Activity Sheets

Ensuring a future
for young people with trees and forests
for trees and forests with young people
The Activity Sheets are practical activities for educators or coordinators to use with groups of
young people or students.
All the Activity Sheets are downloadable from the website, and relevant sheets are listed at the
end of each section of the Youth for Trees Guide.

They should enable young people:

 to learn about and promote the diversity, life and value of trees and forests.
 to explore, experience, and engage with wood, trees and forests in terms of our impacts
and future.
 to plan and work together effectively.
 to volunteer and organise volunteering.
 to learn about and develop enterprises and careers related to trees and forests.
 to express their concerns about trees and forests.
They should develop their competencies for:
 Teamwork, creativity, employability, project management and entrepreneurship.
 Public participation, civic competences, citizenship and political engagement.

Sections
 Title – in English
 Why read this? - Something young people could do, led by you as a youth/student educator
 What for? - aim or objectives, reason it was done
 What resources? - needed to do it
 What to do? - bullet point step-by-step
 What benefit? - to young person, other people, environment (trees), or economy
 What learning? - skills or understanding by the young person
 What examples? - weblinks

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. The European
Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the
views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information
contained therein.
List of Activity Sheets
1 Assessing carbon in trees

2 Assessing seasonal change in trees

3 Campaigning about felling trees

4 Campaigning online to plant trees

5 Celebrating important tree dates

6 Constructing with bamboo

7 Creating a rope adventure park

8 Creating bird and bat boxes

9 Creating tree fruit characters

10 Foraging from edible trees

11 Geocaching in a forest

12 Germinating tree seeds

13 Growing tree seedlings and cuttings

14 Guiding forest walks

15 Identifying trees

16 Looking inside trees

17 Making a clue trail with trees

18 Making small wooden products

19 Measuring and Monitoring Trees

20 Online challenges about trees

21 Planting trees with seedballs

22 Supporting the forest school approach

1 Assessing carbon in trees What benefit?

Assess carbon in trees, wood products and forests. This enables forest researchers, planners to decide the
How to calculate carbon stored in trees and wood? best species to grow and best places and conditions in
which to grow trees as carbon sinks. It also enables
What resources? politicians and others to understand the value of trees.

 Individual trees
What learning?
 Tape measure
Accurate measurement and mapping is important for any
scientific evidence. However the final figures are based
What to do?
on many assumptions.
Trees are valuable carbon sinks, helping to balance the
 Measure the circumference carbon cycle. Carbon constitutes approximately half of
of the tree at the standard the dry mass of trees and when wood from these trees is
Diameter at Breast Height used to produce wood products the carbon is stored for
above the ground (1.3m) life in that product. Carbon stored in wood is only
with a tape measure. released back to the atmosphere when the wood product
Record the result in is burnt or decays.
centimetres. Repeat at
least 3 times, at the same What links?
height, and calculate the
average.
 Look at the table below to Climate Forests Project
convert this to dry weight. Forest carbon diagrams
Use the nearest value in What impact is climate change having on European
the table to your value. forests? 4 min. video
Are trees one of the best solutions to climate change?
 Divide your answer by 2 (as 50% of the tree
3 min. video
biomass is carbon). This tells you how much
Are trees one of the best solutions to climate change?
carbon is stored in the tree.
11 min. video
 Multiplying your figure for carbon by 3.67 – to
Solutions to climate change, Project Drawdown
calculate how much carbon dioxide was absorbed
to create this carbon store.
 Multiply the result by 120% ( as 20% of the tree
biomass is in the roots).

Circumference Tree dry weight

(cm) (kg)
50 106
100 668
150 1,964
200 4,221
225 5,771
250 7,641
275 9,842
300 12,410
325 15,350
350 18,700
400 26,674

These values, provided by Forest Research (UK), are for

an individual broadleafed tree in Westonbirt Arboretum,
UK. Coniferous trees may differ. They can be used as an
example. Trees will grow at different rates depending on
the species, soil, drainage, slope aspect and climate
conditions. This formula and conversion will obtain an
average estimate over the life span of the tree, and will
exclude stores in forest soil carbon, which are likely to
be higher.

Finally if you would like to know the CO2 sequestered per

tree per year you need to look at the CO2 and divide it
by the age of the tree. This can be found in a felled tree
by counting the annual rings.
2 Assessing seasonal change production, nature-lovers to anticipate optimal
viewing times, and by almost all of us to prepare
with trees for seasonal allergies.
 Today, this well established science is also used
Track the effects of weather and climate change on trees by scientists to track the effect of global
near you. Discover the effect that recent weather and warming and climate change on organisms and to
climate change has on trees. make predictions about the future health of the
Use phenology (the study of the timing of specific environment. By tracking changes in the timing
biological events such as bud burst, flowering, leaf fall) of these phenological events, scientists are able
to spot the changes in the seasons and climate. to better understand how the environment is
changing.
What resources?
What learning?
 Nature Calendar website
 Tree identification app What are the best indicators to define the onset and end
 Recording sheet of the growing season?
 Calendar How much do phenology measurements vary from year-
to-year?
Recently new satellite-based estimates show significant
What to do? trends in the phenology of trees in spring.
There is increasing evidence from phenology that climate
 Choose a tree event - that you want to record. change is causing deciduous trees to drop their leaves
Examples of tree events that you can record later in autumn or not at all, which would be extremely
throughout the year as part of the Nature’s bad for trees and the ecosystems in which they live. The
Calendar project include: Budburst, first leaf, high surface area to volume ratio of the leaves would
first flower, fruit ripe, first tint, full tint, leaf cause the trees to lose a lot of heat and moisture if they
fall, bare tree. were to keep them during the winter. The nutrients like
 Choose a tree species - The Nature’s Calendar nitrogen and phosphorus in the leaves will not be stored
project records changes from: Alder, Ash, Beech, over winter back in the twigs and branches.
European larch, Field maple, Horse chestnut,  In Europe trees may begin to migrate northward.
Pedunculate oak, Sessile oak, Rowan, Silver birch New saplings may find more habitable climates
and Sycamore. Choose one or more that you can north of their traditional range. So trees may be
check at least twice a week. Some species will stressed in soils to which they are not adapted.
need more frequent checking than others. Also any migrating trees would be an invasive
 Choose your recording locations - Choose species, which have no natural threats and can
recording locations that you visit regularly, out-compete native trees for resources.
ideally as part of your normal routine.
 Notice when an event happens to the species you What example?
are recording for the first time. For example you
might choose to record the ash tree you walk
past daily. You can see the analysis of recent UK records here.
 Record your observations - Look out for the
seasonal events that happen to your species.
Record the date that you first see each event.
Recording your species in the same location each
year will give us the best quality records. For
species with multiple events e.g. oak budburst,
first leaf, first flowering and so on, record all the
events on the same tree.

