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Wondering Wild - Let Nature Be Your Guide

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Wondering Wild - Let Nature Be Your Guide

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A year long guide of nature connection activities, rooted in the traditions of the Celtic calendar, and what is available and season. With the child at the heart of it, this book is for anyone, aged 0 to 100+, who is looking to connect with the natural world on their doorstep. "When was the last time you wandered? And when was the last time you wondered? Why not put on your boots, get outdoors, and join me on this journey, wondering wild."

Written by Forest School Leader, IFSA member and previously primary school teacher, Laura Kennedy.

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Have you ever wondered if a hedgehog could climb a tree? Have you ever followed muddy animal prints through the woods? Have you ever incanted a spell or howled at the full moon? Would you like to? This book of nature connection activities, rooted in the traditions of the Celtic calendar, invites you to venture out into the natural world, finding joy and connection in the generous gifts to be found there. Jump in that puddle, build a shelter, look at creepy crawlies with new eyes! Follow the magical call of the wild, and let nature be your guide. ‘This is a beautiful, important, generous book. Laura brings us on such a magical journey; reminding us what it means to share this tender, wonderful world together. Really, this book is a gift and a guide for our times.’ Kerri ní Dochartaigh Suitable for all, from 0 to 100+

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How to access this resource.

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Want to talk to your principal about introducing Forest School? Need some help planning an outdoor learning session? This page has you covered with downloadable resources to make taking those next steps a lot easier!

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Based in the beautiful woodland within Gormanston College demesne, North Co Dublin. Only 20 minutes from Dublin airport, easily accessible from the M1. By bus or by train. We have ample parking for cars and coaches. ​

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Article-bringing a forest into a preschool 

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Article-bringing a forest into a preschool 

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How a radical experiment to bring a forest into a preschool transformed children’s health

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In Finland, kindergartens are exposing children to more mud, wild plants and moss - and finding changes to their health that show how crucial biodiversity is to wellbeing

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The book explores Ireland's seasonal festivals and customs from New Year through Christmas, such as St Brighid's cross-making, marriage divinations, and the unique celebration of Lunasa, offering a rich insight into Irish folk tradition.

Thank you for your interest in this title. Please note that this book is printed to order, with a standard delivery time of 7-14 working days. However, we understand that you may require your book sooner. If this is the case, kindly contact our customer service team at orders@mercierpress.ie, and we will make every effort to expedite your order and ensure a timely delivery

Place your order before 6th December to make sure it arrives in time for Christmas!

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The Year in Ireland: Irish Calendar Customs

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The book explores Ireland's seasonal festivals, folk traditions and customs from New Year through Christmas, such as St Brighid's cross-making.

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The Year in Ireland -folklore collection

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The Year in Ireland -folklore collection

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The Year In Ireland: a vital collection of Irish folk customs

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Kevin Danaher’s book brought a wealth of information about Irish folklore to the attention of the general public

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Homemade playdough recipe. Can use natural dyes like elderberry & blackberry juice etc for colour. Great sensory play for Early Years with seeds and berries https://www.iheartnaptime.net/play-dough-recipe/

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Welcome to the Song Forest, this is a place for everyone to plant their nature inspired songs and to access this free resource to share with loved ones and groups you work with. The vision of the Song…

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Are you a primary teacher or principal? Would you like to find out more about integrating Nature Based Learning into your school curriculum? Then you've come to the right place!

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This website has been created by teachers for teachers to help share information about Nature Based Learning, including Forest School. It's got everything you need to get started including inspiring case studies, the answers to your burning questions, resources and more!

What does Forest School look like for an Irish primary school?

This video shows a typical "Forest Friday" for Dalkey School Project. See Nature Based Learning in action!

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The Scaip Project | Nature Based Learning

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Nature Based Learning and Forest School resources for Irish Primary Schools by The Scaip Project

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The Children's Forest book | Order Directly From The Author Stories & songs, wild food, crafts & celebrations all year roundDawn Casey, Anna Richardson, Helen d'Ascoli This book encourages children's natural fascination with the forest and its inhabitants. The authors have produced an enchanting book where ima

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A fantastic resource for learning about Avian Wildlife in Ireland

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Welcome to BirdWatch Ireland, the largest independent conservation organisation in Ireland. Established in 1968, we currently have over 15,000 members and supporters and a local network of over 30 branches nationwide.

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Forest Fridays - How one Irish Primary School made Forest School happen

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Forest Fridays - How one Irish Primary School made Forest School happen

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How Forest School started in Dalkey School Project, how it fits with the Irish curriculum, how it's planned, what it looks like with different classes, feedback from children, staff and parents and the benefits in primary education.

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Forest Fridays shares the story of how Forest School has become a part of life in DSP. Teacher Jennifer Dungan shares a wealth of knowledge and experience in bringing the Forest School approach to the Irish Primary Curriculum. Forest School Leader Yuuki Blakeney has transformed hours of observations and interviews into a compelling and inspiring story. This book is a must-read for any principal, teacher, Forest School Leader or parent who wants to learn first-hand how incredible the Forest School approach can be.

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Children’s Forest - A movement to inspire and enable children to plant healthy forests.

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Get involved Find out how to get involved in planting a Children’s Forest. Learn More Discover our training courses, resources and who we are. Learn More Support children to plant and tend trees for a…

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Nature Based Learning for Primary Schools

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Are you a primary teacher or principal? Would you like to find out more about integrating Nature Based Learning into your school curriculum? Then you've come to the right place!

​

This website has been created by teachers for teachers to help share information about Nature Based Learning, including Forest School. It's got everything you need to get started including inspiring case studies, the answers to your burning questions, resources and more!

What does Forest School look like for an Irish primary school?

This video shows a typical "Forest Friday" for Dalkey School Project. See Nature Based Learning in action!

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The Scaip Project | Nature Based Learning

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Nature Based Learning and Forest School resources for Irish Primary Schools by The Scaip Project

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Create a Wildhood for your kids.... One adventure at a time.... If you want to raise adventurers, explorers and save your kid’s imaginations – then this website is for you.If you want to help your

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Leabhar aláinn le foclóir do daoine again.

A beautiful illustrated book for young children to learn animal names as gaeilge.

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A first collection of Irish words for native animals for the very young.

