STAGE 2: Children’s Forest Facilitator Training
Participating in a planting project
The second part of the Facilitator Training is participating in a Children’s Forest Planting Project with children and the delivery team. This important experience helps to bring the theoretical and adult based learning of part 1 into the actualisation of planting a Children’s Forest. You will be part of the journey with the children and team, experiencing forest time, creative imagining time and the planting of the trees.
This part of the training is free and where possible, Children’s Forest will pay transport costs to enable you to come. We will make available to you a timetable of the planting projects planned in the autumn and spring following the first part of your training and you can book on the date that suits you. If you have a local Children’s Forest project you are involved in, this will be perfect for your experiential training.
WHAT DOES THIS INVOLVE?
We usually work with 30 children over 3 days on a project. You are welcome to participate for all 3 days or at minimum for a day and a half in order to see one group of children through all three steps.
DAY 1
Step 1&2: FOREST EXPERIENCE & IMAGINING
First group of 15 children spend the morning session in the forest playing, exploring and enjoying song and story to set the scene for the journey ahead.
In the afternoon the children visit the planting site and drawing upon their experience in the woods, imagine the trees they will plant and the animals that will come and live there. Through art and poetry, drama and games we activate future generational awareness.
DAY 2
Step 1&2: FOREST EXPERIENCE & IMAGINING
The second group of 15 children come for the same experience as the first group.
DAY 3
Step 3: TREE PLANTING
In the morning the first group return for the planting of the Children’s Forest. With games and simple ceremony we reconnect with care for the land and plant wishes for the children of all species yet to come together with the trees.
In the afternoon the second group arrive to repeat the planting journey of the morning session.
You will take part in the 3 steps of the journey alongside the children and adult facilitators. Sometimes the facilitators may call on you to support them in activities and some of the time you will simply be an active participant. These days are always fun and joyful and they will give you a truly embodied experience of the Children’s Forest Journey.