Education
The Forest of Mercia uses the natural environment to provide people of all ages with an inspiring and stimulating backdrop for learning and development. The team provides educational opportunities for children and adults alike to encourage a greater interest and understanding of the environment and to provide an effective alternative to a formal education setting.
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Twiglets -
Aimed at 2-5 year olds and their parents and carers, Twiglets offers children the chance to get out into their local environment, to enjoy nature and wildlife. Activities are linked with nature, wildlife and the environment and include natural arts and crafts, wildlife watching, role play, games and lots more! Each session has a theme, including mini beasts, woodland animals, birds and the weather. Regular sessions are being held at Norton Canes Children's Centre on a Wednesday morning. Look out on the events and activities page for when Twiglets is on near you!
Forest Schools - 
The Forest of Mercia are currently working in partnership with
Groundwork Black Country,
Groundwork Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire and
Staffordshire Cluster Group to look at ways to move the Forest School initiative forward within the area. Forest Schools aims to encourage and inspire people of all ages through regular outdoor experiences in a local woodland environment. If you would like to find out more about Forest Schools please visit
www.foresteducation.org.uk. The Forestry Commission has funding available to develop Forest Schools, for more information visit
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-76QBUW
The Forest of Mercia is working with Groundwork West Midlands to run a Forest School Pilot session for some of the middle schools in South Staffordshire. This is starting in February 2010.
The Meaning of Trees -
This project was launched to coincide with National Tree Week in 2007. Primary Schools from around the Forest of Mercia were invited to enter a competition to submit a creative collage about what trees mean to the children in the school. The entries were displayed at Chasewater Innovation Centre in March 2008 with the overall winner - The John Bamford Primary School - attending a VIP trip to the centre in April. The trip involved willow weaving and an environmental quiz, as well as lunch and presentation event. Prizes included a wildlife goody bag for each child and a variety of items for the school to create and monitor their own nature area on the school grounds, such as a bird table and habitat boxes, binoculars and digital cameras. This project was funded through the Forestry Commission Partnership Fund.
For a really up to date picture of the Education Inclusion Project and its events and activities please see the quarterly report below - with information from October 2009 to January 2010
Education Report - January 2010