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Seasonal Celebrations Songs - Children’s Forest

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These songs have been created to mark the cross-quarter festivals on the seasonal Wheel of the Year. May they serve as beautiful reminders and invitations to live with greater reverence…

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Children's Forest Songs on Sound Cloud (IFSA 25 gathering) 

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Children's Forest Songs on Sound Cloud (IFSA 25 gathering) 

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What is forest school? 3 minute Scaip Project video 

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What is forest school? 3 minute Scaip Project video 

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A fantastic short video for showing in a staff meeting, when introducing forest school to new groups or for sharing online with those new to forest school!

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See a typical "Forest Friday" in Dalkey School Project, where the children leave the classroom to learn outdoors in a local woodland. This methodology of learning is based on the Forest School approach and brings many benefits to children. This video is part of The Scaip Project, which aims to bring Nature Based Learning to every primary school in Ireland and further afield. To find out more visit www.naturebasedlearning.ie

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Orienteering games for beginners

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What is forest school? 10 minute Scaip Project Video 

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What is forest school? 10 minute Scaip Project Video 

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A 10 minute video for introducing forest school to principals, parents, teachers and community leaders

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What does Forest School look like in a typical Irish primary school? In this video, meet the teachers, pupils and parents of Dalkey School Project on a typical "Forest Friday". The school first introduced the Forest School programme in 2015 and since then it has flourished in the school, now being offered to 6-8 classes every year. 

This video is part of The Scaip Project, which aims to bring Nature Based Learning into every primary school in Ireland and further afield. 

Visit www.naturebasedlearning.ie to find out more

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3D Knots brilliant app for visual learning.

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Welcome to Knots 3D! Feel free to explore our knot catalog and learn how to tie over 135 knots! The unique ability to rotate a knot to see the front, back and everything in-between sets Knots 3D apart from other knot websites and provides interactivity you can't get from a knot book.

See what a Sheet Bend or Bowline looks like rotated 45°, 90° 180° or anywhere in-between. Knots 3D takes knot tying into the next dimension! Grab some rope and have fun!

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Welcome to Knots 3D! Feel free to explore our knot catalog and learn how to tie over 135 knots! The unique ability to rotate a knot to see the front, back and everything in-between sets Knots 3D apart from other knot websites and provides interactivity you can't get from a knot book.

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Regular time outdoors helps children thrive.

But over the past few generations, childhood has moved indoors. On average, today's kids spend up to 44 hours per week in front of a screen, and less than 10 minutes a day playing outdoors. And for too many kids, regular and safe access to nature is determined by race, income, identity, ability and postal code.

We support a global movement of leaders working to turn the trend of an indoor childhood back out to the benefits of nature - and to make sure that all children have equitable access to outdoor spaces where they can learn, play and grow.

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Children and Nature Network is committed to the belief that nature makes kids healthier, happier and smarter. Join us!

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Great recordings here for seasonal and nature based songs

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Michaelmas, by Cincinnati Waldorf School Community Singers

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The Scaip Project is here to support Irish Primary Schools introducing forest school and nature based learning. Videos, downloadable resources, CPD training information and lots more!

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Not 'songs' per se but inspiration for singing songs on the land, reasons to incorporate singing into your FS practice

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Not 'songs' per se but inspiration for singing songs on the land, reasons to incorporate singing into your FS practice

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Singing with Nightingales: Folk Songs & The Wild with Sam Lee

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Great activities a month free, loads of print outs and 1 brilliant booklet thats a creative way to explain a sit spot.

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Our amazing Forest School Summer Activities resource is perfect for creating plenty of inspiration for early years outdoor learning! This lovely resource contains 13 engaging Forest School Summer Activities that early years children are sure to love. Best of all, these activities are designed to use natural materials and objects collected from the great outdoors, making the experience adventurous and fun. You can use these Forest School Summer Activities to help children in your early years setting develop an understanding of the world around them, while encouraging respect for nature and living creatures. These activities also provide calm outdoor learning opportunities, allowing little ones to explore nature while you support their development across the EYFS seven areas of learning.

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National Folklore Collection

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A project to digitize the Irish National Folklore Collection, one of the largest folklore collections in the world

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Spring Webinar Video 3

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Forest School with Teenagers withBarry Dilllon

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Spring Webinar Video 2

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Supporting Neurodivergent learners in Forest School

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Spring Webinar Video 1

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Eary Years and Forest School Spring Webinar with Trisha MacLaughlin

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Please add links to places FS turns up in media specifically Irish Forest School related.

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Wicklow’s new outdoor primary school to open with chef, custom curriculum, and 52 acres of nature

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A new outdoor school which will open in Wicklow in September will have 52 acres for students to play and learn in, its own chef and its own curriculum based on teaching in, through and about nature, all in the great outdoors.

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Kelda Barnes 2024 thesis - Exploring the experience of a group of preschool children attending Forest School.

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Learning with Nature Book - order directly from the author. Inspiring children through outdoor games and activities with a foreword by Chris Packham

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At Sligo Woodland School, we believe that the outdoors is the ultimate classroom. Founded and led by Trisha MacLaughlin, an experienced educator with a passion for nature, our school is a haven for individuals and communities seeking to rekindle their connection with the natural world while gaining valuable skills and knowledge.

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Childhood and Nature...

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Peruse the list of titles written by educator David Sobel

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David Sobels 6 Design Principles

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Childhood and Nature

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I do this through keynote lectures, hands-on workshops with teachers, consulting with schools and environmental organizations, and working with community groups.

My writing has helped to shape the place-based education movement in the United States and around the world. I'm also a proponent of nature-based early childhood education. That means getting children outside, to play and learn in the natural world and in their communities.

I've worked with the National Park Service, the Children and Nature Network, numerous colleges and universities, a diversity of zoos and aquaria, nature centers near and far, independent and public schools in remote British Columbia and in inner city Boston.

I live in the Monadnock region of southwestern New Hampshire and am committed to cold water swimming, the exploration of landscape nooks and crannies and to joyfully embracing the gift of life on earth.

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I do this through keynote lectures, hands-on workshops with teachers, consulting with schools and environmental organizations, and working with community groups. My writing has helped to shape the place-based education movement in the United States and around the world. I'm also a proponent of nature-based early childhood education.

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Early Years, School and Nursery supplier. Innovative Forest School, Outdoor Play and Learning resources.

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Grow Trees from Seed | Guides to Identify and Grow Trees

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Grow trees from seed using a set of simple instructions. Identify trees, collect seeds, sow and plant. Follow our tree-growing ‘recipes’ to success.

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Ideas for Kids at Home: Braiding in the Outdoors!

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Kitchen knives, pocket knives, torches & binoculars | Knivesandtools

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The specialist in kitchen knives, pocket knives, multitools, torches, binoculars and outdoor tools. Largest offer and the best prices for all top-brands!

