A return to environmental education (briefly)

As I return to teaching after half-term, I am reflecting on how lucky I was to get out and about in nature during the holidays. I was able to return to Moray, Scotland, to work with the incredible environmental education charity Wild Things. With instructors Paul and Jamie, we took a group of Primary 2 to Primary 7 children from local schools to the woodland on the Moray Firth coast. The children were selected because they come from Forces families based at RAF Lossiemouth and Kinloss Barracks. They were chosen to be part of the group to help them settle into their new homes and schools.

What a fantastic experience it was. The weather wasn’t great, but with some resilience and problem-solving, we were able to set up the tarpaulins, and a more than adequate shelter served us well whenever the weather was poor. We started with the classic Meet a Tree activity, where the children guided their blindfolded companions to various trees. This was followed by one of my favourite activities, where the children made nests for toy birds, created their own dawn chorus and had to collect ‘food’ for their birds, all the while avoiding predators! The children loved every second, and it was an absolute honour to be part of the fantastic work that Wild Things do again. It had been a while since I had last been out with the team, and it was good to know that I still love working with kids outside just as much as I used to.

What a fantastic week, and part of me will miss the great outdoors when I am back teaching in class this week!

I can’t wait until I get to join the Wild Things team for another expedition!

Wild Things is a charity constantly seeking donations to support the fantastic work they do. Find out more at https://wild-things.org.uk