gardens. If you know of any second-hand sheds or funding for a new one, please get in touch! We need £500 to make this happen and hope to create a resource for all our members!
Moray OWL Group Workshop Calendar 2019 All workshops are FREE - 10:00am-12:00 (unless stated otherwise) and should be booked in advance with the contact details given below for each workshop. Saturday 16th March - Greenwood Working with Gedwood. Introduction to greenwood working, tools and techniques. Make your own mallet to take away. At: 2 Parkmore Distillery Cottages, Dufftown, AB55 4DL Contact: [email protected] Saturday 8th June - Running your School Garden with REAP – practical advice and activities for all ages to sow, grow and reap! At: Earthtime’s Outdoor Nursery, Duffus, IV30 5QB Contact: [email protected]. Saturday 8th June - Numeracy & Literacy in the Outdoors with Earthtime 12:30-2:30pm At: Earthtime’s Outdoor Nursery, Duffus, IV30 5QB. Ideas, activities & curriculum links to numeracy & literacy. Contact: [email protected] Saturday 14th September - Campfire Cooking with Fly Agaric. Simple ways to feed a group in the outdoors! At: Earthtime’s Outdoor Nursery, Duffus, IV30 5QB. Contact: [email protected] Saturday 9th November - Be Well, Be Wild with Earth for Life. An introduction to supporting mental wellbeing in outdoor work. 12:30-2:30pm at: Cluny Hill Woods, Forres. Meet outside Forres Library. Contact: [email protected]
South Highland OWL Group
Programme for 2019 Saturday CPD workshops
The South Highland Outdoor & Woodland Learning (OWL) Group exists to support outdoor learning across the southern half of the Highlands. This group is for outdoor learning practitioners, teachers, early years’ practitioners and anyone with an interest in outdoor learning. All workshops are FREE (except the accredited course on 23 March) and count for CPD time for teachers.
Choose from the list on the right and send your name & establishment to [email protected] who will then send a confirmation and location map for each workshop. Please bring your own lunch & outdoor clothing, we will provide hot drinks! Follow our FACEBOOK page: www.facebook.com/groups/SouthHighlandOWL/ 1. Wildlife Gardens and Wild Challenge Join Sarah Walker of RSPB to share a collection of simple wildlife garden ideas to help ‘Give Nature a Home’ in your school garden and achieve the wild challenge award with your class. Saturday 23 February at Green Drive Hall, Inverness from 10.00 – 13.00. Places still available
2. Campfire Food & Safety Course – special ACCREDITED COURSE REHIS accredited joint award. Join Julia Mackay (NESOLG) and B & R Safety
for formal training on food hygiene for use in campfire cooking in the outdoors. As this is accredited training, there is a CHARGE for each participant of £85. Anyone who signs up will get instructions on the payment method. The course will hopefully be delivered entirely outside (weather permitting) includes hands-on campfire preparation & cooking, discussion, observation & 30-minute multiple choice exam, which covers the course content. Saturday 23 March at Abriachan Forest Trust from 09.00 – 16.00. Max no of 15, places available. Charge of £85 per person.
West Fife OWL Group Workshops 2019 All workshops will run from 4- 5.30pm unless otherwise stated All bookings will be via Eventbrite. Links available on our page on OWL Scotland website March 6th - Managing Landscapes with Jenny Ventham FCS Venue: New Carden Plantation, Cardenden. Meet 4pm at Corrie Centre, Carden Ave, Cardenden. KY5 0EH. Learn how to brash, plant and sow. Looking at how to managing areas of woodland and other habitats. March 27th- Kelly Kettles with Jenny Ventham. Venue: Blairadam forest, Clentry near Kelty. Meet 4pm at Blairadam depot. KY4 0JQ. Learn safe use of Kelly kettles and fires. Please bring mug. Tea and coffee will be provided April 25th- Soil and Earthworms - Hayley Sherrard, SSERC Venue: SSERC, 2 Pitreavie Court, Dunfermline, KY11 8UU Take a closer look at the soil beneath our feet in this hands-on workshop. Find out more about the wonderful world of invertebrates as we get up close to some engaging earthworms and look at ways of bringing the outdoors indoors! April 30th - Risks and Benefits of Outdoor Learning with Jenny Ventham. Venue: Blairadam forest Clentry near Kelty. Meet 4pm at Blairadam depot. KY4 0JQ. Looking at risks of play and how to take safe risks. May 9th - Explore the Seashore with Lynn Daley and Karen Valentine. Venue: Aberdour (more details on booking) Explore the seashore and discover the amazing variety of life in this habitat. Find out how to identify key seashore animals and plants and get top tips for using the seashore as an outdoor learning venue. May 28th- Natural Weaving with Bethany Snaddon. Venue Lochore Meadows. Wild weaving encourages the exploration of colour, textures, materials and the outdoors. We will weave a picture that explores the landscape through its plant-life, learn how to make a weaving loom and weave on it using natural and found materials. Wild weavings are a great way to show off the places you have visited as well as being great for the birds and bugs in your garden. Date TBC - First Aid course 1 day emergency outdoor first aid
NEWS
The Forest and Outdoor Learning Awards (FOLA) Newbattle Abbey College have developed Forest College: a national centre to support leadership of adult and community learning outdoors and offers FOREST SKILLS COURSES. Find more details about the FOLA courses - a learner centred approach to developing the skills and understanding to work sustainably in forest and outdoor environments.