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Growing a Forest School from the Roots up!

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Growing a Forest School from the Roots up!

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Guide to Setting up a Forest School

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International book sales | Forest School Association

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Research on the Benefits of Forest School

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Research on the Benefits of Forest School

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Research

Forest School is shown to have gains in the following:

Confidence
Social skills
Language and Communication
Motivation and concentration
Self-esteem
Physical skills
Knowledge and understanding
Behaviour
(Maynard, 2003; Murray and O‟Brien, 2005; O‟Brien and Murray, 2007; Davis et al. 2006)

These seem like amazing factors to be claimed. Yet there is something significant about being in the natural environment, where pupils can reconnect, and where cortisol levels immediately reduce blood pressure and increase calmness. Learning is led and initiated, where possible, by the young people involved, and are able to meet a variety of learning styles. Staff are seen as learning alongside pupils and the process of learning is as significant as the product. Play is a significant part of projects and the style of delivery is well suited for the way many boys learn. Time and space is a significant element of Forest Schools and a "flow state" is ideally sought, where participants become so engrossed in their play or activities that they lose all sense of time.
Forest School in England and Wales and its impact on young children An Evaluation of Forest School in England Forest School Evaluation Project - A Study in Wales
"being outdoors contributes to higher levels of wellbeing- bringing physiological benefits such as stress reduction"

- Children in the Outdoors - A Literature Review (Muñoz 2009)

More specifically, a recent study looked at the effects of long term forests school programmes on the resilience, confidence and wellbeing of children and "established that long term Forest Schools programmes had positive impacts on children's resilience, confidence and wellbeing", showing improvement in key indicators on "self efficacy, persistence, and problem solving skills", "marked propensity to take risks, heightened levels of self belief, positive attitude, independence and increased tendency of taking initiative" and "positive impacts on children's physical and mental health in addition to improving their social and cognitive competence. The study found that promoting wellbeing in children enhances their confidence and resilience."
-Impacts of Long Term Forest School Programmes on Children's Resilience, Confidence and Wellbeing - Sarah Blackwell
The benefits of general forest school activities are;

1. Confidence
This was characterised by self-confidence and self-belief that came from the children having the freedom, time and space, to learn, grown and demonstrate independence.

2. Social skills
The children demonstrated an increased awareness of the consequences of their actions on other people, peers and adults, and acquired a better ability to work co-operatively with others.

3. Language and communication
The children developed more sophisticated uses of both written and spoken language prompted by their visual and sensory experiences at Forest School.

4. Motivation and concentration
This was characterised by a keenness to participate in exploratory learning and play activities as well as the ability to focus on specific tasks for extended periods of time.

5. Physical skills
The children developed physical stamina and their gross motor skills through free and easy movement round the Forest School site. They developed fine motor skills by making objects and structures.

6. Knowledge and understanding
Increased respect for the environment was developed as well as an interest in their natural surroundings. Observational improvements were noted as the children started to identify flora and fauna.

7. New perspectives
The teachers and practitioners gained a new perspective and understanding of the children as they observed them in a very different setting and were able to identify their individual learning styles.

8. Ripple effects beyond Forest School
The children brought their experience home and asked their parents to take them outdoors at the weekend or in the school holidays. Parent's interest and attitude towards Forest School changed as they saw the impacts on their children.

Source: Report - An Evaluation of Forest School in England - Murray & O'Brien 2006
Benefits of being outside in a natural environment;

1. Stress relief
Being outside in a natural environment has been shown to relieve stress by reducing the levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, in the brain. Children are increasingly assaulted by stressful environments (media, increasing emphasis on targets and testing, screen time, ever busier urban environments), being out in the woods gives them a much needed time to relax, enjoy themselves and have some stress free time.

2. Connection to nature
Children are increasingly being kept indoors because of the understandable problems of traffic and concerns over safety while being unsupervised. As a result some are missing out on the opportunity to get out and connect with nature on a personal level. Forest school gives them the time and opportunity to do that. Connecting with nature will allow our future generations understand and value the natural world.

Benefits of using tools and fire;

Children will be introduced to tools and fire in a controlled and progressive way so that they learn about managing risk for themselves. They will learn to ensure the safety of both themselves and for others by learning simple safety procedures under the close supervision of the forest school leader. They will benefit from improved fine and gross motor skills, confidence from achieving something from using tools, communication skills, teamwork, coordination and designing and planning skills.

Value Added Benefits

Rich supply of resources and materials for use in other curriculum areas.

Opportunities to involve parents and wider community

Chance for staff to observe students in a different setting.

Opportunities for staff to learn new skills, and enjoy the benefits of FS too!

Offers an alternative to our over reliance on digital and electronic sources for recreation, learning, socialising

Offers an opportunity to become fitter and healthier.

Participants learn to recognise and assess risks for themselves.

Source: Report - An Evaluation of Forest School in England - Murray & O'Brien 2006 What is Forest School? Forest School and the Curriculum Forest School Clothing, Health and Safety Helping at Forest School

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Research Forest School is shown to have gains in the following: Confidence Social skills Language and Communication Motivation and concentration Self-esteem Physical skills Knowledge and understanding Behaviour (Maynard, 2003; Murray and O‟Brien, 2005; O‟Brien and Murray, 2007; Davis et al. 2006) These seem like amazing factors to be claimed.

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Tonnes of resources!

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Forest school nature play offers multiple benefits for six and seven year old children - Children & Nature Network

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Forest School is an initiative that gives children a means to substantially engage in hands-on learning in a natural environment. Well known in Scandinavia, Germany, and the United Kingdom, Forest School is often incorporated into mainstream preschool and elementary schools where children access local woodlands during the school day to engage in nature-based activities that support healthy development. Previous research suggests that benefits from Forest School participation include increases in motivation, concentration, confidence, knowledge of the natural environment, and awareness of others. The purpose of this study was to “investigate the children’s perceptions, knowledge and experiences of play in the natural environment both prior to and following their engagement in Forest School.”

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When Kate Milman was 21, she paused her English degree at the University of East Anglia to join protests against the Newbury bypass. It was 1996, and the road was being carved out through idyllic wooded countryside in Berkshire. She took up residence in a treehouse, in the path of the bulldozers, and lived there for months. It was a revelation. She lived intimately with the catkins, the calling birds, the slow-slow-fast change in the seasons. Despite being in a precarious position as a protester, she felt completely safe and her brain was calmed.

"You know when you go camping and go back to your house, and everything feels wrong? The lighting is harsh and everything seems complicated indoors. It just got under my skin, this feeling - that [living in the woods] is like being at home."