What benefit?

 Phenological observations have been used for

centuries by farmers to maximize crop
3 Campaigning about felling sells chicken explaining your concerns and to find
out their policy on soya beans and deforestation.
trees Magazine article.
Act together
Trees may be felled for many reasons – eg. danger to the Share what each person has found out about the problem
public (in towns and cities), for timber (in forests), and the human causes.
mining or growing farm crops. A single tree or whole Consider what you can do as a group to explain the
forest may be felled by chainsaw or bulldozer but it will problem, suggest alternatives and change:
always reduce the carbon sink effect of trees as they no  the views and behaviour of other consumers.
longer can capture CO2 from the air. Deforestation or  the policies of regulators such as Governments (both
the clear felling of large areas of forest can have a huge importers or exporters).
effect on both increasing global warming and decreasing  the actions and campaigns of lobbying non-
biodiversity. This is especially true of tropical forests governmental organisations (both supporting and
which are only 6% of the Earth’s surface but hold 80% of opposing deforestation).
the Earth’s known biodiversity.  the actions of the chain of businesses responsible for
clearing the land and trading the products.
What for?  the livelihoods and work of the people who live and
work on the land and in the forest.
Young people around the world campaign about this, at Write to businesses and Government politicians for a
international events, outside government and business statement of how they see the problem and their
offices, on the street and online. solution.
Consider working with other campaigning groups to
What resources? negotiate with businesses and Governments, but this may
be viewed as too much of a compromise.
 A small group of motivated young people. Consider a fun, visually clear and interesting direct
action near the business or Government to get some local
 Access to a library.
or national media coverage. Review of direct action.
 Access to businesses and politicians and non-
Find solutions
governmental organisations.
Single, simple solutions may be hard to find. But all
campaigns need to see a green light at the end of the
What to do? campaign tunnel.
Find the problem
Regularly look at a few key news and information
websites and blogs.
 eg. According to Brazil’s space agency Amazon
deforestation soared 22% over the 12 months to
July last year. Newspaper here.
Follow this up with further searches.
 eg. Government greenwashing promises.
Newspaper here.
But don’t just rely on those sources. Check their
reporting and views by looking to other sources.
 eg. News agency in Brazil here. What benefits?
Find the human cause
Now look for some of the human causes. This experience of finding a problem, human cause and
 Is it the demand for the trees or for the land? Is possible solutions may enable young people to transfer
it the supply by the people who fell the trees or their new found skills to other acts of responsible
work on the land? citizenship.
 Who pays for the people who fell the trees or
work on the land? Who earns money by allowing What learning?
people to fell the trees or work on the land?
 Who is finally responsible for the deforestation? Investigative problem solving needs evidence from a
Is it the people who supply (the producers) or range of sources.
people who demand (the consumers) or the Campaigners must practice what they preach or they are
regulators who control the supply and demand two faced.
(the Governments)?
So how can these questions be answered with real What examples and links?
evidence by young people from another country?
Act personally There are many examples of campaigns about the
How can young people directly try to limit the felling of trees at both local, national and
deforestation? international level from the Chipko Movement in
 eg. as a consumer they can boycott products - India to street trees in Sheffield, UK.
ensure that they they are not purchasing or Many links are in the Youth for Trees Guide – 2 Promoting
consuming soya bean products such as chicken, in Trees.
case it has come from Brazil and grown on land
that was deforested. Newspaper here.
 eg. as a consumer write to a supermarket who
4 Campaigning online to plant it in both the living tree and when it is dead or as
timber. The fossil fuels that are now combusted
trees and changing the climate were partly formed in
the Carboniferous Period from the earliest trees.
Support online campaigns to plant trees to address the So planting trees as a carbon bank can replace
nature and climate emergency. dead trees as a carbon source.
 Online campaigns can change local government
What resources? policy about fossil fuels and climate change,
especially if backed up by some form of direct,
passive action.
 A lot of people and friends who can be contacted
 They can help people understand that the right
online.
tree should be planted in the right place at the
 A bit of time to write petitions, meet or lobby right time – where, what species, how many?
local politicians, landowners.
What learning?
What to do?
There are many practical, technical, digital and
Find local, national or international online campaigns for communication skills that you can learn from joining or
tree planting and afforestation. For example complete an starting an online campaign. You might even find that it
online petition to your council asking for a doubling of changes your own behaviour and values - Be open to
tree cover in the local authority area over the next 25 that!
years.
Lobby local councillors and talk and persuade local
landowners to plant trees.
What examples?
Use social media to link others to these campaigns.
Set up or join a webinar to discuss how to influence
Council decisions and policies.
Design placards, posters and presentations.
Consider setting up a local group to plant and protect
trees.
Set up a community tree nursery, community woodland
or orchard with others and offer trees to the local
community.

