Forest Foundation 2

Forest Foundation 2

Forest Foundation is the third *YES programme to launch this year. It is a series of 8 week programmes connecting small groups of 12-14 year olds with nature through weekly trips and activities.

Forest Foundation combines key elements of forest school and outdoor learning with practical conservation, ensuring valuable opportunities for the small groups to get to know each other, learn, have fun and work together.

Importantly, the Forest Foundation programme is also a great way for The Green Team to establish and develop partnerships with schools and other organisations across the city.

Our 2nd Forest Foundation programme started in March and the group have been busy! We caught up with Group Leader, Kate, to find out more…

Working together

Partnership working is key for The Green Team and we’re delighted that the Forest Foundation programme gives us an opportunity to strengthen our relationships with high schools around Edinburgh. For this 2^nd programme we are working with Royal High School, Tynecastle, St Thomas’s, Forresters, James Gillespie, Balerno and Trinity High Schools.

Over the 8 weeks, our Forest Foundation group are visiting sites in and around Edinburgh including Newhailes Country Park, Dalkeith Country Park, Bonaly, Roslin Glen, Gore Glen, Springfield Mill, Vogrie Country Park 3 Hares Woodland.

Hands-on experience

As you can see from the photos, the variety of green spaces enables the group to learn a range of conservation skills, with plenty of hands-on experience! Tasks include:

• Vegetation cut back, habitat pile creation and hibernaculum building
• Woodland management including beech cut and thinning, tree tube maintenance, privit removal and understory thinning

As part of the programme, the participants are also taking their Saltire and Junior Forrester Awards.

There are also so many opportunities to relax, play and have fun along the way!

Feedback so far

Group Leader Kate is delighted with the way the group are working together whilst finding a way to be themselves, and of course enjoy the experience!

‘The project is going well. We have worked hard on group dynamics and discussed as a group how we want to be as a team and how each person would like to be treated.

‘The young people have found ways for each person to enjoy themselves and be themselves throughout the day without fear or judgement or ridicule. We discussed the importance of letting people just be themselves and letting everyone just get along and have had a very successful program so far combining many different needs and personalities.’

Members of the group are also keen to share their thoughts on the programme,

‘I’ve just done maths with measuring a tree, English by talking about books and saying “hello”, then spoke a bit of Gaelic!’

‘I have anger management issues, but I don’t feel that out here, I just feel chill.’

‘This is the life!’