Inspiring spring courses announced
3rd April 2018
After a cold and soggy winter, its time to get outdoors, brush up on skills and get inspired! BFSN has just announced its spring and summer skills share and CPD programme for members and non-members alike – all are welcome
The skills shares are a great opportunity to informally swap skills and ideas with others and you are sure to come away with some great ideas you can use outdoors this spring and summer.
The CPD session is targeted at anyone who needs help and strategies dealing with challenging behaviour on outdoor sessions (isn’t that everyone?!)
With reasonable prices and great discounts for members, book now and transform your practice. See Events page for details
Discover Archaeology of Ilkley’s Middleton Woods
12th March 2018
If you dig archaeology or love Middleton Woods in Ilkley, there is a great opportunity to uncover its history this month. The Celebrating Woodland Heritage Project is calling for volunteers to help with an archaeological survey on 17-20 March. The project, run by Pennine Prospects, is one of a series of Woodland Archaeology Surveys across the South Pennines area, as part of a lottery funded project to discover more about the hidden history of our region’s ancient woodlands.
From carved Bronze Age cup and ring stones, relict field systems, old trackways, Romano-British settlement sites, Medieval veteran trees, woodland boundaries, post-medieval cottage and mill sites, to First World War practice trenches, woodlands across the South Pennines preserve a palimpsest of human history that is waiting to be discovered and recorded.
Volunteers will work with the projects Woodland Heritage Officer, Chris Atkinson, and archaeology students to investigate the woodlands on foot, using old maps and Lidar models as a guide to uncover previously undocumented features. No experience is necessary and training will be given.
Last year they surveyed 17 woods and recorded over 700 features. In 2018 they have surveyed a further 11 more, with Middleton Woods being the last one this season. See poster below for further details of how to book. To see reports from some of the surveyed woods, click here
First Thursday Socials
6th February 2018
Our Social meet-ups are a chance to catch up with others with an interest in forest schools and find out what is going on in Bradford, ask questions or just have a chat and a giggle about anything at all!
For our next series of socials we’ve moved the venue and the day to make sure we’re giving everyone a fair chance to get there. The next Social events will be held every first Thursday of the month at the Noble Comb in Shipley. This pub is near Shipley station and is family-friendly if you need to bring kids along too. These free events, running 4-6pm, are open to everyone; full members, associate members and non-members.
The dates for the next socials are
- Thursday 1 March 4-6pm
- Thursday 5 April 4-6pm
- Thursday 3 May 4-6pm
The First Thurday Socials are just that; social events, with no agenda, so people can chat about what’s been happening, sharing ideas, making plans, etc. There is no need to book or let anyone know you are going, just turn up. We will have at least 2 full members there at each event so there is always someone to chat with. Look out for a small BFSN sign on the table so you know where we are!
Please share the details far and wide, and see you soon!
The Noble Comb, Quayside, Salts Mill Road, Shipley, BD18 3ST
Outdoor Learning Helps Children Concentrate
6th February 2018
Children learn better after they are taken outdoors for lessons in nature, according to new research. They are much more interested and attentive, allowing teachers to instruct uninterrupted for almost twice as long during subsequent indoor schoolwork.
Read more at: https://inews.co.uk/news/education/children-learn-outdoor-lessons-nature/
New first aid dates announced
30th January 2018
If you need to renew your forest school or outdoor first aid, BFSN member Chris Leleux has announced the following dates for spring through to autumn
February 5th/6th Outdoor First Aid
February 19th/20th Forest School First Aid
March 3rd/4th Outdoor First Aid
April 16th/17th Outdoor First Aid
May 12th/13th Outdoor First Aid
June 19th/20th Outdoor First Aid
September 8th/9th Outdoor First Aid
September 10th/11th Forest School First Aid
Don’t forget, BFSN full members receive a 10% discount on these courses, so make you you mention that at booking!
Contact chris@clxfirstaid.org .
www.firstaidtrainingbradford.co.uk
Uncover the hidden history of woodlands
13th January 2018
The Celebrating Woodland Heritage Project, run by Pennine Prospects has released a number of new dates for Woodland Archaeology Surveys in our region and are looking for volunteers to help. Volunteers will work with the projects Woodland Heritage Officer, Chris Atkinson, and archaeology students to investigate the woodlands on foot, using old maps and Lidar models as a guide to uncover previously undocumented features.
From carved Bronze Age cup and ring stones, relict field systems, old trackways, Romano-British settlement sites, Medieval veteran trees, woodland boundaries, post-medieval cottage and mill sites, to First World War practice trenches, woodlands across the South Pennines preserve a palimpsest of human history.
Last year they surveyed 17 woods and recorded over 700 features. In 2018 they will be surveying a further 12 woods including Bradford woodlands Shipley Glen (15-19 January) and Middleton Woods, Ilkley (17-20 March). For a full list of sites and further details click here
Friend of BFSN, Colin Whitfield retires from Bradford Council
19th October 2017
If you have ever sought permission to run a forest school in Bradford Council woodlands, it’s likely that you spoke to Colin in Woodlands Management – and likely that you got that permission and for free! Colin Whitfield and his colleague Bob Thorp have supported forest schools in Bradford since the idea came to our district about 10 years ago. Members of Bradford Forest School Network have greatly benefited from the strong relationship between forest schools and Woodlands Management and their positive attitude towards allowing us to use the woods, including have campfires, providing we do so responsibly. (Try doing that in some local authorities and you’ll know how lucky we are in Bradford!) In return members have tried to support Woodlands Management by reporting dangerous trees or fly tipping and helping with woodland conservation and restoration.
After many years at the council, Colin is retiring this week so members of the Network got together to present him with a card and present, thanking him for all his support over the years and to wish him a long and happy retirement. After helping to enable so many children to enjoy forest schools, we hope he gets to enjoy spending leisure time in the woods with his own grandchildren.
Colin’s successor will start in November but in the meantime, if you wish to use a Bradford Council woodland submit requests to Bradford Council via the PSLG form and forward the form to Carol Stables (carol.stables@bradford.gov.uk) in the Woodlands team, so they can keep track of who is using the woodlands
Great Training Discounts for Members
22nd September 2017
Being a Full Member of Bradford Forest School Network has many perks, including now some whopping discounts off training and CPD opportunities provided by our members.
Forest school practitioners need to renew their Outdoor First Aid certificates every 3 years, so who better to train with then CLX First Aid. Chris, a forest school practitioner himself, makes the training fun and informative and is offering his fellow BFSN members 10% off when they book
Bear and Lapor have been running outdoor CPD events for many years, inspiring teaching staff, outdoor leaders and forest school practitioners with new ideas and skills to take back to their setting. Their new 2017-18 programme is out now and BFSN members can claim a generous 50% off the prices.
To join BFSN as a full member and take advantage of these great offers, fill in membership form today!
Forest School Tender Opportunity
15th September 2017
Better Start Bradford are looking for an organisation to deliver a programme to engage children aged 0-3 in forest school activities in local parks, woodlands and green spaces. Voluntary and Community sector organisations are invited to express an interest in the tender – details can be found here
Better Start Bradford is a partnership programme working with families to help give children the best possible start in life in part of Bradford: Bowling, Barkerend, Bradford Moor and Little Horton