Local campaigns
Plantabosque from Spain
Futuro Project, from Portugal
Roads for Trees Project, from Poland
National campaigns
The Big Climate Fightback and Ancient woodlands
campaigns
Woodland Trust's Emergency Tree Plan for the UK
Friends of the Earth Trees campaign It asks why should
the UK double tree cover. It has one of the lowest tree
covers in Europe. Woodlands now cover only 13% of the
UK – less than half the European average. It also asks
where should the trees be planted – Is it the uplands or
What benefits? lowlands, urban or rural?
Trees for Life – Rewilding the Scottish Highlands
 Successful online campaigning can change International campaigns
people’s attitudes and behaviour, change policies Trillion Trees
(and even regulations and laws!), and change UN Trillion Tree campaign
environments - and most vitally change the Forest app - cure for phone addiction
climate! It’s a way of acting locally from home,
cooperatively with many others and influencing
more globally.
 There are many social, financial, environmental,
and political benefits from online campaigning.
 There are loads of benefits from planting trees -
they will clean the air, reduce flooding, enrich
wildlife, and cool cities.
 Probably most vitally planting trees captures
carbon as part of their photosynthesis and stores
5 Celebrating important tree What benefits?
dates Social – bringing people together and connecting them
with trees and nature.
This activity aims to raise awareness about the
importance of forests and trees by celebrating important Environmental – raising awareness about the importance
dates for trees, such as the International Day of Forests forests and trees.
on March 21. Young people can organise and promote
ways of celebrating the value of trees and forests and Economic – possibly selling tree products or fundraising
share good practice. for a project to the economy, due to the sale of tree
products or good cause.
What resources?
What learning?
This activity is very open in terms of program and
resources. It depends on the people who organize it, Young people can develop these skills:
their creativity and contacts.  Organisation
 Leadership
The celebration can take place in any site, but would  Communication
make more sense in a wood or group of trees. It needs a  Teamwork
team of people to organise and could be an hour or so or Also, this activity has the potential to promote a change
over a weekend. of behaviour, both on the organisers and the
participants, towards their personal impact on the
What to do? sustainable management of forests and trees.

To celebrate important dates for trees, there are various What examples?
activities that can be organised:
 Organising a guided walk with the community  Celebration of the International Day of Forests by
around a woodland, with the support of a nature Vancouver Urban Forestry (Canada)
guide  Celebration of the Autochthonous Forest Day by
 Tree planting in the right place, right time and college students (Portugal)
with the right species  International Day of Forests - 2018 events around
 Organising a local party, with music, food, drinks the world
and tree products (both timber and non-timber)
 Performing street theatre about trees, their
history and value as a story or illusion
 Organising a Tree fair, with some displays of
projects or products developed about trees, to
inform people and share good practice
 Collecting and recycling litter
 Adding fun, stimulating or artistic signage to a
woodland

Photo: ASPEA

Here are some steps you can do to prepare the activity:

 Gather a small team of volunteers
 Decide the site and how you want to celebrate the
important date and the value of trees and forests
 Make contacts and a list of resources
 Create a poster or a flyer to promote the activity
 Invite the local community or general public
 Put up posters, notices, directions to guide people to
the site
6 Constructing with bamboo renewable.
Architects and people in Europe are not used to this
material as a construction material. So they need to
Many architects work with this material creating develop capacities and skills in this area as there is a
awesome buildings in Colombia, Japan, combining it with huge market to explore.
other materials as wood, clay, cement and iron.

What examples?
https://bambusa.es/en
European bamboo
www.inbar.int
Bamboo -the material of the future video
Bamboo as a natural building material

What for?
The bamboo crop can be used for construction, to purify
water and help degraded lands. It can grow 1 meter per
day, which make it a quick and profitable product. It is
necessary to know how to manage the bamboo, and
tropical countries have large experience doing this.

Bamboo has more than 1.500 applications. It can be used

for building houses, bridges, roofs, crafts, decorations,
fences, shades, tents and temporary shelters.
The fibres can be used for clothing, substituting others
like cotton, which requires much more water and land.

What resources?
Naturally bamboo does not grow in Europe but it has the
ability to adapt to many climate conditions so it can be
grown in many parts of Europe.
So it can be purchased from a certified supplier.

What to do?
 Design the construction according to the weather,
the earthquakes and other land issues.
 Choose the bamboo to suit the site and form of
construction.
 Buy the bamboo from a certificated plantation and,
if possible, that has been locally produced.
 Design the construction based on plans.

What benefits?

Bamboo is a really good material for construction,

because it is cheaper than other woods and grows fast. It
is also flexible, lightweight, strong and is very versatile
so can be used in many types of construction. Also it is
sustainable and works perfectly as a carbon sink, water
filter, protector of water sources, retainer of soil and
restorer of degraded landscapes.
It has financial value, because it is much cheaper than
other materials as well as environmental because it can
be used to reforest a degraded land and because it is a
great carbon sink due to the speed of the growth.

What learning?
Using this material could substitute for many plastic
products that come from petroleum and are not
7 Creating a rope adventure  Assess the safety of the equipment and internal
condition of the trees with dendrological
park analysis. Check that the trees will withstand the
loads, and nearby trees do not risk users or
Why read this? equipment.
 Design the rope park with guidance and
The aim is to create a rope park on trees in a way that education near the platforms and ladders.
minimises the risks to the trees and is safe for users.  Choose good climbing instructors to train and
supervise rope park users.

What benefits?

Financial -The possibility of obtaining a return on

investment even within 2-3 years.
Social and educational – Overcoming a fear of heights,
A rope park as a tourist attraction can be a place to showing life in the treetops and responsible use of trees.
educate young people about trees, species, biology, and Economic – Potential for tourist development in other
the impact of installed equipment on the health of trees. areas.
A well-organized park can also be a model of good
practice in creating buildings on trees - also at home What learning?
(e.g. tree houses).
Using a well-built rope park is safe, it teaches self-
What for? confidence and coping with the fear of heights. It is also
a chance for interesting nature education in unusual
A properly constructed rope park can work for up to 10 conditions of tree crowns. It also promotes good
years. It requires periodic inspections of the condition of practices of using living trees.
the equipment and the condition of the trees. It is also
advisable to have a dendrologist check the condition of What examples?
the park's equipment and the condition of the trees.
They will determine whether the ropes need to be moved UK
to another tree or another tree trunk height. www.ravenadventure.co.uk
 Trees of an appropriate age (BHD over 30 cm) and https://ropeworksactive.co.uk
slower radial increment - preferably after a period of Spain
intensive growth, with thick bark. https://tirolinasgo.com/madrid
 A specialist company to build and supervise. https://costabravaparcaventura.com
Portugal
 The legal requirements for the safety of trees and www.parqueaventura.net/en/lagos-en
users.
http://adventurepark.pt
 Near other tourist attractions for young people. Poland
 Time to assemble - several months. www.parklinowy.pl/uk/index.htm
www.rudnicapark.pl
What to do?

