Gwynedd Outdoor Learning Wales Network Group Meeting

Treborth Botanic Gardens

11th November 2014 at 4.00p.m

Minutes

  1. Welcome, introductions and apologies:

Present:

Catrin Owen (NRW - Secretary), Angharad Harries (APCE/SNPA), Tom Cockbill (Wild Elements - Chair), Jon Steele (Wonderwoods), Peter Walton (Wild Elements), Rosie Barret (Independent).

Apologies:

Gerry Downing (Treborth Botanic Gardens – Treasurer), Lee Duggan (GISDA), Bob Griffiths (OPAL)

  1. Matters arising from the last minutes:

Minutes were correct and signed by Tom.

  1. Illegal Felling Money Update:
  • Treborth – Maintenance ongoing.
  • Ysgol Ein Harglwyddes – Have spent the money.
  1. Outdoor Learning Update:
  • Wonderwoods – been in touch with Ysgol Llanbedrgoch, and are due to start their Forest School in January. Jon will be ordering the free trees pack from the Woodland trust to plant with them on the Bodorgan Estate land that they’ll be using. Jon is also hoping to carry out sessions over the Christmas holidays. He’s also, started building the storage to place at Treborth (a project funded by the network group).
  • APCE / SNPA – Held a teacher training day at Plas Tan y Bwlch on 21st October which focused on literacy and numeracy in the outdoors. Was a good day with a total of 28 teachers, including secondary school teachers also attending.
  • Wild Elements – Have been looking at working with Maesgeirchen to do a Duke of Edinburgh award. They’ve been working a lot with Bangor Cathedral and Bangor Library to hold sessions. At the library they’ve brought the outdoors indoors, by holding natural activities indoor, which will hopefully get the children to go outdoors. It’s proven to be very popular, with about 30 families attending one session. It’s a bit quiet on the Forest School side of things at the moment, but they’re hoping to gear up with 10 available spaces from January onwards. Also, they have many spaces available through the CAE project, but these Forest School programmes must be held at either Castell Penrhyn or Glan Faenol.

5. Events and Projects:

  • Wild Elements - Action: Tom to information to Catrin to share with the group.
  • APCE / SNPA – Will be working with Lee from GISDA on a 4 month project, to get the volunteers out every now and again to carry out activities such as Rhodydendron bashing, hedge laying etc. They are also starting to work towards their Biodiversity Roadshow. The theme for this year will be ‘Nocturnal Animals’, and they’ll be visiting Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle, Ysgol Y Moelwyn and Ysgol Bro Ddyfi. More information to come.
  • Nadolig Betws y Coed – Will be held on the 6th and 7th December, and Rodger has been invited to attend to hold outdoor/natural activities. Anyone else welcome to help out.
  • Moelyci Christmas Fair- Will be held on 14th December.
  1. Partnership funded projects and new project proposals:

-CPD Training for Outdoor Learning. The project was discussed. Tom has been in touch with Prifysgol Bangor University to get up to 16 PGC students to participate in up to 12 sessions (6 primary and 6 secondary). Some changes will be done in the application.

  1. Website

Action: Gerry to look over the group’s description and to update it. Catrin will then translate it into Welsh.

  1. Finances

As Gerry is not present at the meeting, the up to date finances will be discussed at the next meeting.

  1. AOB

-Jon is thinking of starting a community orchard, perhaps at Ysgol Friars as the site is used by both the school and members of the public. There’s possibility of linking the project into John Muir and to get the pupils out to plant. He’s yet to discuss the idea with the head at the school, as it’s early days. Thinking of using funding from various pots, including the Gwynedd OLW Network Group. Members happy for some money to be used towards this project.

-SNPA will be running a hedgelaying course at Prenteg, Porthmadog on the 4th and 5th February 2015. For further information or to book a place, contact Carwyn ap Myrddin on / 01766 772 512.

11. Date and venue of next meeting:

4.00 p.m Tuesday 13thJanuary 2015 at Treborth.

The meeting dates for 2015 were decided upon:

13/1/15

10/3/15

12/5/15

14/7/15

15/9/15

10/11/15 (AGM)