Bishops Wood Centre

Bishops Wood Centre Training Courses

September 2008 to March 2009

COSTS

All one day courses will cost £125.  There are a limited number of reduced cost places at £95 All courses include tuition, lunch and refreshments.

All two day courses will cost £240.  There are a limited number of reduced cost places at  £195 All courses include tuition, one night B&B, an evening meal, lunches and refreshments – (if you do not require B&B there is £40 reduction)

The reduced costs are available to those who are unwaged/volunteers or who work for charities or voluntary organisations.

Training for Positive Environmental Change

This programme of intensive short courses:

• Is run by trainers who are experts in their own fields.

• Will help you gain skills, knowledge and understanding that can be applied to your work, and often your home life! To get the most out of the courses please look at your own objectives and training needs, discuss them with your colleagues.

• Introduce the latest thoughts and practice in the subject(s) covered on each course.

• Support NVQ’s and professional development (CPD) in the field of environmental training.

The courses will also support CPD in the workplace of environmental workers.

Organisational Development

“Starting with Myers Briggs to understand we are all different but each bring something to the party. Followed by outdoor activity, both worked well” – organiser of National Grid teambuilding day.

We also run teambuilding and communication courses for organisations. These include our unique blend of woodland skills and tasks, environmental ethics and creative activities to help organisations look at how they work and communicate. The contrasting Bishops Wood environment with ‘the office/workplace’ and non-competitive but challenging approach gives a ‘new’ perspective for organisations in order to move forward in these changing times. Recent organisations we have worked with include Worcestershire Adoption and Fostering team, Worcester College of Technology Public Services, National Grid Communications team, Npower, Worcestershire Early Years and Childcare Partnership. Please enquire as we can tailor these courses to suit your organisation.

Outreach

We can provide ‘in-house’ workshops in your workplace relating to education for sustainable development, leadership of environmental activities and a host of creative ways of engaging education and community groups in environmental issues and projects (from storytelling to a number of visual arts).

Cost of these depends on what you require and lengths of the workshop, but generally starts at £350 plus expenses, please contact us if you are interested.

The Courses

NEW  COURSE

Structures at Forest School  BW3 November 4th 2008

Rope swings, rope bridges, rope walks (in fact any rope things for creative play) and structures such a simple tree house will be built on this day.  If you want to know how to build safe but slightly risky (!) structures with children that can enhance creativity and physical play at your forest school site while minimising the impact on the site, then this day is for you.

Trainer:  Bob Green

Forest Skills  BW5 November 18th 2008

This skills-based course is designed to provide practical know-how in the outdoors. Basic skills such as safe use of cutting tools, firecraft and shelter building will be taught in the context of providing a safe but stimulating outdoor classroom. This course is particularly suited to people such as Forest School Leaders

Trainer : Chris Salisbury

Advanced Forest Skills  BW6 November 19th 2008

Complementing the introductory course, this course delivers a new syllabus of skills to give leaders more confidence in leading groups in the outdoors. Includes fire-by-friction, wild foods, natural cordage and backcountry cooking. You don’t need to have attended the introductory course, but do need some experience of basic forest crafts/skills.

Trainer : Chris Salisbury

Fieldcraft Skills  BW7 November 20th 2008

This day provides an opportunity to sharpen awareness and learn skills to bring a new level of intimacy with nature. Basic skills will include sensory awareness, understanding animal senses, improving our senses, observation trails, moving silently and unobserved, recognising animal tracks & signs, & elementary tracking.

Trainer : Chris Salisbury

(NB if you book on more than one of BW5,6 and 7, there is a 10% reduction in cost)

An Introduction to Storytelling  BW8 December 8th/9th 2008

This annual lively workshop is led by the internationally renowned storyteller, Ben Haggarty.  Ben will introduce people to storytelling techniques. There will be a focus on working outdoors. Participants will come away with several stories to tell immediately and many ideas for finding and developing their own environmental material.

Trainer : Ben Haggarty

(NB if you book on BW8 & 17 , there is a 10% reduction in cost)

*NEW  COURSE

Whittling and tool use for forest school leaders  BW9 January 20th 2009

One of the ways to calm yourself in the woods and tune in to the properties of wood and trees is to whittle!  This day will give practitioners a chance to practise some safe and effective whittling techniques – whether making a butter knife, spoon or cooking utensil.  You will gain some ideas on how to teach whittling to even the youngest of learners, yes foundation stage, and which woods are best for which whittle!  You will also have a chance to practise tool maintenance with knives, gouges and more, including sharpening and storage.

Trainer : Ben Orford

*NEW  COURSE

Greenwood working with teenagers  BW10 January 21st 2009

Coppicing, cutting, chopping, bodging, pole lathing, and creating something from the raw material can be the most fulfilling experience for anyone – in particular a young person in need of a self esteem boost!  This day will help you with your own techniques and concentrate on ways of working with teenagers in these vital traditional and creative skills.

Trainer : Ben Orford

(NB if you book on BW9 & 10 , there is a 10% reduction in cost)

Art Activities for Public Events  BW11 January 28th 2009

A kaleidescope of activities: a chance to explore, experiment and devise for yourself. This day will offer participants a range of art activities to use with school groups and on public events.  You don’t need to see yourself as  “an artist” , you just need to be ready to share your excitement in nature with other people. Here is a chance to draw inspiration from the immediate environment and, using found, recycled or readily available materials and easy techniques, add new excitements and delights to your work

Activities will include: creative exploration, wild books, flags, masks, puppets, instant story and poetry ideas, mobiles, lanterns and more….