 Choose a site with at least a dozen or so trees for

2-3 routes at different heights distributed over 1-
2 ha. Well, if you can design
 Design at least one long descent on a line
stretched between the trees over a length of at
least 50-100 m - a very exciting challenge for
users.
 Check current legislation.
 Do an economic analysis of the project.
 Assess what it will look like at different seasons
and with the removed trees.
8 Creating and observing bird What links?
and bat boxes Design for building a bird nest box
Design for building a bat roost box
What for?
Bird box
 Learning about birds living in forests – their
common species, habitats and life cycle.
 Raising awareness of the role of birds in the
forest ecosystem.
 Promoting wood as an ecological and renewable
resource.
 Connecting people to local nature.
 Creating a product that can be sold to raise funds
for nature conservation and forest protection.

What resources?

 Possibly a specialist who can reach about the

biology, ecology and bird protection as well as
workshops for assembling nesting boxes.
 Materials for the construction of nesting boxes –
timber boards, saws, screws, screwdrivers.
 Safe ladders and tools for erecting nest boxes. Bat box
 First aid equipment as working with tools and
ladders.
 Tools for observing birds – binoculars, night
movement camera etc.

What to do?
Three types of workshops could be organised:
 An educational workshop on birds and nesting
boxes.
 Hanging the bird or bat boxes in nearby forests
and parks.
 Observing the boxes.

 Promote all or some of the workshops on posters

and in social media.
 Find a source to buy materials or borrow tools
and find unused or recycled wood.
 Plan the workshops with the volunteer team.
 Check the right place to hang the bird and bat
boxes.
 After a year describe and promote the workshops
and whole project so it could be repeated
elsewhere.
 Possibly organise a photo or film event, display
or a competition for the most interesting photo
or record of birds or bats near the boxes.

What benefits?

 Social – promoting joint activities to engage

people, build the boxes and enjoy the activities.
 Ecological - increasing the number of locally
breeding birds and bats.
 Educational - expanding knowledge about the
forest ecosystem and nature conservation.

What learning?

 Recognising common forest bird and bat species.

 Simple tool handing and construction skills.
9 Creating tree fruit characters
The fruits of forest trees are usually used as an artistic
material for children in the early stages of schooling but
are also used as a craft by adults. As a small enterprise
buyers may be attracted by the association with early
childhood. Human and animal figures can be made from
tree fruit and nuts.

What resources?
Tree fruits and nuts are widely available. You can also
use your camera or smartphone and open source
software for animation and film making.
 String, thin wire, labels
 Promotional leaflets, posters etc
 Identification guide to tree fruits and nuts
 Price list, business card, website, social media

What for?

 Catching the attention of potential buyers.

 Advertise products and projects
 Educating about tree seeds and species.

What to do?
 Recognise the local, historical and domestic
traditions of using tree fruits and nuts.
 Invent an original vision of their creation.
 Take a series of photos of your own products.
 Set up a website and social media.
 Publish product photos.
 Develop the content of the website trying to
attract interest in selling products with
attractive emblems that you have created such
as calendars, T-shirts, mugs.
 Collaborate with organisations, companies, and
businesses to develop and promote the products.
 Constantly keep the attention of your audience
by updating your website and social media with
new elements such as films or animations.

What value?
You create "something from nothing" If you are creative,
you can develop commercial activities on this basis or
offer to promote social or educational organisations using
your products.

What learning?
You learn to be creative in the use of opportunities. By
creating "something from nothing" you gain faith in your
own strength and abilities. You also learn about tree
species and the history of local customs and culture.

What links?
https://www.drolipathes.net
https://dubanci.cz/english-info
https://www.zazzle.com/collections/calendars-
119944088769855147?rf=238554285273206478
https://www.facebook.com/dubanci
10 Foraging from edible trees as individuals or small cooperatives, can have an
opportunity to start up a new enterprise.

Gather, process and use different parts of trees for food Environmental – Making food and drink from trees is a
and drink. form of agroforestry. Foraging is very sustainable as it
can have no, or few, artificial inputs. Foraging uses
simple equipment and the perennial trees protect the
What resources? soil from erosion and act as a store of carbon. In the
tropics most traditional farming is agroforestry or forest
 Tree identification guide gardening.
 Basic cooking equipment
 Storage containers, trays, bottles and jars ideally What learning?
of the same sizes.
 Valuing and respecting nature
What to do?  The low-input enterprise opportunities
 Practical processing and cooking techniques
The main harvesting time is in the autumn when fruit and
seeds can be collected. However in the spring the sap, What links?
bark, flowers and leaves of some trees can be collected.
Create an edible woody landscape in your local area Foraging guides
using the principles of a forest garden. Apple and Orchard Guide, SCOG
Products could be fresh fruit, teas, salads, flour, Examining the potential for harvesting and making more
preserves (chutneys, pickles), dried fruits and nuts, and use of the fruit from traditional orchards
fermented drinks, fruit juice, acorn flour, nut roast, Juicing equipment hire
flower fritters and sap syrup. Nut trees
 Edible fruit – from native, wild trees such as Forest gardening
elder, hawthorn and rowan, but also cultivated What is a forest garden? Video
orchard trees such as apple, pear, cherry, plum - Sandford Orchards Straw Pressed Cider Timelapse Video
as fresh fruit, dried fruit, fruit leathers, soft Traditional cider making at National Trust Killerton Video
drinks (sweet cordials, fruit juice), preserved in Harvesting apples Video
syrup or alcohol, alcoholic drinks (cider, perry, Harvesting, Storing and Processing apples Video
wine).
 Edible seeds - from beech, ash, pines and holm
oak, as well as cultivated nut trees such as sweet
chestnut, walnut and hazel – as nuts, pickles,
flour, general cooking.
 Edible flowers – from black locust, elder, lime,
sumac – as tea, fritters, juice, cordial, wine
 Edible leaves – from young lime leaves – as salad.
 Edible sap – from birch, maple, walnut – as
concentrated sweet syrup or alcohol.
 Edible bark – from birch, poplars, maple, willow
and pine – as soft, moist, sweet inner bark or
cambium.

As these are foods and drinks, there is inevitably some

health risk that need to be considered. Rules of foraging
– if in doubt leave it out.

What benefits?

There are many benefits of trees as sources of food and

drink.
Many of these products need little capital and equipment
to set up a small enterprise but there are food safety
regulations in different countries.
Both tree fruit and nuts are a key part of a healthy
vegetarian, and particularly vegan, diet.