Finally, however, she was evicted from her forest heartland. The men and their machines arrived beneath her tree. Kate was arrested under a newly created "aggravated trespass" law and barred from joining the protests again. The wood was ripped apart.

"That level of grief - it felt like losing somebody," Kate says now. It was a highly complex woodland and she had come to know it intimately. "I knew how beautiful it was at dawn and at full moon, and then it was bulldozed. When you watch that amount of stupidity, when you have that much grief and impotence, what can you do with it?"

The idea for Wild Things, a workers' cooperative set up to provide children with experience of the natural world, was born. For three days each week, she and her fellow co-op members, Kath, Kat and Nick (her partner), provide half-day sessions for groups of nine pupils from various city schools.

I've come to a Wild Things day at Bestwood Country Park, a hilltop woodland on the edge of Nottingham. The wind runs through the canopy in waves, worrying the leaves, but it is calm and snug in the green, brambly understorey. The slender trunks of silver birches shine in the low sunlight.

We are both layered in the warm, shapeless garb of the forest school practitioner. From the moment formal, government-provided schooling began in the Victorian era, dissenters have championed alternative forms of education based outdoors, which have placed the health and creativity of the child at their heart. "Forest school", a specific type of outdoor schooling with an emphasis on imaginative play in a forest setting and a fire circle, developed in Britain in the 1990s after teachers visited outdoor schools in Denmark. It has flourished in the last two decades without state support, as parents react against the rigid, test-based learning imposed by government reforms and the national curriculum.

When I talk to people about forest schooling, everyone agrees that it's very important to help children "connect" with the natural world. But, they often say, it's terribly middle class and white, isn't it?

Jay feathers discovered in the woods. Photograph: Wild Things

The children we're with today are mostly 10-year-olds, members of an "English as a second language" group from Forest Fields primary and nursery school. The school's bucolic name belies its location in central Nottingham. Its 620 children speak 52 languages. Everyone in today's group arrived in Britain in the last two years. Several started school only two months ago. They are from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Romania and Syria, and some came from refugee camps. "You don't know what they've seen," says their teaching assistant, Yasmin Khaliq, who speaks five languages. She has been bringing groups to Wild Things for nine years. "It's a godsend," she says. "It's all outdoors, they are seeing things with their own eyes, there's no language barrier."

From somewhere above us comes the anxious "cheeeept-cheeept" of a great spotted woodpecker. Then another call, carried on the wind. "Kooooo-eeeeeeeeee!"

Kate replies, with a completely unexpected volume: "Kooooo-eeeeeeeeee!"

The children have been allowed to run ahead, alone, through the woods, and they follow the sound of Kate's call. I hear the heaving of a small pair of lungs before I see the boy, Mohammad, a slim child bent double with effort, legs flying out sideways like a skittish calf, eager to win his personal race. Next up the hill is a tiny, beaming Syrian girl. "I'm Amira, but you can call me Lion," she grins.

All nine children are effervescent. I can't banish the image of a group of puppies, bouncing around outdoors for the first time. Kate and I walk to the Wild Things base camp. The children scamper ahead, shimmying around brambles, poking around the site with the sharp-eyed curiosity of chickens, investigating branches, tree stumps and some interesting-looking clippers laid out on a tarpaulin.

On the days Kate doesn't take children on camps, she "scrats around" for charitable funding because, mostly, the only way to get pupils from cash-strapped state schools into the woods is to offer the sessions free. The Wild Things staff survive on a minuscule co-op "share" wage. Kate lives with Nick and their eight-year-old son in a small rural housing co-op. They drive a battered high-top Transit stuffed with bow saws, loppers, clippers, ropes, tarpaulins, plastic mugs, hot chocolate and other essentials such as children's wellies and woollen gloves: the pupils rarely bring clothes suitable for outdoors.

'Children need to feel liberated and free.' Photograph: Fabio De Paola/The Guardian

The children sit round the fire circle while Kate, Kath and Kat ("the three Ks") show them how to use loppers and saws, and explain today's activities. The pupils choose their own adventure. This child-led approach is intended to offer an alternative to conventional didactic, adult-led education, which misses "that whole chunk of experience where children are just getting to be a wild animal", Kate says. Ten-year-olds "are at that stage of development where they need to feel liberated and free".

Today the children can learn to use bows and arrows, build a fire and cook on it, or lay a trail, hide and have another group track them down. The activities, says Kate when we break for lunch, are really giving them an excuse to mooch and dream in the forest. No two children respond to the place in the same way. Kate and her colleagues are constantly surprised by the infinite span of children's creative thought and their willingness to express it in the woods: one boy decides to build a gym, another a mask; a girl spins stories - about a frog and a turtle crossing her path.

I join Kat and a trio of girls - keen little Amira; Homa, a Pakistani girl; and Cristina, a Roma Gypsy from Romania with a long plait, who wears a purple jumpsuit and a shiny purple padded jacket. She can't speak much English but understands plenty.

Our mission is to lay a trail of arrows made from sticks through the wood to a spot where we will hide from the other members of the group.

"Like da?" says Cristina, fashioning an arrow from three large branches.

Children can feel at home in the woods in a way they find more difficult in the community they have landed in

"Make it smaller?" suggests Kat.

"No. Big!" says Cristina.

Cristina gasps as we twist along a narrow path, passing a tree stump covered in gleaming bracket fungus. Beech leaves shine luminous orange on the forest floor. "Come on, guys!" says Cristina. Last week she didn't talk at all, says Kat.

I struggle to break a large stick into arrow pieces. Homa laughs: "Cristina is stronger than you," she says.

I assumed that most refugees have come to the UK from cities, but Wild Things has worked with many migrant children who grew up in rural areas. Meanwhile British-born city children belong to a country called Indoors: they ask Kate, "What's mud?" or, "Why are there so many trees here?" It is often only in Britain that rural children from overseas are confined to city-centre flats. Their questions - "Are there elephants?" or, "Are there deadly snakes here?" - are rooted in experience of their countries of origin. For many, Kate says, the woods awaken lost memories and a yearning for home. "As soon as we light a fire, they say, 'Ah, I know this' or they point to a plant and get really animated. They are in their element."

