Education and Forest Schools

Borders Forest Trust delivers a range of innovative educational projects aimed at raising awareness of our woodland heritage and the natural environment. Through our educational work Borders Forest Trust leads educational visits to woodlands for local schools, youth groups and community organisations and has developed a Forest School Programme in the region.

The Trust's educational work ranges from guided walks and woodland events to craft activities and environmental sculpture projects with youths. These activities are tailored to suit each group's interests and abilities and are designed to enthuse and interest participants about woodlands.

The Trust is a partnership organisation and works with a number of local and national agencies and organisations to develop and deliver new educational projects. BFT, the local ranger service, South Scotland Forestry Commission Scotland and a number of independent foresters and educational consultants are part of the local Forest Educational Initiative Cluster which has developed a number of valuable projects over the years including the Woodland Bus and the Maths Trail.

Woodland Bus

The Woodland Bus, latterly known as the Woodland Roadshow, is an educational initiative which takes woodlands in to the schools. BFT have co-ordinated the Roadshow since 2002 and during this time have worked with nearly 4000 young people from Borders primary schools. Staffed by BFT, local countryside rangers, members of the access groups and local Forestry Commission office, the Roadshow tours the Borders delivering educational "activi-trees" focussing on woodland habitats and wildlife, tree diversity, the uses of timber and wood products, as well as hands-on activities such as wood working, falconry and dome building.

The Roadshow project has been exceptionally popular and has proved to be very effective method of delivering woodland education on a range of topics to a large number of individuals. It has been so successful that the Perth FEI has developed its own Woodland Bus after receiving a visit from the Borders bus.

The Maths Trail

The Trust has also been involved in the development of a Maths Trail at Harestanes Visitor Centre. This trail was set up through the local FEI cluster to encourage and has a series of maths activities around a short trail at the countryside visitor centre. Education packs were produced for schools and another for family sue which can be acquired at Harestanes reception. The school education pack can also be downloaded from here.

Forest Schools

Forest Schools use woodlands as alternative classrooms. They provide young people and adults with regular opportunities to achieve tasks and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in a local woodland environment.

Forest Schools go beyond basic woodland visits and focus on specific needs of individual children by setting tasks that embrace their learning style and encourages further personal development. Forest Schools focus on "kinaesthetic" learning, a more practical, hands-on learning style rather than the more traditional reading and writing academic style. For this reason, Forest Schools are particularly beneficial for young people who struggle with conventional teaching styles. The achievable tasks set during Forest Schools enable participants to succeed and subsequently develop confidence and self-esteem. Tasks such as using tools to cut timber and make implements, collecting materials and building structures also provide opportunities for participants to work together as part of a team, developing communication and social skills. The benefits of Forest Schools are vast and this is now becoming increasingly recognised by the education authority and Forest schools are being encouraged across the UK.

Forest Schools was successfully piloted in the Borders, by the Trust's Education Officer Anna Craigen at Newcastleton Primary School and was received with great enthusiasm by all. The head teacher, a strong advocate for outdoor learning, subsequently gave presentations to fellow head teachers promoting Forest Schools and their many benefits. The Trust is now delivering a training programme for interested teachers to find out more about Forest Schools, how they work and how they can train to become Forest School Leaders.

Thanks to funding from the local Forest Education Initiative and the Robertson Trust, BFT will be able to support the Forest School programme till at least 2009.

For more information about the Forest Schools Programme contact Anna Craigen anna@bordersforesttrust.org