July 2008
Hands on History project

I am getting in touch to invite you to participate in another exciting Forest Education Initiative (FEI) training project which has been made possible through FEI cluster group funding.

The theme of this year’s training programme is to provide Hands-on History projects to schools. In each course we will be looking at how to apply the practical skills that we are learning to the History Curriculum in a way that will be attractive to primary and secondary schools.

This project provides fantastic opportunities for top quality training from leading tutors in the field and is great way to get to know other local like-minded practitioners. This training is for outdoor educators, playworkers, teachers and those interested in history and greenwood working skills.

The cost of most of the training will be £30 per person per day attended - a substantial saving on the usual cost of participating in a training programme of this calibre.

Please pass on this information to others who may be interested, particularly for the courses running this Autumn.

Warmest regards,

Rowena Kenny

Bristol and West FEI cluster group co-ordinator

Bristol and West Forest Education Cluster Group

The Forest Education Initiative (FEI) is a national forum for forest education practitioners, teachers and members of the timber trade who work to connect people to local woodlands for learning and recreation. 

The Bristol and West FEI cluster group includes forest school leaders, playworkers, staff from conservation organisations, teachers and the timber industry.  We are a friendly and enthusiastic group whose diverse backgrounds and shared passion for forest education make this a very creative and productive forum to develop our work.  New members are always very welcome and there is no fee to join!

The Hands on History project, summary of training 08/09

To book please contact Rachel Leigh-Wood at rachel@playingoutdoors.org, 01225 858251 or 07758 515092.  A booking form and updated information about courses is posted on www.playingoutdoors.org/training.html

Hands on History course details

1. Hurdle making – Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th Sept 08

Course tutor: Hannah Ehrert.  Venue: Cherry Wood Project, nr Bath. 
Course cost: £60 for 2 days.  Course numbers: 6.  Lunch provided, overnight camping available.

A weekend of practical hurdle making. Learn the art of selecting, riving and weaving coppiced hazel rods to produce strong, light fence-panels with a range of uses. Take home your own fence-panel at the end of the course.

Skills:
* Introduction to coppicing
* Selection of hurdle material
* Safe use of green woodwork tools (saws, bill hook, etc.)
* Riving hazel
* Making a hazel hurdle

Project:

• Build your own hazel hurdle.
• Discussion on how to place this practical skill within the history curriculum.

Hannah Ehrert has a background in ecology, with a degree in environmental conservation. In October Hannah finishes a 3 year apprenticeship with Bill Hogarth Memorial Apprenticeship Trust.  She spent 2 winters hurdle making in Devon and Lancashire.  She is an experienced workshop leader.

2.  Demonstration day at the Ancient Technology centre, Dorset, Thursday 11th September

Course tutors are based at the centre which is near Cranbourne, Dorset. Course cost: £30 for the day.  Course numbers: 10.   Please bring a packed lunch.

A practical overview of history. We’ll start with a tour of the museum’s historical buildings and then tutors will demonstrate a variety of practical skills that are relevant to the history curriculum.  We will have a chance to try some of these ourselves.  Examples are black smithing, mosaic making, reed and straw work, flint knapping, rush work.  More detailed plans of the day are available on request and we can tailor demonstrations to the needs of the group. 

The Ancient Technology Centre. We have provided exciting hands-on learning experiences for children of all ages for over twenty years. Our unique blend of ancient crafts and skills combined with long-term construction projects, gives children and adults an opportunity to experience the realities of past life.

Our activities and buildings are based on archaeological evidence from a range of periods including the Neolithic, Iron Age (Celtic), Viking, Roman and Anglo Saxon eras. www.dorsetcc.gov.uk

3. Shelters and structures for people on the move – Wed 15th and Thurs 16th October 2008

Course tutor: Tim Gatfield.  Venue: Cherry Wood Project, nr Bath
Course cost: £60 for 2 days. Course numbers: 10. Lunch provided, overnight camping available.

Research and make a variety of temporary shelters that have been used through history using wood as the main material.  In particular we’ll consider shelters relevant to:

• the ‘invaders and settlers’ (Saxons, Vikings and Romans)
• English woodland heritage structures like a bodger’s portable shelter, poacher’s shelter and game keepers’ shelter.

Tim Gatfield runs the Cherry Wood project near Bath. He has a passion for greenwood working and low impact sustainable living. He has travelled widely and has experience of shelters in many climates and cultures. Qualified in desert and jungle survival and practices bushcraft on a daily basis.