Setting off on a tracking hunt. Photograph: Wild Things

One group last spring included a partially sighted girl. "Walking up into the woods, she stopped and said, 'Listen to that sound!'" remembers Kate. "It was the buzzing of the insects." It reminded the girl of her former country. At the end of her six weeks, she said, "I feel like I've come home." The Wild Things staff frequently hear similar declarations. "Often children can feel at home in the woods in a way they find more difficult in the community they have landed in, where technology is everything, money is everything, they are at the bottom of the pecking order and there are massive tensions in the area. In the woods they are on a level playing field. They can just be kids again."

We return to the fire circle and the children discuss their plans for next week.

"Make a wood house," says Sanaya. "I made a house with sticks in Pakistan. My grandma makes a fire like this."

It reminds her of home? "Yes."

We help a child to fall in love with nature and we don't know if they will ever be able to access it again

What is the best thing about the wood? "Everything," says Homa. "Hide-and-seek, the fire, the bread, because that makes us all hot."

This prompts Adnan to reminisce about Syria. "I used to like playing with my cousins. It was just like this but with less trees."

Cristina is the most reluctant to leave.

"Next time, again?" she asks Kate, looking worried. Kate counts on her fingers to show Cristina seven days.

Cristina's face lengthens at the prospect of such a long wait, but she joins the rest of the group hurtling back down the hill to their minibus heading for the city, and their new homes.

Kate and her fellow Wild Things workers often feel the weight of the children's longing to stay in the woods. "They constantly say things like, 'I feel so free out here,'" she says. Already today, on her second of six sessions, Sanaya was saying, "I know I won't come back because my family haven't got a car." After the six weeks, Wild Things give every child a leaflet with bus routes, showing how they can reach the forest from Nottingham. But the bus drops them in the nearest village, and there's no cafe in the woods. It will be a very strong-willed 10-year-old who makes her own way here, and an act of faith for her parents to follow her.

Sharing treasures back at camp. Photograph: Wild Things

Wild Things know their work enhances the children's lives but, as Kate points out, "It's very hard to measure improvements in confidence, self-esteem, friendships, behaviour. Sometimes you do see something tangible, other times you don't. That's not to say it's not happening."

Forest school is still relatively new, educational research is poorly funded and a child's achievement is shaped by myriad circumstances that make it difficult for academics to control for every confounding factor. But there is an enormous weight of scientific research demonstrating the benefits of wild green space for adult mental and physical wellbeing, and a growing body of evidence pointing to the specific benefits of outdoor schooling.

The physical gains are easiest to measure. In one study, a group of Scottish nine-11-year-olds were fitted with accelerometers to measure their physical activity during a typical school day and during a day at forest school. These revealed that activity levels were 2.2 times greater during forest school days than on normal school days that included PE lessons, and 2.7 times greater than on "inactive" school days. Scandinavian studies of outdoor schools have also found they improve children's attentiveness. In 2017, a four-year study from Norway identified more inattention and hyperactivity symptoms the less time children spent at an outdoor preschool.

Perhaps most surprisingly, there is also hard evidence that outdoor schooling can produce better academic outcomes. A three-year study of primary school pupils who were "struggling to thrive" found a group who attended weekly forest school sessions achieved better overall attendance than their primary school-only peers, and markedly better attainment. The forest school pupils' writing improved by 18% compared with 7% among comparably disadvantaged pupils; reading improved by 27%, compared with 22% among school-only children; and maths attainment rose by 27% compared with 11%.

Even so, forest school teachers are acutely aware that they offer only a tiny taste of magic in childhoods where more time is spent indoors than in any preceding generation. "We help a child to fall in love with nature and we don't know if they'll ever be able to access it again," Kate says. She thinks for a moment. At least the children now know the woods are there. The place may call to them at any point in the future. "It's better to know there's a bit missing. It might be something you can use in your later life," she says. "To know that the woods can make you feel better."

Some names have been changed.

Wild Child by Patrick Barkham is published by Granta at £16.99. To order a copy for £12.99, go to guardianbookshop.com.

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'I feel I've come home': can forest schools help heal refugee children?

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They have a middle-class reputation, but one outdoor school near Nottingham is reconnecting disadvantaged 10-year-olds with nature and a sense of freedom

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Forest School Association | What is Forest School? | Forest Schools | Nature Premium

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Now availableRRP £29.99 ** FSA Members get a massive 30% discount ** This A4 size 256 paged comprehensive and illustrative guide to setting up a Forest School is a compilation of knowledge and wisdom from some of the Forest School Association's most experienced trainers, leaders and members.

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DAS Outdoors is the UK’s leading parachute shelter provider.

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Decking Rope Fittings | Ireland’s Top Supplier Of Decking Rope

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Polyhemp Decking Rope has the look and feel of natural hemp. Synthetic polyhemp, also know as Hempex is weatherproof, meaning it will not shrink, order yours today

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General FS supplies

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is the original supplier of Forest School Equipment here in the UK. We have been operating for nearly 20 years, and in 2009 became part of 'Oaks Online Shopping Company Ltd'.Today we focus on selling not only the very best equipment for Forest Schools but also supply many organisations with specialist equipment for a multitude of outdoor events that focus on, or around our natural world. Forestschoolshop.co.uk

We are always striving to keep our product range unique, ever-evolving and very keenly priced to help you meet your budgetary requirements and achieve your teaching goals.
Our website offers a fast and convenient way for you to purchase your goods, whether that's from your computer, phone or tablet. In addition to...

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Forest School Shop - Home | Forest School Shop

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We sell specialist Forest School equipment online at great prices. From cutting tools to safety wear, you'll find everything you need here!

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Tusla has worked with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the HSE to develop a universal e-learning programme called 'Introduction to Children First'. The programme has been written to support people of all backgrounds and experience in recognising concerns about children and reporting such concerns if they arise.

The programme takes approximately 1.5 hours to complete but it can be done in a number of sittings. The programme will allow you to log back in and resume where you left off. It covers topics including:

Recognising and reporting child abuse;

The role of mandated persons;

The responsibilities of organisations working with children to safeguard children;

The role of designated liaison persons.

You will need to create an account using an email address to log in and complete the progamme. This allows you to complete the training gradually over time. Once you have created your account, launch 'An Introduction to Children First'. When you have completed the programme, you will receive a certificate of completion directly to your email address.

Introduction to Children First E-Learning Programme
Access to Children First E-Learning Programme

Email support@hseland.ie for matters relating to accessing accounts or certification issues.

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Children First E-Learning ProgrammeTusla - Child and Family Agency

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The Child and Family Agency was established on 1st January 2014 and is now the dedicated State agency responsible for improving wellbeing and outcomes for children.

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Discover high-quality commercial fishing gear, leisure marine supplies & general hardware with nationwide delivery. Independently run by passionate experts.

