1st July-4th July
So this week I have returned back to school as our shielding of our son Stanley comes to an end. It was really lovely to see the children again and of course all of the staff I work with. I also got the chance to go into the hazel coppice area in the school grounds which is where I would like to base my Forest School.
I managed to video the site before the children arrived at school and was able to assess the ecological structures in the grounds. This was interesting not only for my own learning of the different levels but also a chance to do a very basic risk assessment and also development plans for the area. I have not had much time to do any more to the assignment but tomorrow I will go to Ampfield wood with the family and record and assess this site. Hopefully this means that I will be able to complete this assignment as I will try to write up and bring all the information together. I have chosen to present this information in a different way this time and will be sharing a presentation. It has been good to experiment with different medias. Then I will be ready to start a another week with another task.....
July 4th-10th
This week I have been exploring the different ecosystems in broad leaved and coniferous woodlands. I have visited two sites Ampfield wood which is a Forestry Commission woodland and has a lot of pines and spruces and Bentley Wood which is a mixed woodland but has large areas of broad leaved woodland. It has been really interesting not just looking at the horizontal and vertical structures but also the soil. I have invested in a soil survey instrument which measures the moisture, temperature and PH level of the soil. I have also dug a hole at both sites and looked at the texture of the soil and also viewed the number of invertebrates found. I have also been learning how to use a tree height measure (a clinometer). It has been interesting to also start considering activities that could take place on both of these sites and to consider how the ecosystem of a site will have a knock on effect on the experiences had.
I have recorded my learning journey in one video this week and have also produced a presentation of my findings. I feel that I am growing in my knowledge and understanding of woodlands and I am really enjoying going out to sites and having a more hands on learning experience. I am finding it difficult to complete one assignment a week now that I am back at school but I have decided that giving each assignment enough time to do justice to the learning is more important than rushing through the course. This week I am going to need more time to complete the assignment as I need to balance the course with family time. It is also nice to come back to the work and build on my experiences and I can see how each assignment is linked and builds on the previous one.
July 11-18th 2020
I have thoroughly enjoyed the assignment this week which has been based upon looking and identifying the fauna and flora of the site I plan to develop a Forest School. I love photography and have always enjoyed taking pictures of plants and animals so this was right up my street. I feel that my knowledge of naming common species is growing and I have created a fact file of all tree, plant, mammals, birds and insects on the site. This will be a really valuable tool in the future not only for sharing with others to help them identify and learn the names of the species we have in the grounds but also will help me to plan future activities using these species as a resource. It will of course also help me when compiling a risk assessment of the site.
I have chosen to also produce another video this week that names and identifies common species on the site and also other sites around Hampshire. Practising identifying common species is helping me develop my knowledge and I have always been a visual and kinesthetic learner.
18th -25th July 2020
This week I have been putting together identification information about the trees, plants, mammals, insects and birds in my forest school site. I have really enjoyed the process and have learnt lots not only about identification resources that have extended my understanding of the names and features of the fauna and flora. I was also very interested to learn about how many of these plants can be used and it made me realise how much knowledge has now been lost. Before the industrial revolution when we lived closer to nature and relied upon it for our everyday resources for cooking, making objects and medicine this knowledge was known by most and it is sad to think how much we have lost and how far away from nature we have travelled. For most people knowing the names of trees and plants is a lost art let alone their natural properties. During the week I have produced a table of information, an on-line presentation, a video and a brochure. All of these will help and aid me in the future as I can use these resources to help me develop lessons, activities and conservation. I will also be able to develop a better risk assessment now that I know these plants better. I feel like I am getting an idea of the characteristics of the site and the features of the plants and animals that live there.
Today I have begun the next assignment which is about the importance of identification for the Forest School leader and this has led me to think about the importance of naming plants and the history of botany. I have picked up Darwin’s “Origin of the Species” again which I first read while studying for my English Literature Degree. We used this text as a background resource for Victorian Fiction to understand the new ideas being introduced about humans being animals and literature such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Bram Stoker’s "Dracula" came out of this era. It is lovely to sew together all of the past knowledge I have to this course and I feel that I am on a real journey that is linking my past with my future. I also have a link with Darwin as many years ago I worked at Bristol Zoo and while I was there I remember finding a letter written by Darwin to the Zoo in draw!!!! I know I have literally held a letter written by Darwin in my hand and this was very magical then and now. Another text that I have been drawn to this week is The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane who is a writer I love and I have read many of his books. In The Lost Words he has composed a number of poems which are based on natural words, names of plants and animals that have been fading away and removed from the voices of children. I feel very passionate about reintroducing children to the names and characteristic of plants and animals and it will be lovely to bring this to my next assignment.
25th July-2nd Aug 2020
I have really enjoyed my studies this week exploring and discovering more about naturalists and I have been inspired to start and keep my own sketch book with observation drawings within and notes and details about what I see. This week my husband kindly came with me to school and measured the Forest School area so it can be mapped and key trees areas can be placed upon it. I have almost completed my essay and just need to reread and edit as well as do the references which all take time. I also am putting together a dangerous plants identification poster that can be put up and displayed and am writing down some key activities that can easily be done with the plants that naturally grow on this site. I would also like to put together a plan for developing the conservation of the site and think about the trees that need to come out to let more sunlight in so more ground fauna can grow which will in turn encourage more insects and mammals into the grounds.
