Several members from England attended the event, attracted specifically by the skillshare format (free, families welcome) which is absent in England.

Many thanks to everyone who helped to make the event such a success, especially all the children, for keeping us grounded, and:

• Melissa Harvey of Dyfi Woodlands for sharing some of the children’s activities from the Centre for Alternative Technology including helping us to build an eco-village
• Tess Jenkins, from the Forestry Stewardship Council, who taught us their new Moving Carbon game
• Hazel Wildwood for leading sessions on making a solar oven and growing & caring for young trees
• Kevin of www.firewok.co.uk for donating a firewok for the members’ raffle

Participants agreed to adopt Climate Change as the focus for our next regional skillshare events, and we have started to fundraise accordingly. All members are welcome to get involved, whether in developing the web-based resources, research and piloting projects, or hosting an event. To find out more, please contact Sarah Wilson bodfari_fs@yahoo.co.uk or tel: 07917210589.

We may have up to 5 free places for FSW Trustees or members at the “10 years of Forest School Conference” in Cardiff October 27th/28th 2010.

If you would like to be part of the team running the FSW stand and activities at this conference (possibly focussing on the Climate Change theme), please contact Maggie Fearn at maggie@fearn.fslife.co.uk.

Saturday, 29 May 1.00pm

Cefn Wood, Llandrindod

Feedback from National Networks and Election of new trustees
New Insurance Packages for FS Practitoners including groups, trainees and volunteers
Come along and make sure we get the deal you want!
The AGM will take place at the National Skillshare &and Networking Event, (see below for details)

Invitation for FS practititoners to get involved!

November 2009

Members of Forest School Wales are being canvassed for their views concerning the development of FS, in a wide ranging questionnaire launched by FSW in response to the WWS Action Plan. Forest School Wales has been recommended for inclusion in the Action Plan (Woodlands for People section) as principal supporting organisation for Forest School, Play and 14-19 Learning Pathways. FSW has raised the issue of core funding for the Action Plan.

Read the rest of this entry »

The wood craft skills training events held in May, June, September and October 2009 were well attended by Forest School leaders, play rangers, teachers, learning support assistants, education officers, Scout leaders and youth workers. Feedback from the training was very positive with participants stating how they had gained in confidence and been inspired. Everyone said that they had finished the course with several ideas for projects they could use with the children they worked with.

Read the rest of this entry »

Saturday 26th September

Blessed with a beautiful autumn day, participants really enjoyed using natural materials to design their own mini FS sites, at Fforest Fawr, near Cardiff as part of the CPD training on planning, developing and managing a Forest School site led by Rosie Carmichael.

Read the rest of this entry »

Presentations by Maggie Fearn and Sarah Wilson on recent developments within FSW, including the Woodcraft Skills Training Project and new website, were received with interest by Forum members at the meeting on 8th October in Llandrindod Wells. There was also a presentation and discussion about the Wales Woodlands Strategy Action Plan.

On Monday 5th October representatives of the Woodlands for Learning (WfL) Forum had their 4th annual meeting with the Education Minister (the second with Jane Hutt) and other members of DCELLS. A representative of FSW (trustee Sarah Wilson) was included in the meeting for the first time. Other people present at the meeting were: Helena Fox (Chair WfL Forum), Roz Owen (Policy FCW), Sue Williams (Woodlands for Learning team, FCW). The Minister was supportive of the work of the Woodlands for Learning Forum.

Coed Lleol invited us to join them at the Royal Welsh Show at the Environment Wales stand. Environment Wales sponsor both Coed Lleol and Forest School Wales projects. This year they have part funded the volunteer sector of our Woodcraft Skills training project.

Read the rest of this entry »