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Towards flourishing  the understanding and experience of the staff in one Irish primary school of Forest School (1)

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_Exploring the  Construction  strand in the Irish Primary School Visual Arts Curriculum through the Forest School approach 

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Experiential  relational  playful pedagogy in Irish primary schools   possibilities offered by Forest School

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Why kids need to take more risks: science reveals the benefits of wild, free play

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Studies reveal how risky play can benefit child development. But encouraging it can be a challenge for parents.

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Grow Trees from Seed | Guides to Identify and Grow Trees

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Grow trees from seed using a set of simple instructions. Identify trees, collect seeds, sow and plant. Follow our tree-growing ‘recipes’ to success.

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The National Biodiversity Data Centre works to make biodiversity data and information more freely available in order to better understand and assist the protection of Ireland's biodiversity.

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Bí Ann / Leanfaidh Mé lyrics and chords - Kíla - SongsInIrish.com

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Lyrics as Gaeilge, English translation and pronunciation of words in Irish, guitar chords/tabs with YouTube video. I’ll Keep Going

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Here is a list of all the tree species on this site for which there are full descriptions. Click on the names in red below to get access to over 90 common broadleaf trees, 18 exotic broadleaf trees and 25 Conifer trees found in Britain. Each description includes a photo of the entire tree with photos of important distinguishing features such as leaves, flowers, cones, bark and fruit. Also included is information on whether the tree is native to Britain or where and when it was first introduced and where it is likely to be found now.

The index of tree species provides a quick way of checking the identity a tree if you think you know its name. Alternatively type the common or scientific name of the tree in the search box below. This will pick up up several reference to the tree on this website, one of which should link to a description.

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Index of Tree Species - Tree Guide UK Index of tree species

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Index of tree species with links to photos of 90 common broadleaf trees, 18 exotic broadleaf trees and 25 Conifer trees found in Britain.

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We are building awareness of the importance of healthy hedgerows - and promoting best practice in managing and rejuvenating them. Join the Hedge Code!

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Forest School’s innovative outdoor approach offers specific benefits to learners with autism, including increased social skills, raised self-esteem and improved sensory function. This guide raises autism awareness amongst practitioners by providing practical and easy-to-follow advice for adapting Forest School activities for those with autism.For those coming from a mainstream Forest School background, the author offers an introduction to autism and shows what Forest School can offer people with autism - both children and adults - with first-person accounts that highlight its success with this group. The guide gives advice on the social and sensory benefits, offers practical advice on safety and on how to set up a Forest School and finally presents specific activities to be incorporated into practitioners’ routines.

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Making a St. Brigid’s Cross - an Easy Step by Step Guide

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Free Trees For Irish Communities | Trees For Communities

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Apply to Trees for Communities to get 50 trees for your community funded by the Native Woodland Trust and help us plant 15,000 native trees around Ireland.

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The nature cure: how time outdoors transforms our memory, imagination and logic

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Without engaging with natural environments, our brains cease to work well. As the new field of environmental neuroscience proves, exposure to nature isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity

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How Forest Schools Boosts children's immune systems 

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How Forest Schools Boosts children's immune systems 

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How forest schools boost children’s immune systems

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At a Helsinki nursery, children spend all day in the forest. Erika Benke explores how outdoor learning benefits children’s health and teaches them to value nature.

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Have your kids conkers gone wrinkly? When autumn comes around my kids just can't help collecting bucket loads of shiny horse chestnuts. However conkers start to lose some of their charm once the shrivels (as we like to call it) sets in. There are only so many games of conkers we can play, so, to avoid being buried alive by these puckered leftovers, we've found other ways to make use of them. One of our favourites is to turn them into Conker Comets...

Probably the most fun you can have with conker - and it makes a great bonfire night craft too! Read on to see how we do it.

Childhood classic

Conker Comets is a game that I was convinced my siblings and I had invented. We would wrap a conker in the centre of a rectangle of tissue paper or crepe paper streamers, tying it tightly so that the paper formed a long tail. Then we'd take turns seeing how far we could throw it.

Alas, young hooligans that we were, it is possible that we may have used each other as target practice....

Of course, we weren't quite as original as we'd thought. When looking for more conker ideas I found almost the exact same game on several other blogs. So much for our invention!

Fireworks activity

This was, hands down, the kids' favourite conker activity, so I highly recommend giving it a go. They are really, really satisfying to throw, and look very pretty flying through the air!

The kids say they look a bit like firework rockets. As a result, we've taken to making these around the end of October/early November for a Bonfire Night craft.

And if you fancy making your own, this is how...

Instructions: Wrapped Rockets
​(AKA the Rhubarb and Wren Special)
Cut some long and narrow rectangles of crepe paper, tissue paper or cellophane (pretty!) - or alternately cut some lengths of crepe paper streamers.

Place your rectangles in a pile, fanned out in a rough star shape - so just the top of each rectangle is overlapping on the pile.

If your paper is different colours, bear in mind that the paper at the bottom will be on the outside of your comet tail, while the top piece will be in the middle

When using crepe streamers, you can make the tails any length you like - long tails look spectacular flying through the air.

Whereas using smaller A4 or letter-size sheets makes for a slightly weightier comet that is easier for very young ones to throw (and these short-tails still look really cool!).

Put your conker in the centre of the star, and gather the paper tightly around it, giving the tail a twist to hold the conker in place.

Secure with an elastic band, string, ribbon or bit of wool under the conker, so that it's securely contained, with a long paper tail.

Making a comet tail

Shred the tail into thinner strands. You can layer a couple of different coloured sheets to get a multicoloured tail. Tie ribbons (curling ribbons are perfect) onto it as well, for added streamer-y-ness.

Older children may want to shred their paper BEFORE wrapping the conker in it, as that way is easier to get even strips.

Younger children will probably have more fun just snipping away at the tied tail.

I prefer the uneven and more organic look you get by random snipping, but we made some both ways to show the difference.

Let's go throw a comet...

Take your Wrapped Rocket conker comet outside - somewhere with a long, clear stretch - and chuck it as far and high as you can*. Watch it fly!

As you can see, this conker craft activity is REALLY easy. Even very young kids can have a go. No tools are needed as all it takes is wrapping their paper around the conker and tying it with an elastic band or bit of ribbon. And they get to practice both fine motor and scissor skills during the 'making' as well.

The finished comet is also easy to throw and very secure. There's practically (never say never) no danger of it coming apart during play.

The Holey Hurler
(or Wot Those Other People Made)
There is an alternate way of making conker comets! What follows is based on the version I found on and Labbe blogs. Do check out their instructions, which are full of great ideas.

