Impio Outdoor Learning Wales Network Group Meeting
Erlas House, Bryn Estyn Road, Wrexham – 4pm
Agenda
1. Welcome, introductions and apologies
Present
Neil Christiansen – Enterprise and Education Alliance
Mary Hext – One, Two Tree
Rod Waterfield – Woodland Skills Centre
Heather Petrie – Wrexham LEA
Liz O’Rourke – Simon O’Rourke Ltd
Kate Wilson – NEWWildlife
Pauline Stanway – Flintshire LEA
Carwyn Hughes – Natural Resources Wales
Apologies
Jenni Tibbetts – Natural England
Vanessa Warrington – Denbighshire CC
Becks Fowkes – Gwerin y Coed / Size of Wales / Campfire Cymru / NWWT
Pippa Gallagher – Plas Derw Trust
2. Matters arising from the minutes of the last meeting
Matters were covered from the previous meeting.
3. Current / Future projects – October Funding Round
Pauline covered the project idea for a potential structure for groups in the future. Since the last meeting Pauline and Sian have completed a first draft which has had some comments back from Karen Clarke about improving the possibility of the project.
The comments included involving the groups of children with the planning and development of the structure. Pauline explained that Sian was getting ready to involve the children with some of the planning stages of the structure in the new academic year. Whilst members of the group helped with suggestions for the development and building of the structure. Members voiced their opinions about the safety aspects of involving the children within the building process. Group members gave other options for involvement which would benefit the young people involved, without safety being an issue. Rod explained some of the tasks that children could be involved with the building process. This is the second time that Pauline and Sian have brought the project plan to a meeting, giving opportunities for Impio members to give their opinions and ideas to plan the future project.
4. Finance update – no change = £3035.23
The finance situation hasn’t changed however potentially money was coming in from projects who have been successful with the last OLW funding round. Which will in turn be going out again to those future projects.
5. County Updates
Denbighshire
Becks Fowkes = Campfire Cymru - Forest School with parents of young people with ADHD is going well. We're also providing some crafts and activities for NRW, Come Outside project.
Size of Wales - New Global Warming Workshop for KS2 added, open for school bookings for September.
Gwerin y Coed - New weekly groups starting in September in Ty Mawr Country Park, Wrexham (6-9 year olds) & Ruthin (9-12 year olds). Looking for volunteers and children. I am attaching a flyer for our Wrexham group + free summer events. And I'll forward information about the Ruthin group and summer events asap.
Gwerin y Coed Dyfrdwy group - has started Coast School project and really loving it so far. Thanks to the group for supporting the Coast Explorers fund-raising bid.
Best wishes to all.
Becks
Flintshire
Kate Wilson = At NEWW schools, colleges, families and adults can get involved in pond dipping and water surveys, nature walks, mini-beast hunts, natural numeracy, survey skills including capture-mark-recapture and vegetation surveys using quadrats, volunteering sessions creating or managing habitats etc. We also put on many public events such a Easter, Christmas, Halloween and summer activities, and training courses for members of the public (willow basketry) or professional courses (GCN licensing).
Kind regards
Kate
Wrexham
Jenni Tibbetts = At Fenn’s Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses NNR we held a teacher training session in partnership with NRW exploring methods of teaching numeracy in the outdoors. Three local primary school teachers attended along with four other outdoor practitioners. Bronnington School came on the say day and the group saw the delivery of a visit ‘in action’ following on from this we have hosted a visit from Pentre Broughton School key stage 2. St Chad’s, Hanmer have booked to come in September.
We also had a successful family wildlife fun day at May half term when we explored the moss, did some bush shaking, pond dipping, surveys and pH testing.
We have two family fun days planned for the summer holidays.
Mary Hext = It’s busy busy busy with me right now!
The Outlook
We have done a lot of work in the woods. We have opened up several areasto use with groups but also kept some areas exclusively for wildlife.
We hosted the Play Wales forum recently which was hard work but very rewarding. Neil did all of the catering for 2 days, and delegates came and camped on the meadow and had workshops in the wood. We would have loved to have watched some more but catering took over, however it has really opened up our eyes to the role of play.
We have had a group from Gwersyllt Support centre down to the Outlook on a regular basis. It’s been great, but I’ve been really shocked about how little progress we’ve made with the mapping project. They struggle to read a tape measure!
We’ve been using a GPS and doing lots of treasure hunts to improve their mapping skills and they can now all read a 6 figure grid ref.
Ysgol Alexandra came down and we have some fun in the woods with years 1 and 2. This session linked to a session that I did on their school grounds.
We have met with a few other potential “user groups” so things are looking good for the future.
The Badger cam is now set up in the woods and we have hours of badger films, and a few mice, a few birds, squirrels and children! So far it looks like there are 4 badgers in the wood but we are yet to spend time analysing the film! (a job for winter I think!) See attached photo! (we were advised to drop peanuts when we are in the woods to get badgers used to our scent!)
Country Trust
I have been doing lots of visits with The Country Trust recently. Mainly with Manchester and Liverpool schools. A few problems with schools booking and then cancelling visit which is annoying as the visits are free but cancelling does leave us with a cost to bear. I ran a great project with a Liverpool school to a fruit and veg farm who supply the school directly, We also worked within the school to prepare the children and teachers for the visit. They really came prepared and got the most out of the day. This was a direct contrast to a school from Liverpool that recently came to the dairy farm all wearing flip flops!
I have been successful in getting match funding for the OLW money from AONB and Sainsbury’s Community fund so that project is all set to go in Sept.
One-Two-Tree
I’ve been doing lots of voluntary things at my son’s school! It is great experience!
I am helping with Eco club every Monday, this is just getting off the ground and we are looking to sort the very overgrown pond in the autumn if anyone is interested or has skills to share I’d be grateful as it is a world unknown to me!
Also I am taking the school on a trip to Bellis tomorrow. I also helped with the play section at the summer fete, again great experience to be able to watch kids playing!
Feeling slightly daunted by the amount of work that I have on at the moment but it’s a great position to be going into the quieter autumn and winter months with!
Think that’s it for me, 2 weeks until summer hols!
Thanks
Mary
6. Times of Future Meetings
- 2016 dates
Dates were discussed by the members present with allocated times. Locations were to be decided at a future date.
11th of January - 9:30am
16th of March – 4pm
9th of May - 4pm
13th of July - 9:30am
12th of September – 4pm
16th of November – 9:30am
7. Any Other Business
8. Location of next meeting
Wednesday 16th of September 2015 – NEWWildlife, Rhydymwyn (4pm)
Wednesday 11th of November 2015 – Loggerheads (9:30am)
9. Skills Share
The time for this section of the meeting had run out and Carwyn would bring the activity to a future meeting.
OLW Network Group Agenda Last Updated March 2014