Trainer : Gordon Maclellan (Creeping Toad)

*

NEW  COURSE

Early Years Adventures  BW12 January 29th 2009

A workshop offering ways of creatively exploring the natural world with young children. Celebrating the richness and excitement of young children’s imaginations, we will look at structures that support imagination without restricting it and grow stories to help explore the world around us.  Wordplay will mix with mud and puppets, instant pictures will feed into books, sheer excitement will reveal treasures…

Trainer : Gordon Maclellan (Creeping Toad)

(NB if you book on BW11 & 12 , there is a 10% reduction in cost)

An Introduction to Leading Environmental Activities with Primary School Groups and How to Meet Teachers Needs  BW13 February 3rd 2009

This day will cover basic learning styles, outdoor leadership techniques, accelerated learning and how to incorporate these into a learning programme that integrates into the school setting.  Practical activities will demonstrate how to motivate, organise and communicate with groups, facilitating full participation.  You will pick up ideas on learner centred questioning to facilitate action.

We will also look at the curriculum, esd, health and safety and ways to work with teachers.

Trainer : Jon Cree

Working with Schools and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

BW14 February 4th 2009

Recent developments in education; Every Child Matters, the Dcfs Sustainable Schools framework, Education Outside the Classroom Manifesto, extended services, the 14 – 19 curriculum and the world class curriculum, open up lots of opportunities for organisations to work with schools in delivering the curriculum and ESD. This day will look at phases from foundation to GCSE to examine how organisations involved in sustainable development can link into school initiatives including an overview of ESD and what it means in practice.

Trainer : Jon Cree

(NB if you book on BW13 & 14 , there is a 10% reduction in cost)

Wooden Structures in the Landscape  BW1 February 10th/11th 2009

This hands on course looks at a range of techniques and approaches to woodland sculptures including: arbour sculpture, creative habitat piles and loggerys, dead hedges and other forms of barriers, gateway and access features, planting for community spaces, various forms of simple signage techniques and safe forms of fire sculptures for community events.

Trainer :  Mick Petts

Working with Living Willow  BW15 February 12th/13th 2009

This hands on course looks at planting and weaving techniques, where and how to source willow and maintaining sculptures and structures. Techniques will include different types of wall, domes and tunnels, different types of play environment, constructing unusual sculptures, how to entice wildlife and combine a number of materials. Mick will also share helpful tips and techniques on working with groups on living willow sculptures.

Trainer : Mick Petts.

Learning Stories, Learning Styles – working with stories in the outdoors

BW16 February 23rd 2009

This dynamic day will look at ways that educators can help their learners’ storymake through using natural resources and the outdoor environment.  Techniques of storymaking and telling, utilising and enhancing a diverse range of learning styles will be explored.  We will practise how to tell stories to and with young people, and use them as a stimulus for play and creation of their own stories in the outdoors.  A day particularly useful for Forest School leaders.

Trainer : Katrice Horsley.

Advanced Storytelling  BW17 March 2nd/3rd 2009

This workshop will be playful and practical, focussing on the shaping and construction of stories. It will introduce an approach to giving pace to a lengthy story. The contexts explored will include Indo-European wonder (fairy) tales, and other traditional types of tale.

The workshop is for those with some experience of the oral retelling of tales.

Trainer : Ben Haggarty

Introductory Earth Education Workshop  BW4 March 6th 2009

This ever popular stimulating day will include indoor and outdoor activities that will help you improve your relationship with the planet. There will also be sessions on the philosophies behind earth education, leadership, and earth education programmes.

Trainer : Jon Cree

Our Trainers

Ben Haggarty is an internationally acknowledged pioneer of the storytelling revival in the UK and directs the acclaimed international storytelling festival ‘Beyond the Border’. He has worked with many organisations including, among others, The Natural History Museum, English Heritage, The British Museum and many schools!

Mick Petts is a sculptor/trainer, well known throughout the UK, particularly in South Wales, for both the large and small scale sculptures and land art he has done with and for communities.

Jon Cree is Bishops Wood’s Training Co-ordinator and has been involved with ESD and Environmental Education for over 25 years, working as the Education Officer previously for a Wildlife Trust and a National Park as well as being a part-time Youth Worker.  Jon has extensive experience of working with governmental and non-governmental organisations nationally and internationally.  He is also the International Training Co-ordinator for the Institute for Earth Education.

Katrice Horsley has been telling and playing with stories for 15 years and has worked as a consultant, using stories as her main tool, for organisations such as UNICEF, British Council, UNHCR and many more.

Bob Green has worked at Bishops Wood since its inception and has worked on school grounds projects for 30 years where has built many structures from a simple seat through to permanent shelters. For the last eight years he has built many structures on forest School sites in the West Midlands. He is well known for his approach in involving children in the building and design process

Gordon MacLellan is another nationally reknowned freelance community environmental arts worker, otherwise known as ‘Creeping Toad’, and author of a number of influential, inspirational books in the field of Environmental
Education and creativity.

Chris Salisbury is director of WildWise Events Ltd. Chris has been an exceptional leader of woodland experiences, particularly in the south west, for a number of years. He is well known for his blend of woodland craft, storytelling and weaving magical environmental experiences for all ages.

Ben Orford trained as an apprentice with Mike Abbott of Clissett Wood and now runs his own reputable greenwoodwork and tool making business – making high quality handtools for the bushcraft world.  He has extensive experience of working with a whole variety of groups in green woodworking and bushcraft.  An excellent trainer with endless knowledge of craft tools!

Matt Hawes has been the site manager at Bishops Wood for the last four years and previously worked in forestry and woodland management. He brings a pragmatic approach to woodland management when combining this with educational use.

For further details please contact Jon Cree or Liz Branford at

Bishops Wood Centre, Crossway Green, Stourport on Severn, Worcestershire. DY13 9SE

Telephone 01299 250513

Fax 01299 250131

E-mail Bishops Wood Course Enquiries

To book online click Bishops Wood Course Bookings

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