4. Exploring Green Woodwork – Thurs and Fri 9th and 10th October 2008

Course tutor: John Atwood and Paul Humphreys.  Venue: Boiling Wells (St Werburgh’s City Farm), Bristol
Course cost: £60 for 2 days.  Course numbers: 10.  Please bring a packed lunch.
Green Woodwork is a traditional approach to making hand crafted products using age-old foot and hand powered equipment and tools. This course will introduce you to a variety of skills through using a range of tools and equipment used in green woodwork. There will be the opportunity to transform a log into a number of handcrafted products and develop skills that you can use in educational settings in the future.
The course will cover:

• How to introduce children to green woodworking skills and tools and equipment e.g. how to use a shave horse and pole lathe and tools for splitting and shaping wood.
• History of green woodworking and how that might connect with the national curriculum
• Making artifacts that are relevant to the history curriculum, with a focus on toys and games

Jon Attwood has been actively working in the environmental field for 10 years supporting the work and development of community and youth groups on a broad range of environmental projects. He has jointly set up the Community Interest Company, Greenworks.
Paul Humphreys has been working for 10 years facilitating volunteers and community groups carrying out practical conservation work. In addition to writing management plans for these areas he has undertaken the delivery of regular practical training in green woodwork and woodland management.  In addition Paul has considerable experience of undertaking community based consultation activities and events.
5. Knife Skills, Wed 12th and Thurs 13th November 08

Course tutor: Ben Orford.  Venue: Cherry Wood Project, near Bath
Course cost: £60 for 2 days, course numbers: 10.  Lunch provided, overnight camping available.

The aim of the course is to learn about the history and uses of knives, to learn practical knife skills that are transferable to children (yr 5 upwards) and young people and to make at least one historical artefact applicable to the humanities curriculum.
The course will cover:

• Overview of different knives for different uses
• Knives through the ages
• Knife care and sharpening
• Refine and improve your knife skills
• How to introduce children to knives and the progression of knife skills.  We’ll cover the health and safety aspect e.g. techniques to make using knives safe.
• Making simple artefacts

Although we’ll provide knives and wood on the course you may want to bring your own knives to discuss and sharpen and any interesting bits of wood you’ve kept to try out your carving.

Ben Orford is one of the UK’s most talented green woodworkers. Ben apprenticed with green woodworking ‘guru’ Mike Abbott for several years, and has spent time in North America, working with the Hupa tribe, who invited him to their reservation to teach advanced woodworking skills.  An accomplished tool-smith, Ben also makes his own range of green woodworking and bushcraft knives and axes. He is based in Herefordshire. 

6. Storytelling: connecting to time and place – Thurs 22nd and Fri 23rd January 09

Course tutor: Martin Maudsley.  Venue: Swainswick Explorers, nr Bath
Course cost: £60,  course numbers: 12.  Bring and share lunch, overnight accommodation available.

Once upon a time the wide, wild world was full of stories…

• The history and background of storytelling.  What is oral storytelling? Why did people tell stories, what kind of stories did they tell?  How storytelling has developed through the ages.  The art of storytelling in different cultures. 
• Exploring different styles of storytelling. Practising different oral storytelling techniques. Finding your own voice.
• Finding and telling some stories that fit into the school curriculum, eg stories from historical periods such as Egyptians, Romans, Vikings. Also exploring links to science, art, geography and emotional literacy through storytelling.
• Environmental storytelling. How storytelling is inspired by and connects to nature, place and different times of year e.g. animal stories, myths and folklore from the West Country, and stories for each of the seasons. ‘Restorying the landscape’: reconnecting people to natural environments through site-specific storytelling.
• Drama, props and costumes to help bring stories to life. Playing with story themes. Improvised storytelling and story-making.
• Written storytelling: the story of how writing got started. Stories in pictures, words and symbols. What materials were used: making ink, pens and parchment?

No previous storytelling experience needed, but a willingness to open your mouth and find out what comes out!

Martin Maudsley.  Following an early career in environmental science/education - continuing a childhood fascination for exploring the natural world - Martin has created his own unique professional role in storytelling, creative workshops and environmental performances.
Martin is an accomplished storyteller, captivating listeners’ imaginations through fresh and dynamic retellings of legends, myths, folktales and oral stories. He has researched and developed a wide repertoire of ‘tellable tales’, mainly from Britain and Europe but also other parts of the world. He also creates original stories on commission. Martin has a particular passion for stories about animals, plants and landscapes, and our relationship with the natural world.

7. Historical firecraft and outdoor cooking - Thursday and Friday 26th and 27th March 09

Course tutor: Dave Watson.  Venue: Swainswick Explorers, nr Bath
Course cost:  £120, Course numbers: 10.  Bring and share lunch, overnight accommodation available.

Explore a range of fire lighting techniques using ancient through to modern day technologies. The course will provide the opportunity to make a bow drill to take home and to learn how to use it to create fire. Everyone will have the opportunity to prepare tinder and go home with various types of tinder which would have been used historically e.g. by the Vikings or Saxons.  Come with a box to take home your tinder.

The following session we’ll experiment with cooking on an open fire inspired by Vikings and Saxons and learning historical terms relating to cooking outdoors e.g. the term ‘potluck’ where everything is cooked in one pot.

This course will develop skills in traditional fire lighting and cooking on an open fire with historical reference.  It will fit well with those providing Viking, Saxon and Medieaval days for schools.

Dave Watson is one of the most experienced in the Bushcraft Field. He is known as a master of ancient methods of fire making.  His passion for ancient survival skills led him to create ‘Woodland Survival Crafts’ in 1995. He is based in Derbyshire. www.woodlandsurvivalcrafts.com