AN introductory course will teach people about the forest environment and its links to conservation to help them gain a basic understanding of sustainable practices. 

The Forest and Outdoor Learning Awards programme will be delivered by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) at its Barony campus in Dumfries and Galloway this month.

With the full practitioner course to follow in the new academic year, participants on the three-day event – run by the Wildlife and Conservation Management (WCM) team – will also learn a range of woodland-based practical skills. 

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Lucy Thornton, WCM lecturer and Forest School trainer, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for us.

“Qualifications in Forest School are highly respected in WCM industry areas such as ranger services and community project management, so this will be a great opportunity for our students.

“We will also be marketing these courses externally for schoolteachers and freelancers to upskill and take the Forest School ethos back to their settings.”

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Forest School was originally developed as a child-led learning experience, but it can also help the mental wellbeing and development of children, teenagers and adults by building confidence and self-esteem through learner-inspired experiences in a woodland environment.

The course will run from May 16 to 18 and costs £410.

For more information, please contact Lucy at: lucy.thornton@sruc.ac.uk or WCM Programme Team Leader Cath Seeds at: cath.seeds@sruc.ac.uk.