Research Document - Outdoor learning: closing the attainment gap in primary schoolchildren in Scotland by Jamie Hamilton This Research Note compares the performances of 71 primary schoolchildren carrying out curricular tasks in outdoor and indoor classroom settings. By observing, recording and analysing how the children performed in group activities taken from the Scottish curriculum, an evaluation could be made of the relative merits of indoor and outdoor learning. In general, the results show that the outdoors environment had a more positive impact on individual and group performance than the indoor classroom. The effect of the outdoor setting on underachieving pupils was particularly notable, improving their engagement, contribution and self-confidence to match that of their peers. The results also indicate that the indoor classroom setting was less motivating, especially for those children with learning difficulties. By contrast, the richness of the outdoor setting provided an equitable learning environment where both younger and older children thrived, not only as a place where they were able to think creatively and work independently, but one where they could also learn how to collaborate and effectively solve problems with others in their groups. Furthermore, it helped them develop an appreciation of their own abilities and the natural world around them. Therefore, increasing the use of outdoor learning through national policy-making will support cognitive and social development in primary schoolchildren, and help close the attainment gap in Scottish education. Working Forests’ Campaign Forestry Commission Scotland has released a new forest safety interactive story aimed at children. It supports the ‘working forests’ campaign. http://scotland.forestry.gov.uk/news-releases/1614-interactive-adventure-teaches-forest-safety
Tree Coring on Ancient Trees
Scottish Natural Heritage have published a new report about tree coring called A review of the theory and practice of tree coring on live ancient and veteran trees. You can read the full report here.
Training
TCV Training
FREE TRAINING OPPORTUNITY Are you interested in free Citizen Science training? The Conservation Volunteers are offering a range of free training courses next year. Learn new skills or refresh your memory on how to lead Citizen Science based activities in your
sessions.
Topics range from: deadwood and woodland, pond-life, air quality, invertebrates, mammal tracking, soil and how to integrate learning aspects of drama, art, storytelling into these. Ideal for beginning to include wildlife recording in your session, or for any interested beginners. The group setting is an ideal place to collect vital information on the natural world, while learning new skills and having fun. To register your interest and for more information contact [email protected] Find out more and follow our updates on Twitter TCV Citizen Science @TCVCitSci
Funding
Grounds for Learning
The new small grants scheme is open http://www.ltl.org.uk/naturegrants/index.php
Community Fund
The FCS Community Fund supports community groups and organisations that encourage
people to use woods more. The guidance document can be found here.
Recipe of the month Roasted Chestnuts At this time of year you may be able to collect sweet chestnuts form your local woods or park or purchase on the high street. Watch out for chestnuts that rattle when shaken – this will be dried out and too hard to eat after cooking. Ideally, you will need a cast iron pan or skillet.
For ideal roasting conditions, you need good, hot coals, so let the campfire burn the wood down a bit.
Rinse the chestnuts.
To prevent your chestnuts from exploding, cut an X into the shell so pressure can escape as they roast. Don’t make your X too small so that they are easier to peel when cooked.
Pour enough water into the pan to cover the bottom and place the chestnuts in the pan. You can cover the pan if you wish.
Every three or four minutes, toss the chestnuts with the tongs, adding a small splash of water if the pan is dry.
After 15 to 20 minutes, when the outsides have darkened and the scored edges have begun to peel away, carefully remove the pan from the fire.
Allow to cool enough to handle and carefully peel off the shell.
