Nature Learning Morning for Educators

Bloom is working with the Educator in Residence at Whytham Woods, University of Oxford.

This was a very enjoyable morning lead by Dr Kim Polgreen and Jane, our chair at Bloom. Kim is Educator in Residence at Whytham Woods, University of Oxford. She is also Honorary Northampton Fellow at Oxford University Department of Education.

The morning was designed to give teachers and parents some skills and confidence to take their children out into nature. It was a glorious autumnal day, ideal for a walk through the unspoilt, beautiful Whytham Woods lead by Kim. We set off with a Leaf Bingo sheet in hand to see for ourselves what a great way this is to get young people to start to notice the details in nature as seen in leaf shapes. We came across wonderful fungi, ancient trees, and all manner of shrubs and undergrowth. We exchanged the different techniques and ideas we use in teaching and at home. Someone brought a bird caller and Kim demonstrated various ID apps for trees and other plants as well as for bird song. It was lovely just listening to the many birds that populate the woodland. We then went to the woodland research centre where Kim had set up a moth trap and spent a happy time marvelling at the delicate patterns and shapes of the moths. Jane got everyone to see how much can be discovered by smelling soil – which was especially rich, to look at the geometry of leaves and as time was running out, she gave a brief introduction to how we can meet trees in a new way. There was so much more that could be done we have decided to run another session in November.