An ecological Impact assessment (EIA) is an assessment that looks at the possible consequences of human activity on a site. This assessment gives us an idea of the possible impact on the ecosystem that running a Forest School may have.
This is a formal system which identifies and creates an inventory of all the flora and fauna that exist in an area, the topography and substratum (soils, geology, wetness), site history/antiquity, site ownership, management and protection. This process evaluates the factors which will support and enhance our interactions with this space. Knowing what the baseline conditions are of a site will also help the Forest School Leader to assess and determine which activities could possibly harm the area and what measures or mitigations can be put in place to support it.
To create this inventory maps, historical records and first-hand observations or field surveys are used to create a picture/evaluation of the site. There are of course limitations to this information as field studies only show the flora and fauna present at one snapshot moment in time so seasonal variations may be missed. Some species lists may not be complete, and rarities may have been overlooked and changes can also occur since the survey took place.
The first step to assessing the Short Term Ecological Effects is to look at your site and understanding its Ecology. Below you will find a survey form completed for the Canopy Forest School Site:
After completing the site survey it is important to start looking at how Forest School activities might impact on the area. When considering the impact of Forest School activities it is important to consider the different areas of the Forest. To do this the Canopy Forest School has considered the vertical structures of the woodland.
As a Forest School leader, you have two levels of responsibility: the care of the children who attend sessions and the care of the environment and ecosystem that you are using.
In an online article, entitled “The Symbolic Relationship of Child and Woods-Are you sustaining Both?” (Blackwell, 2015) Sarah Blackwell discusses the importance of nurturing and sustaining both children and nature. In this article she examines the symbiotic relationship between humans and the natural world and writes:
“You can’t have a child growing up in isolation of the elements, the natural cycles, the trees, grass, mountains or rivers without a part of that child’s inner most being as a human losing a part of its self that is essential to life.
In the same way you can not have woodlands and wild spaces growing up in isolation of the love, care, compassion and respect of children, because nature without children will in the future be destroyed completely and habitats die.”
(Environmental Impact Assessment, Get children outdoors, (Sarah Blackwell), (2015), available from http://getchildrenoutdoors.com/tag/environmental-impact-assessment/ accessed 5/10/20)
She goes onto explain that:
“When we understand our role in the process as conduits for learning and love of nature with our children, we can begin to put an emphasis on learning species and relationships and how the natural systems depend on each other”
(Environmental Impact Assessment, Get children outdoors, (Sarah Blackwell), (2015), available from http://getchildrenoutdoors.com/tag/environmental-impact-assessment/ accessed 5/10/20)
Producing sustainability plans, ecological impact assessments and Three-Year Management Plans are all essential aspects of building and developing a relationship with the environment where the Forest School will take place. The understanding that comes from developing these plans and the care that we give to this eco-system will be transferred to the children and will lead onto Environmental Identity for the future.
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