Optional - while the chestnuts are roasting, melt some butter, adding rosemary and salt or
cinnamon and coat the cooked, peeled chestnuts. Quote of the month
“Kids are born scientists. They’re born probing the natural world that surrounds them. They’ll lift up a rock. They’ll pick up a bug. They’ll pull petals off a flower. They’ll ask you why the grass is green and the sky is blue, and they’ll experiment with breakable things in your house. I think the best thing a parent can do, when raising a child, is simply get out of their way.” Neil de Grasse Tyson
Collective noun of the month A worm of robins Species of the Month Common whelk / Buccinum undatum Welks is the common name for several different families of marine gastropods that are used by humans as food. The common whelk is quite large with a shell height of 110 mm with shell width being 60 mm. It has a stout, yellowish-brown shell with lighter and darker spiral areas. It has 7-8 whorls, and a large oval opening, which tapers to a point.Common welks can be found from the extreme low water mark of the intertidal zone down to depths of 1200m. It lives on soft sediments including muddy sand and gravel as well as on rocks. Whelks are carnivores scavengers that feed on clams, carrion, and sometimes detritus. Their sense of smell is very well-developed; they can sense chemical signals from their prey from a considerable distance. Many whelks can bore through the shell of bivalves. Because of this, they can cause harm in oyster farms. Whelks can even attack fish caught in a net by extending their proboscis to twice the length of their own bodies. When searching for food, whelks extend a tube known as the 'siphon', which is used to funnel water to the gills, and leads to a sensory organ used for smelling prey. The sexes are separate with breeding taking place from October to May.
The eggs are attached to rocks, shells and stones in protective capsules. Each capsule contains as many as 1000 eggs, and the capsules of several females are grouped together in large masses of over 2000. Only a few of these eggs will develop; most eggs are used as a source of food by the growing embryos.
There is no free-swimming larval stage; instead, crawling young emerge from the capsules after several months. Empty egg masses frequently wash up on beaches, and are often mistaken for sponges. They are known as 'sea wash balls' because they were once used to wash with. Common whelks are thought to live for 10 years. www.arkive.org
Plant of the Month Boxwood / Bruxus sempervirens
Buxus is a group of evergreen plants that contain 70 species that are native to parts of Europe, Asia, America and Africa. It is a rounded to broad-rounded shrub or small tree that belongs to the family Buxacece. The evergreen branches symbolize life, which is very appropriate at Christmas. It is one of the oldest ornamental plants. It is quite slow growing but very tolerant of cutting and is often used in topiary, where the hedge is trimmed into different forms for ornamental effect. The plant is native to open woodlands and rocky.
Boxwood can grow to about 12 to 15 feet in height, rarely exceeding 20 feet when left undisturbed or uncut.. The plant has a dense root system, which forms a net of thin, yellow roots. Trunk is 6 inches in diameter covered with a rugged, yellowish-brown and wrinkled bark. Stem is crooked. Branches are erect to spreading, hoary pubescent when young. Leaves are ovate, smooth, thick, coriaceous and dark glossy green It has peculiar, rather disagreeable odor and bitter and somewhat astringent taste. It has yellow-green, tiny flowers. It has a female flower in the center surrounded by several male flowers in the same inflorescence. Flowerings normally take place between April and May. The fruit is ovoid-oblong, walnut brown, with horns that are 2 mm long, upright containing several small seeds. Although the wood is rather small, it is highly valued on account of its hardness – it is twice as hard as oak. It is used for engraving, printing blocks, bowls, combs etc. The root especially is much liked by turners and cabinet makers. All parts of the plant are poisonous, especially the leaves and bark and yet has been utilized in medicine. Box is popular with bees and provides a dense, sheltered habitat for small birds, mammals and insects. It has been utilised for a range of different things for a very long time. These include:
use in the treatment of leprosy, rheumatism, malaria, epilepsy, gout, toothache, rheumatism, urinary tract infections, intestinal worms, chronic skin problems, diarrhea, syphilis and hemorrhoids.
Box was the active ingredient in a once-famous remedy for the bite of a mad dog.
The leaves have been used as a substitute for hops (Humulus lupulus) in making beer.
The leaves and sawdust, boiled in lye, have been used to dye hair an auburn color.
Perfumes were formerly made from the leaves and bark.
Wood has been used to make scientific instruments, furniture, chess pieces, flutes and other musical instruments.
www.healthbenefitstimes.com
Contact:
To contact your local OWL group please go to the OWL Scotland website
Or contact us:
Bonnie Maggio OWL Scotland Forestry Commission Scotland 231 Corstorphine Road Edinburgh EH12 7AT
Join us on Facebook – “Forest Education Initiative” group (we have over 5000 members so were unable to change from our original name!)