Woodland Learning at Whitehorse Training

If learning is practical, experiential and open-ended and if it is always a life long process, then learners will develop their senses of awe and wonder and develop a deep thirst for understanding the whole world around them.

If children can explore their world at their own pace in the company of other learners, then the exploration and understanding becomes a shared process with far more than double the benefit.

If learning is a lifelong process that takes in the whole of the learner’s world, then they will develop a strong sense of personal awareness and the understanding that they are part of the whole life community. If they feel that are a part of the whole society, they will be more responsible, have higher self-esteem and want to play a valuable part in looking after the world around them.

Woodland Learning

We believe that by enabling children of all ages to explore their world through practical and enjoyable ways, they will learn far more that takes on a deeper meaning.
If we enable a child to play a series of games and activities to understand how a tree functions for example and how it is a habitat for a wide range of other plants and creatures, he is far more able to keep and develop that understanding than he would if he had only been given sterile facts and labels to retain. A good learner learns by doing and the tree is a great teacher who doesn’t need labels and charts to be understood.

Woodland learning is about putting nature and people together so that they can experience, understand and preserve their environment. It is about giving the opportunity to develop the first hand thrill of exploration and the deep knowledge that results.

We offer walks, activities, games and adventures in the natural environment which are at the heart of good learning and which can be used to light the fire in any environment. What you learn to do in the woodland, you can develop and adapt to use anywhere that offers inspiration. The woodland learning process can be used anywhere at anytime. It doesn’t require a teacher rather than a co-explorer. The activities are not about imparting knowledge and facts, they are about shared building blocks of understanding.

The most important aspect of Woodland learning is that the results benefit the whole of the learner’s life curriculum. They will benefit all school subjects because they develop motivation and a love of learning for its own sake.


What exactly are we offering?

We run full day or half day woodland learning sessions in a beautiful and inspirational wood and heath land environment.

Woodland Learning Adventures

These are for school groups of any age and ability. Typically, these will be class groups but can also be groups from other organisations. They will be fully accompanied by teachers, leaders and other assistants and will come to the Base Camp in our woodland where they will be briefed and given the relevant equipment before setting out on a walk stopping to learn and carry out a wide range of games and activities designed to let them experience the habitats they discover.

The walks use the same cycle as all good learning. We create enthusiasm for the learning, we have a direct focus on a particular aspect, we experience the aspect at first hand and then share the inspiration we gained from it with others. This is simply the best way to learn anything.

We work whatever the weather because we use the weather to teach as well. This means that the dates you book will be the dates we welcome you; you simply have to come prepared.

The learning is outside although we do have a rain cover erected at the base camp for the briefing.
We will normally provide material to schools for photocopying to groups before they come and group leaders can buy resources through us if they wish.

Who is Woodland Learning for?

Everyone; groups of all ages from pre-school to the young at heart. You are also welcome to come as individuals on the Trainer days if you are not affiliated to any particular group.

Woodland Learning Leader Training

We want to share what we do with as many people as possible. The woodland learning process is a valuable range of learning tools that can be used by organisations everywhere. Many of them will already be familiar to those working in visitor centres at sites of natural history for example.
We offer the Leader Training days to teachers, managers, wardens and other group leaders. We take you through the activities; discuss the effective ways that you can apply them in your circumstance and even provide you with the support and ongoing training as you develop your own version of environmental learning.

Contact us through Whitehorse Leadership Training for details of costs and booking. Please say if you are interested in bringing learning groups to the wood or if you would like to come on one of the advertised Leader Training Days