I’m currently running Nature Explorer sessions with families and children out in natural space. These are relaxed, fun learning opportunities outdoors for children to think like ‘explorers’.
It’s also a chance for me to apply knowledge gained while training with National Geographic to learn educational frameworks that help teachers bring critical enquiry and geography into the classroom. It’s enhancing my outreach practice as a writer and helping me bring in natural science, geography and other skillsets while I help people connect to the natural world.
From learning how to identify trees, to building dens for animals and the chance to write poems and other forms of creative writing inspired by trees, we have loved these first sessions held at Cary’s Meadow, Norfolk. This Winter we’ll be celebrating National Tree Week, exploring animals and their habitats, bats and deer. For resources exploring trees, check The Woodland Trust’s excellent support for schools.
All poems, comments and thoughts on nature shared as part of material from the sessions can be shared later on in 2021 through Natural Wonder, an outreach project accompanying the install of my new public poem commissioned by Norfolk County Council, Dreaming of Albion.
There’s currently a waiting list for sessions at Cary’s Meadow for Winter 2020 but I’m currently developing new groups for 2021 in a variety of spaces and also online so that families can take part in different parts of the UK.
National Tree Week https://treecouncil.org.uk/take-action/seasonal-campaigns/national-tree-week/