Social – There are many benefits of trees as sources of

food and drink. Both tree fruit and nuts are a key part of
a healthy vegetarian, and particularly vegan, diet.
Making food from trees can be a productive, physical,
healthy and social activity.
Financial – Making food and drink from trees can have
low-cost inputs and high-cost outputs. So young adults,
11 Geocaching in a forest What learning?

Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting Learning how to properly navigate in new surroundings.
game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to
a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to What examples?
find the geocache (container) hidden at that location.
Geocaches can be found all over the world. It is common  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geocaching
for geocachers to hide caches in locations that are  https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/
important to them, reflecting a special interest or skill of what-is-geocaching-outdoor-adventure-for-kids
the cache owner. These locations can be quite diverse.  https://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-
They may be at your local park, at the end of a long activities/hiking/geocaching.htm
hike, underwater or on the side of a city street.  https://www.geocaching.com
 https://opencaching.pl
What for?  http://www.geocachingspain.es
 https://www.geocaching.pt
 discovering unknown places
 exploring different forest habitats
 getting outside
 staying healthy for you and your family

What resources?

 A GPS device (eg. on smartphone) that will be

used to locate your position
 A pen to log your findings into a logbook
 Small items that you can swap with other items
in the geocache

What to do?
Photo. Nadleśnictwo Gdańsk - Lasy Państwowe
You can make your own geocache and hide it in various
locations. You can find geocaches during walks in your
neighbourhood or remote trips around the world.
Geocaching can be a team sport – you can take friends or
family with you!

Finding geocache
1. Locate the cache in an interesting area using a special
geocaching website.
2. Put coordinates into your navigation device.
3. Use your GPS device to assist in finding the hidden Photo. Woda Góry Las
geocache.
4. Sign the logbook and return the geocache to its
original location.
5. If you take something from the geocache, leave
something of equal or greater value.
6. Share your geocaching stories and photos online.

Hiding geocache
1. Prepare yourself about the rules of hiding geocaches.
2. Find a suitable spot.
3. Put a logbook in the container.
4. Hide the cache. It should be suitable for all weather
types and the location you’ve picked. Make
sure it doesn’t scent (it may attract animals) nor is
threatening (label it properly).
Photo. Camprest
What benefits?
Social – promoting spending time outdoors
Ecological – making aware of different natural habitats
and conditions
12 Germinating tree seeds shady place. It must not dry out.
 Mark a plastic label with a pencil and sink it in
Set up a tree nursery in order to grow locally collected the pot. Also good to map the position of the pot.
native trees from seed and cuttings. Labels can get lost! Cover with wire mesh.
 In early spring (the first or the second spring,
depending on the species), check your seeds for
What resources?
signs of germination. Ideally they should be sown
just as the root begins to appear.
 Plant pots or a small piece of land.  They will be ready to sow in the first spring
 Sieved soil, ideally with added decomposed leaf following collection. Don’t give up! Your patience
litter. will be rewarded.
 Washed coarse sand, grit or wood chips.
 Access to water, and access to a fridge (for Raising seeds
temporarily storing some seed). The number of seeds you sow depends on the species and
the number of seeds you expect to germinate. As a
What to do? general rule, the larger the seed, the higher the
germination rate.
Collecting seed – May to December depending on species Remove the weaker seedlings to leave only one. Seeds
 Look at maps for old, wild local woodlands to are scattered on the surface of the soil or compost,
collect the local native tree species. firmed and covered.
 Identify the species using an identification guide. Horticultural grit is the best material to use to cover your
 Collect seed from a few trees to keep the genetic seeds, but soil or compost will do.
diversity. Ensure that the seeds are only covered to their own
depth. Too deep and they may not emerge. Too shallow
 Regularly check for the right time to collect –
and they might dry out.
when seed is ripe and before birds, mammals eat
Don’t forget to label the seedbed or pots.
and wind disperses the seed.
 Collect from the tree by hand or with a stick and
hook, or from the ground. What benefits?

Processing seed  Social – Many volunteers can be used to identify

Fleshy fruit are the most difficult to separate the seed. and collect seeds in the autumn.
Try mashing (eg. apple), pressing through a sieve (eg
rowan) or popping by hand (eg hawthorn).  Financial – If many trees are produced they can
Nuts (eg oak and beech) need to be full, undamaged be sold or exchanged.
without holes and sinkable in water (eg hazel).
Winged seeds (eg ash, elm, maple) can be sown  Environmental – Focusing on local sources of
immediately. trees and local planting minimises the use of
Cones (eg alder, birch and conifers) need to be stored in unsustainable transport. Locally collected wild
a dry bag or box in a warm place. As they dry the seeds tree seed means that the trees will be suited to
separate when shaken. the local climate and soil. But it is worth asking
or checking to see if that species of tree is
Pre-treating seed locally common.
Most European seed is dormant (alive but will not
germinate immediately). It needs moisture and/or a What learning?
period of cold or warmth.
 Willow, elm, aspen, oak - Needs only moisture.
 Alder, birch, pine - Needs to be stored dry then  Potential for a mini-enterprise, selling or
soaked in water for a day, mixed with moist sand exchanging young trees.
in a plastic bag and stored in a fridge for a  Basic horticultural skills.
month.  Encourages local community and volunteering
 Blackthorn, bird cherry, crab apple, elder, activity.
guelder rose, hazel, rowan, purging buckthorn,
whitebeam and wild cherry etc. - can be pre- What links?
treated when seeds are extracted.
 Ash, hawthorn, holly, spindle, yew - These seeds Online guide to growing trees from seed, TCV
are treated the same way as above, but wait Autumn seed harvest handbook, TCV
until the second spring before sowing. Practical Guide to raising trees from seed, Forestry
Commission
Pre-treatment Grow an oak tree in a pot, The National Forest
 In a plant pot with drainage holes mix an equal Tree seed online
volumes of peat-free compost or leafmould, and Guide to tree growing
grit or coarse sand. Modern automated tree nursery. 3 min. video
 Add an equal volume of seed and enough water Modern US tree nursery and tree farmer. 3 min. Video
to make it moist but not dripping when
squeezed.
 Cover the seed mixture with 2 cm of grit, sand or
wood chips. Sink it in soil and leave outdoors in a
13 Growing tree seedlings and tree species as they take little effort and space and may
grow as long as they always have moist but soil.
cuttings The cuttings need to be 30 cm. long pencil or finger
sized, one year old wood. This needs to be collected in
Set up a tree nursery in order to grow locally collected late winter/ early spring before the buds break open.
native trees from seedlings and cuttings. They can be cut with secateurs or a small saw or sharp
knife.
What resources?
Two-thirds of the cutting is planted with a 10 cm spacing
between cuttings in a pot of soil or a shallow trench.
 Plant pots or a small piece of land.
 Sieved soil, ideally with added decomposed leaf
litter. What benefits?
 Washed coarse sand, grit or wood chips.
 Access to water, and access to a fridge (for Social – Many volunteers can be used to identify and
temporarily storing some seed). collect seeds in the autumn.
 Land for final tree planting.
Financial – If many trees are produced they can be sold
What to do? or exchanged.