This alternate method has the tail inserted into a hole in the conker rather than being wrapped around it. I must admit, as kids we never thought of making them this way, so I was intrigued.

The Labbe method works well with fresh, smooth conkers as the conker isn't hidden inside. And it would be a great way to make use of our fancy-pants conker drills (they make conker-crafts so easy!).

So this is our interpretation of this alternative way to make conker comets.

Holey Hurler Instructions

Make a hole in your conker (these fabulous tools make it much easier and safer for kids to do).

Create a long 'tail' of paper strips or ribbons, and twist the end tightly.
Insert your tail into the conker.

We found that the fit was usually tight enough to hold it securely, but you could use glue in the hole if necessary.

Take your Holey Hurler conker comet out to the testing field, and hurl!*

*Please ensure your throwing space is clear of people and animals - nobody wants to be hit in the head (or anywhere else) by a conker comet!

We found shouting 'Comets Away!' as we threw them cleared the area pretty fast.

Conker comet games

Once we had a few comets, we had a lot of fun seeing which flew the furthest/highest/fastest.

The kids also had great fun trying to hit our paper sun earth and moon targets. These were simply cardboard circles covered in paint, glitter and left-over tissue. A direct hit was a 'burn up!', 'mooney' (for extra hilarity) or 'extinction!' depending on which target got hit.

Having a target kept them playing longer than they might have otherwise. And also, ahem, kept the comets from flying in unexpected directions...

The prize for best conker comet goes to...

And so which comet turned out best?

Whether they were Wrapped Rockets or Holey Hurlers, the long tails of the streamer-made comets looked spectacular. However these were also more difficult to throw if there was any wind about.

Whereas the shorter-tailed comets made with A4/Letter sized tissue paper were excellent fliers in any weather. These were much easier for little ones to manage.

A few Holey Hurlers did (temporarily) lose their tails - but it was extremely windy on our test day. None of the Wrapped Rockets came apart though, so they win on durability.

Ultimately, the kids decided that the results were inconclusive and so they will have to carry out much more testing before they can make a final decision on which were the best.

Which makes the whole thing a win in my book!

Colourful conker comets soar through the air when thrown.

More from Rhubarb and Wren

Looking for more autumn fun? Why not check out some of our other activities:

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Conker Comets! Autumn Fun for Kids - Rhubarb and Wren

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Forget playing conkers, making conker comets is the most fun kids can have with their autumn haul of Horse Chestnuts! Find out how to make them in our fun autumn craft - simple, quick and easy enough for any little one to do!

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Planting native trees in the 32 counties of the island of Ireland.

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Wayfinding With Wen – Child Play Therapy in Ireland

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Child play therapy based in ireland, supporting children and families in finding happiness through exploration of feelings and emotions

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When I Was One! Nursery Rhyme for Babies and Toddlers from Sing and Learn!

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Go Bananas! | Camp Song | Scratch Garden

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Making a St. Brigid’s Cross - an Easy Step by Step Guide

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How to tie the Tautline Hitch Knot. This knot can be slipped to tighten or loosen a line, then holds fast under load. Useful for lines that may need adjustment. The Tautline Hitch is essentially a Rolling Hitch tied on the standing part of a tight line after it has been secured around a object. Campers like to use this knot to secure tent guy lines because the hitch slides freely, yet jams under load, making adjustments to the line easy.
This is the knot that the Boy Scouts of America recommends for an adjustable sliding knot. An alternative way of finishing the knot is to reverse the direction of the Half Hitch (step 3), which Clifford Ashley states will eliminate much of the torsion that might cause the knot to twist. However, the Midshipman's Hitch is in fact a more secure knot to use for this purpose, although it is not quite as easy to adjust.

Scroll to see Animated Tautline Hitch Knot below the illustration and tying instructions.

Tautline Hitch Knot Tying Instructions

1. Make a turn around a post or other object several feet from the free end.

2. Coil the free end twice around the standing line working back toward the post.

3. Make one additional coil around the standing line on the outside of the coils just made.

4. Tighten the knot and slide it on the standing line to adjust tension.

Swiffy Output

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How to tie a tautline hitch with illustrated and animated examples

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More of our Favourite Forest School Games - The Outdoors Group

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Last year we shared some of our favourite games to play at Forest School and we received such good feedback about it and thanks for the ideas that we thought

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As parents, we all want to give our children the best possible start in life, and one of the key ingredients in this recipe is socialisation-helping our kids learn how to interact, communicate, and build relationships with others.

But did you know that one of the most effective ways to nurture these skills is by encouraging your kids to play outside with children of all different ages?

In today's world, where screens and structured activities often take up much of our children's tim e, getting kids outdoors with peers is more important than ever.

Playing with other kids-especially in a mixed-age group-helps them learn how to communicate, share, take turns, and resolve conflicts.

These experiences are not only fun but also crucial for their emotional and social growth.

Older kids naturally take on leadership roles, guiding younger ones and showing them the ropes, while younger kids learn by watching and imitating their older peers.

Why Playing with Other Kids is So Important

Kids learn best from each other. When they play with peers, they're picking up essential skills like empathy, patience, and cooperation -skills that are a bit harder to practice when they're only playing alone or with adults.

When kids of different ages play together, the older ones often step into mentoring roles, which boosts their confidence and helps them develop leadership skills. At the same time, younger children benefit from this guidance and learn new skills by watching and interacting with their older friends.

Plus, playing with a mix of ages helps kids see things from different perspectives and learn different ways of solving problems.

They quickly discover that there are lots of ways to approach a game or a challenge, and their ideas can grow and change when they listen to others. This kind of learning is dynamic and exciting- it helps kids become more adaptable and creative thinkers.

The Special Benefits of Multi-Age Play

There's something truly magical about watching kids of different ages play together.

Child Psychologist and Research Professor Peter Gray explains how in multi-age play, older kids get a chance to be leaders and role models, which can really boost their confidence. They learn to be patient and nurturing as they help younger kids learn the rules of a game or work through a tricky challenge.

Meanwhile, the younger ones build resilience and adaptability as they play with older kids, who might introduce more complex games or set tougher challenges.

Playing in a multi-age setting also teaches kids to appreciate diversity in skills and abilities.

They start to understand that everyone has something unique to offer, which fosters a sense of inclusivity and empathy. This understanding is so important- it helps them grow into kind and compassionate adults who value teamwork and community.

