Engage in education and training
Educating the public and providing training opportunities is important for many Community Woodlands.
Woodlands provide a great opportunity to bring people face to face with the world of nature and educate them on aspects of their local natural history. Groups may also look to provide formal or informal skills training – using their own resources or bring in outside experts – there is a very wide range that can be covered
Outdoor Education (including Forest School)
Practical outdoor activities with children may be done through Forest School – with trained leaders who have had appropriate safeguarding checks.
- Publications –
- Experience –
- Useful contacts –
- Forest School Wales
- Outdoor Learning Wales (formally The Forest Education Initiative (FEI))
- Get Children Outdoors Campaign
- Learning Through Landscapes
- Leaf: Learning about forests
- Real World Learning Cymru
- Beetles and Bees: Wildlife role play
- Forests for the Future: school resources investigating trees, forests and climate change
Training & Mentoring
Many groups see training in forestry skills as important – for members to gain skills, and to offer a saleable service.
- Publications –
- Experience –
- Forestry Commission case study: ‘Developing people through training’
- Llais y Goedwig member blog: ‘Shaping the future of training provider Focus on Forestry First’
- Llais y Goedwig member blog: ‘Working as a RENEW Wales mentor for community woodlands’
- Llais y Goedwig member blog: ‘Training in woodland management hosted by NAAONB social forestry programme’
- Llais y Goedwig member blog: ‘A meeting of minds at Coppicewood College’
- Llais y Goedwig member blog: ‘Sharing the knowledge – Penllergare visits Blaen Bran’
- Llais y Goedwig members blog: ‘Hands on learning at Coppicewood’s woodland skills course’
- Useful contacts –
- Coppicewood College: traditional sustainable woodland management courses and training
- Woodland Skills Centre: woodland courses
- The Centre for Alternative Technology: woodland courses
- MWMAC Ltd: forestry training
- Focus on Forestry First: forestry training
- Smallwoods: woodland courses and training
- Bangor University: forestry courses and training at the School of Environment
- Natural Resources and Geography: forestry research and training
- Institute of Chartered Foresters: forestry research and training
- Woodland Heritage: woodland courses and training
- Royal Forestry Society: Forestry Career Portal
- National Botanic Garden of Wales: woodland courses
- Lantra: forestry jobs listing
- Coppice Products: Coppice makers UK directory
- Association of Polelathe turners and greenwood workers
- Tir Coed: training and apprenticeships