Environmental – Growing trees mainly uses renewable

Growing seedlings
natural resources. The seedlings produced can grow to be
Once the seeds begin to germinate, the young trees are
major carbon absorbers reducing greenhouse gas
dependent on us for their care - watering, weeding and
emissions. Focusing on local sources of trees and local
feeding.
planting minimises the use of unsustainable transport.
It is vital that alder, birch and willow seeds are not
Locally collected wild tree seed means that the trees will
allowed to dry out at all during the first three weeks
be suited to the local climate and soil. But it is worth
after sowing. All other seeds should be kept moist.
asking or checking to see if that species of tree is locally
Before the seedlings start to crowd each other they
common.
should be thinned out or transplanted.
Pots should be kept in a well-ventilated and well-lit
position. Wide temperature fluctuations must be What learning?
avoided. Don’t forget to protect the seeds and young
seedlings from birds and mice!  Potential for a mini-enterprise, selling or
Begin weekly liquid feeding when the first true leaves exchanging young trees.
have grown and continue through to the end of July.  Basic horticultural skills.
Keep moist at all times. Inspect seedlings for pests and  Encourages local community and volunteering
diseases. Weed regularly for best growth. activity.

Hardening off What links?

Trees and shrubs, when grown indoors (in a greenhouse
or on a window sill) need to be acclimatised to outdoor
Online guide to growing trees from seed, TCV
conditions.
Autumn seed harvest handbook, TCV
Practical Guide to raising trees from seed, Forestry
Planting your trees
Commission
Once trees are about 30 or 40cm tall, after one or two
Grow an oak tree in a pot, The National Forest
years, they are ready to be planted into their final home.
How are trees are being bred for the future, Future Trees
Trust
Collecting and raising cuttings
Modern automated tree nursery. 3 min. video
Some trees will grow from hardwood cuttings – willows, Modern US tree nursery and tree farmer. 3 min. video
poplars, hawthorn, blackthorn, elder, guelder rose,
whitebeam, box, mulberry, fig. But also try a few other
14 Guiding forest walks fresh visitor to check that the theme and key
messages can still be included.
 Decide where people can park, if needed.
Organising a guided walk in a woodland or forest is  Plan how to keep different people engaged and
probably the cheapest, simplest and easiest way to get interested esp. children.
other people appreciating the value of trees and nature.
On the walk
What for?  Carry a first aid kit, knife and mobile phone,
together with the phone number of the nearest
 Learning about trees and forests hospital and police – and hand lens and binocular
 Promoting active outdoor recreation in woodlands etc. if needed.
 If there are helpers, give them and yourself name
What resources? tags and possibly reflective jackets esp. if using
roads.
Other volunteers to help promote and organise the walk.  Remind visitors to gather round close when the
First aid kit and mobile phone. group stops to talk. Encourage people to ask
questions, explain things to others.
 Ask everyone to take photos if they want but ask
What to do? if everyone is willing to be photographed. Give
them an email or site where they can send the
Planning photos. Consider a group photo at the end.
 Start with a site or route that you know.  End the walk on time to avoid people leaving
 If on private land, check permission with the before the end and feeling dissatisfied.
landowner, ideally in writing.  Remember the basic principles of good
 Select your audience eg. school pupils, scout or communication.
youth groups, college students, retired or After the walk
disabled groups.  add a short description and photo(s) to a website
 Consider how they would get to and from the site or send to the local media to promote future
or route. walks.
 Develop a theme for the walk using your own  Make a note of what did and did not work.
enthusiasm and experience of the theme or site.
This is even more important than being a
What benefits?
specialist or sharing your knowledge or
information.
Social – connecting people with other people and with
 Write down your theme and key messages eg. the
nature.
range of different and old trees along the route,
Environmental – Encouraging good environmental
with simple ways of identifying the species, some
behaviour on walks.
interesting stories about them and the value of
Educational - raising awareness and understanding of
old trees.
forest management and nature.
 The group may have very different physical
abilities. Most walks may only cover about 2 km
in 2 hours. So stop and talk together every 5 What learning?
minutes or so or when the group sees something
interesting. Learning about the features and value of trees and
 Work out the best season and time for the forests.
audience.
 Confirm if it will run “rain or shine” and What links?
advertise accordingly. Most walks run under all
conditions but plan for some shelter. How to organise a walking event
 For longer walks local toilet facilities could be
identified.
 Possibly plan the walk alongside another event to
ensure a large audience.
 Serving some food and drink at some stage is
always popular – biscuits, apple or orange slices,
cheesy snacks, hot or cold fruit juice with paper
cups.
 A single pocket-sized handout may add interest
eg. map or identification guide.

A month before the walk

 Prepare and distribute a simple flyer and social
media (Twitter, blog or e-newsletter)
 If open to the public, send a press release to the
local media. But word of mouth is probably the
most effective promotion.

