Scottish School of Forestry inspires future foresters
Staff and students at the Scottish School of Forestry, part of Inverness College UHI, have been inspiring foresters of the future after welcoming pupils from Bishopmill Primary School, Elgin.
Primary two pupils at the school have been reading Enid Blyton’s ‘The Magic Faraway Tree’ collection and learning about trees, forests and the animals that live there. The visit to the school was organised as part of the project so the children could have their own woodland adventure and get a hands-on, practical experience.
Staff and students at the Scottish School of Forestry worked with around 45 pupils to teach them how to identify different types of trees and tie knots for tree climbing. The pupils also got to plant their own tree.
Dr Elizabeth Barron-Majerik, who runs the Scottish School of Forestry, said: “It was absolutely wonderful to welcome Bishopmill Primary School to the Scottish School of Forestry. The children were so engaged and enthusiastic and wanted to learn everything they could about trees. I’m hoping we’ve inspired some budding, young foresters of the future. We are always keen to work with schools and are currently working on plans for our Schools Open Day on Friday 11th May, which will be followed by an Open Day for members of the public on Saturday 12th May.”
Caroline Gee, P2 teacher at Bishopmill Primary School, said: “The Scottish School of Forestry was able to provide a learning experience that would not have been possible in the classroom. The children loved being able to use, and build upon, their knowledge and were particularly excited about getting to plant their own tree. Every single one of my class wanted to go back – we had a fantastic day and learnt so much about the trees and forestry.”
The pupils are now learning about the life cycle of a tree and are keen to return to the Scottish School of Forestry in the future so they can track their tree’s progress.
The Scottish School of Forestry is the principal institution for forestry training and education in Scotland. It is the only forestry training provider in Scotland delivering both Higher Education and Further Education within its own practical training environment.