Encouraging Outdoor Play with Kids of All Ages

So, how can you encourage your kids to engage in this type of enriching play? One of the best ways is to create opportunities for outdoor play, where there are endless possibilities for creative, collaborative, and imaginative fun.

Nature provides an incredible backdrop for play. It's filled with interesting things that inspire curiosity, exploration, and teamwork. Kids can use their imagination to turn a stick into a magic wand or a pile of leaves into a treasure trove.

Here are some fun outdoor games that encourage kids to play together and learn from one another:

Games to Encourage Social Skills in Nature

1. Nature Scavenger Hunt

This game is great for teamwork and observation skills. Create a list of natural items to find, like a feather, a smooth stone, or a cool-looking leaf. Split the kids into mixed-age teams to search for these items. Older kids can help guide the younger ones, which encourages mentorship and collaboration.

Or better yet, use our Scavenger Hunt Printable! We keep a stack of these in our kit, laminate them and re-use them often. Download your copy here.

2. Hide and Seek in the Great Outdoors

Take the classic game of hide and seek outside, where trees, bushes, and rocks provide perfect hiding spots. Older kids can teach the younger ones how to think strategically about where to hide, making the game even more exciting.

We love experimenting with variations on this classic game. We combine it with 'Marco Polo' and use a call and response to make sure our expert hiders eventually get found! The person who is in counts to 30 or more with eyes closed, then calls out "1, 2, 3, where are you?", and the hiders call out "Cooee!" in a big loud voice. ( This is a great one for parents in particular, because there's nothing like the cold chill of panic that runs through you when you can't find your child.)

Get creative with this one - we change the theme depending on the group and what's happening that day. For our little Wildlings who are dinosaur-obsessed, the person who is in is the Zoo Keeper and calls out "Where are my dinos?" and the hiders answer with a "RAWR!". Another little friend wanted to change it to snakes and mice, where the seeker yells "I'm a hungry snake!" and the hiders have to "squeak squeak squeak". For our survivalists, we call the game Zombie Apocalypse and combine it with gang-up tiggy, where the person in is the Zombie and the humans have to run away from them. If they get tagged, they also become a zombie and have to tag the humans.

The possibilities are endless. Just make sure to establish boundaries for the game so everyone gets found, whether the kids agree on this between themselves or if an adult facilitates this conversation.

Another variation of this is more like Stuck in the Mud, but with Turtles and Jellyfish. The person who is in is a turtle, and the others are jellyfish and have to run away from them within a fairly small boundary. If they get tagged, they've been nibbled by the turtle and need to be zapped back to life by a fellow jellyfish. We love to use nature themes in our games, animals are a great source of inspiration for imaginative play!

3. Outdoor Obstacle Course

Use natural materials like logs, stones, and branches to create a fun obstacle course. Older kids can help design the course and explain the rules, while younger ones practice their balance and coordination. This game promotes fitness, leadership, and cooperative play.

Kids love a challenge, and watching another child balance on a log and run up a hill is an unspoken challenge for other kids to have a go too. Sometimes it's helpful to remind older more boisterous children to be mindful that younger ones are not always as hardy or resilient as they are, and to remember be physically considerate of one another.

4. Building Together

Get the kids to work together on a building project using natural materials-whether it's a bush cubby, a fairy house, or a nature mandala. This activity is fantastic for fostering creativity, teamwork, and patience as kids of different ages collaborate to create something special.

This sort of play happens organically in the forest. Often, a group of kids will converge on the mudslide and work together carrying jugs of water up to the top of the hill to make the slide more slippery. An afternoon well spent, in our opinion!

5. Capture the Flag

Perfect for a larger group, this energetic game encourages strategic thinking, cooperation, and healthy competition as teams work together to capture the opposing team's flag while protecting their own. Older kids can lead strategy discussions, while younger ones learn about teamwork and fair play.

This is a favourite for our homeschool groups, and a great game for multi-age play. In our Minecraft program we play a variation of this called "Capture the Ender Dragon Egg, where teams hide a painted rock on their side of the forest and their opponents have to find it and take it into the Ender Portal, which is a square drawn on the ground. Once again, this game is full of possibilities. Sometimes we find it useful to supervise the team selection process so that teams are evenly matched and kids don't get chosen last. We also change the teams each round to keep things fresh.

Why Nature Play is a Game Changer

Playing in nature not only provides endless opportunities for creative and imaginative play but also helps kids build strong social bonds and learn valuable life skills.

When children play outside together, they learn to communicate, share, and solve problems as a group. This kind of social interaction is crucial for their emotional development and helps them build the resilience and adaptability they need to thrive in today's world.

So, let's get our kids outside!

Whether it's a simple game of hide and seek or a more structured activity like a scavenger hunt, outdoor play with kids of all ages is a fantastic way to foster social skills, build friendships, and cultivate a love for nature that will last a lifetime.
Loving the nature play ideas? Here are some more ways we can help you and your Wildlings get more nature time in your lives:

1. Book a Holiday Program: Ready for an adventure? Sign your child up for one of our holiday programs at Wildlings Forest School and let them explore, learn, and grow in nature! Book Now

2. Celebrate with Us: Looking for a unique and memorable birthday party? Host your child's next celebration at Wildlings Forest School for an unforgettable day of outdoor fun and exploration! Learn More

3. Bring Wildlings to Your School or OOSH: Want to bring the Wildlings experience to your school or OOSH? Talk to your school or OOSH coordinator about booking an excursion with us, and let's make learning in nature a reality! Contact Us

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5 Games to Encourage Nature Play & Multi-Age Socialisation - Wildlings Forest School

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Whether it's a simple game of hide and seek or a more structured activity like a scavenger hunt, outdoor play with kids of all ages is a fantastic way to foster social skills, build friendships, and cultivate a love for nature that will last a lifetime.

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A great Irish resource for setting up a tree nursery

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Practical info and activities for each class on native trees, flowers, mammals, invertebrates and birds

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Practical info and activities for each class on native trees, flowers, mammals, invertebrates and birds

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Paracord.eu | No 1. Paracord and Coloured rope shop in EU!

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We have sent out our Paracord to over 100.000 customers all over Europe! All Paracord products in 1 shop! Original 550 Paracord in more than 2000 colours! High service and fast shipping.

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How to create different habitats for wildlife.

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Gardening for Biodiversity – Juanita Browne

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’A new guide to assist everyone to help wildlife in their gardens, no matter how big or small, has been launched. The brainchild of Juanita Browne, the booklet was produced by Laois County Council with the assistance of Local Authority Heritage Officers across Ireland, with support from the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Heritage Council.