Before the day of the walk

 Walk the route through the eyes and ears of a
15 Identifying trees (usually deciduous) or is it a conifer (usually with
needles or scales)?
 Different features will be visible through the
Find out how to identify and name trees.
seasons. In winter, for broadleaf trees, you'll
have to use twigs, leaf buds and bark.
What for?  Take notice of the surrounding area such as
Young people may lack experience and skill in identifying hedgerows, fields, parks, woodland or close to
trees. water. Some species are more likely to grow near
 Lack of field excursions and lab-based classes. water, in scrubland, parkland or in woodland.
 Using dried samples or pictures which are not  Piece the clues together, including the overall
representative of the whole tree. shape and size of the tree, bark, leaves or
 Latin names are not practical in the field and needles, flowers, fruits, leaf buds and twigs. The
students need to learn the common names to be more features you can see, the more accurate
able to communicate with the local communities your identification will be.
and forest workers.
 Courses may overwhelm students naming too What benefits?
many species in a short time. Why should we even learn the names and identify the
species? Why in Latin?
What resources? Globally the Latin names are used in science to avoid
 Tree ID app, Woodland Trust confusion with common names that vary in each country
and maybe in each zone! and the unity of names makes it
easier for scientists to describe species or phenomena.
In forestry the main focus is on tree species as they form
the structure of the forest ecosystems.
Describing the tree species is crucial for many measures
in the forest like biodiversity surveys, tree health
surveys, management and regeneration plans, and
genetic studies.

What learning?
The skill of tree identification by observing and recording
the leaves, flowers, fruits, bark and shape of trees.

What examples?
 Leafsnap – Plant Identification app
 Heart of England Forest tree guide
 Street and park trees
 Tree Identification Guidebooks  Urban Tree Survey, Natural History Museum
 Tree genus names in different languages  A-Z of British Trees, Woodland Trust
 Tree Guide UK
What to do?  Tree Health Survey, Opal
The most important thing that you should know is that  The Wood Database – European timber
learning to identify trees takes time in different places  Common trees of the UK, Part 1 Video
and seasons. But it can be a skill for life.  Common trees of the UK, Part 2 Video
 Try to visits nearby or city woodlands to spot
tree leaves, flowers, trunks and branches in
different seasons.
 Perhaps “adopt” one or two very local trees
where you regularly walk.
 Take photos and make an Instagram account to
store your photos.
 Use some of the plant apps listed here to identify
the different parts of the tree.
 Don't panic. If you couldn’t remember the names
in the beginning, the most important thing is
getting familiar with the features of the trees.
 Remember that you are learning a new language,
you need to repeat the names, with the time you
will get fluent.
 Make it fun! Try to relate the Latin names to
familiar words from your language, I’m sure you
will find some.
 There are many more tree species in the south of
Europe compared to the north.
 Try to prioritize native species, start with trees
and then move to shrubs.
 Look at the leaves or needles. Is it a broadleaf
16 Looking inside Trees Catching water (best in spring)
 Tie a large clear plastic
What for? bag on the end of a small
tree branch.
Explore what happens inside a tree, by tapping the trunk  The bag should be sealed
for sap, catching water from the leaves, estimating the tightly over the branch.
age of a tree and listening through its trunk. Water vapour will collect
and condense in the bag.
What resources?  Wait until evening for
maximum condensation
 Drill, plastic pipe and bucket before removing the bag.
 Large plastic bag and string or tape A bag may give one cup of water per day.
 Measuring ruler
Electric calipers can detect the daytime contracting of
twigs and the night time rehydrating with water from the
What to do? roots.

Tapping for sap (best in early spring) Tree rings

 Choose a large, mature, healthy tree (eg birch, Look at a cut tree trunk or log.
maple and willow) with a diameter at least Count the number of dark tree rings. Each dark ring
20cms and with a large canopy. Make sure you shows where growth was slowed down in the winter. So
have permission from the owner and that the this indicates the age of the tree.
trees are not exposed to pesticides or other toxic Compare the widths of each tree ring. Ring width
chemicals. indicates the relative amount of growth due to
 Drill a 5-10 cm hole (1-2 cm diameter) in the tree temperature and rainfall, and competition from nearby
approximately 1m from the ground, using an trees etc.
electric or hand drill. This will not damage the
tree. Tree rings can be used as evidence of climate change
 Insert the loose end of a looking at the effects of temperature on tree ring widths
clean, food-grade pipe into over the short term. In warmer growing periods tree rings
the hole to create a tight are wider. In many samples tree rings are narrower
seal, ideally to a depth of before than after the 1990s.
about 2 cm and seal any gaps
with cloth. What learning?
 Put the other end of the
pipe into a bottle or bucket. Ask yourself where do trees get their mass? As in the TED
After 15 or so minutes clear talk here.
sap should flow from the Learn how a tree works here – through its leaves,
pipe. The container may be branches, trunk and roots.
full after an hour or so.
 Remove the pipe and push a
piece of branch into the plug What links?
hole or use a cork.
 Once collected, keep sap refrigerated and use or Basic tree biology
process within 2 days. If left too long the yeasts
start fermenting the sugary sap. Concentrating
the sap is very energy intensive as it is about 95%
water. So it is best used as weak sugary water.

Sap can be heard flowing through the xylem in the tree

trunk here and here.
Ultrasound sensors can detect a snap in the water
column of the phloem often in the afternoon.

Talking trees
 Find a long dead log or plank of wood which is
cut at both ends and place it on a support.
 One person scratches the cut end of the wood
and the other person listens at the other cut end.

Why does the sound travel through the wood? It may be

possible to hear sound travelling through the air spaces
of the dead xylem vessels of the central heartwood
which are connected, long and hollow. Musical
instruments use this property of wood to amplify and
modify the sound, which is why particular woods are
favoured by musical instrument makers.
17 Making a clue trail with trees What benefits?
This activity has social benefits, as it promotes social
A peddy-paper is an outdoor pedestrian competition with contact and recreation for young people. It can be
teams, which consists of a route associated with interesting to use in a summer-camp or an event related
questions or tasks corresponding to different to trees. It also has environmental benefits, because it
intermediate points. It was developed in Portugal. The increases knowledge about trees and raises awareness in
main objectives of a peddy-paper with trees are: young people for the value and importance of trees and
forests.
● Gaining knowledge about trees and forests, their
ecology, benefits and importance.
● Promoting leisure activities with trees and young
people (15-30 years old).
 Learning to work in a group and to get connected
with trees.

What resources?

 At least 2 groups of young people and 1 leader

per group
 1 pen and 1 notebook per group
 1 camera or cell phone camera Photo. https://www.profitecla.pt/peddy-paper-na-semana-de-
acolhimento/
The place for this activity can be any forest or tree area,
even an urban area with trees. The path/route should be What learning?
safe and studied previously. This activity lasts
approximately 90 minutes. Learning about characteristics of trees, the importance
of protecting trees and forests, ecosystem services, and
connecting people to trees. By exploring trees and
forests through this peddy-paper, young people may
change their attitudes and behaviour about trees, in a
positive way. Soft skills such as teamwork, creativity,
problem solving and cooperation are also developed.

