Explore

The first thing to realise before entering any forest or wood is that it isn't just a bunch of trees - a barrier to get through - or something to walk round while you contemplate other things; this is a living, breathing, moving, shifting, community of flora and fauna that is constantly growing and dieing, feeding and decaying. There is order, there is beauty, there are secrets and there is routine - life here ebbs and flows as much as any great tide, there is a cycle to nature and it is best displayed in our woods. So, take a little more care and a little more time with this programme and explore this high-rise wonder.

The Explore programme aims to:
> Encourage children and young people to see wood in spite of the trees!
> To recognise that all the elements of woodland life are interconnected like a giant jigsaw and that by removing any piece spoils the jigsaw and renders it incomplete.

It sets out to:
> Help participants understand that a wood is a community of flora and fauna.
> Help participants understand that trees are central to life in the forest and in our world.
> Expose participants to a variety of flora and fauna, help them identify them again in the future, and widen their knowledge and understanding about them.
> Have fun with a variety of field craft disciplines (creeping and stalking, observation, identification and classification, measuring and recording.)

The programme includes:
> Tutor input
> Reflection time
> Games and fun activities
> Multi-media presentations
> Woodland forage and exploration (Nature Detective Activities)
> Worksheets and booklets
> Arts and Crafts
> Seasonally tree planting

Supported by the Woodland Trust and Nature Detectives.

Written by Alyn Jones (Alliance Youth Works)