What links?

 Peddy paper Together for the environment

What to do?  Peddy paper in the Forest

 Choose the place and define a route.

 Prepare the challenges of the peddy-paper, by
setting up a list of questions and answers,
integrated in the chosen route. These questions
can be about tree species, tree products,
interesting facts, riddles about trees, clues to
the next point, to explore the forest and engage
with trees. If there are 2 groups, the route can
be inverted, which means one group follows one
direction and the other group follows another,
but the route is the same.
 Choose the date and call for participants, by
spreading the event through email and social
media. Optionally, create a poster of the activity
to be more appealing.
 Choose a leader with knowledge of the peddy-
paper and the answers to accompany each
participant group.
 On the day of the activity, the planner of the
activity explains the rules to the participants and
the time available. Each group has a name and
one leader to accompany them.
 It’s important to think of a prize for the winning
team, for example, some wood products or a
meal in a restaurant that uses recipes with tree
products.
18 Making upcycled wooden What benefits?
products  Reduction of waste
 Products for sale or fundraising
Many small products can be simply made from waste  Useful gifts or utensils
wood, such as wooden pallets or fallen branches from
woodland. These can be sold as gifts or utensils either to
raise funds for environmental projects or for the What learning?
purchase of tools and equipment for environmental
groups. Alternatively they can be given as presents or  Collaborative planning and design.
sold by small youth-led, start-up enterprises.  Practical skills about safely and efficiently using
a range of tools.
What for?  Educating about the circular economy and
sustainable production techniques.
The aim of this activity is to transform wood waste into  concepts of incentive and motivation to reuse
useful and saleable products. tree endogenous materials.
 Decreasing waste
 Connecting people to trees and nature What examples?
 Educating about the value of trees and wood
 Workshop of wooden miniatures
What resources?  10 projects you can make with scrap wood

 Wood waste, wood materials, sharp objects

 Woodworking workshops for sustainable
adaptation techniques
 Tools such as saws, fretsaws, sharp knives, string,
wire, clips, small chains, copper tape etc.  Get ideas from Etsy
 For finishing, if the participants wish, they may
need pencils, charcoal, paints, varnishes, waxes
and sandpaper.
 First aid kit.

What to do?
 Ask what skills, experience and ideas the group
may already have.
 Introduce the available tools and resources, good
tool handling and safety practices.
 Consider planning and working in small
collaborative teams.
 Research online some of the possible ideas for
small wooden products eg. everyday utensils and
decorations, such as pendants, pens and key
chains, dice, door wedges, necklaces, spatulas,
butter spreaders etc.
 Practice using the tools and resources.
 Develop ideas and prototypes for the wooden
product.
 Consider collaboration between participants in
order to refine the products and make multiple
copies or variations.
 Critically review the whole design and production
process and share this experience with other
participants.

Wooden pen Wooden keychain

19 Measuring and Monitoring Monitor length of
branches in north, south,
trees east and west directions
from the trunk.
Record trees in your local area or forest by mapping,
measuring and monitoring its location, age, dimensions Monitor pests and
and condition. diseases by using guides to
local pests and diseases
What resources? such as Observatree for
the UK.
 Online access with a mobile phone or tablet, and
Find the ecosystem services using the citizen science
able to download apps, take photos etc.
Treezilla app.
 Mobile phone (in case of emergencies)
 Tape measure, ruler (or app)
Make an online map with your recordings using Google
 Camera (or app)
My Maps with each point on the map including text and
 Clinometer (or app)
photos like here.
 Map or GPS device (or app)
 Treezilla app
What benefits?
 Observatree app
 Treetalk app
 Example of city tree map There are now online maps of most things in the
environment but very few maps of local individual trees.
 Most towns have many different species of tree.
What to do? With a name attached to each tree on the map,
your neighbourhood can become an arboretum
Once you have identified the species or variety of tree, with a tree trail.
there are many other characteristics that can be  The tree records can be used as an alert to any
measured and monitored in order to manage, protect and pests and diseases, dangerous trees, trees
conserve the tree. threatened with removal.
Identify an area of trees, woodland or a forest that you  They can be sent to professional tree or forestry
want to map by identifying some of the trees or marking officers for them to ensure the trees are
different areas. Use Google Maps with Satellite view to protected and well-managed.
identify the location. This could be used as a base map  Perhaps most importantly the records can be
the location of trees. used by local communities and groups to raise
awareness of the value of trees and forests, and
Measure height - Use a stick as part of any campaigns about felling,
the same length as your fully deforestation.
stretched arm. Walk backwards
from the tree about the same What learning?
distance as its height. Hold the
stick vertically at arms length
There are many practical, technical, digital and
with the top in line with the top
communication skills that you can learn.
of the tree and the bottom in
Youthpass may be useful to focus on the range of key
line with the base of the tree.
competencies that could potentially be learned.
When they align you have made
Become a Google mapping GIS expert - Kickstart your
a 45 degree angle. The tree
map-making with Google Earth and Google Maps with
height will be your distance
these step-by-step tutorials here.
from the tree trunk.
Or Measure height - Using a ruler and second person or
Using a 1 or 2 m rod and shadow of the tree.

Measure the diameter and circumference at a standard

1.3 m up the trunk using a tape measure or string and
ruler. Trees tend to grow irregularly at the base, so to
determine a more accurate measure of diameter,
foresters will measure the diameter of the tree at 1.3 m
above the ground (Diameter at Breast Height - DBH).

Estimate age using the circumference divided by an

average of 2.5 cm per year. The growth rate of trees may
be higher if they are conifers, isolated trees in rich soil
with good light, as well as many other growth factors
such as climate, connection with other trees,
competition for light.

Monitor condition of canopy by looking up from the

trunk to see % leaf cover against the sky.
20 Online challenges about trees Presentation - Using your own stored photos, and help
from friends, put together a short presentation about
trees and forests - their value, beauty, care, use,
Try some online tree-based challenges that could be done protection, restoration etc.
from home or very locally.
With online access from your home you can take photos
or video, record audio, make podcasts, write text, tell Climate solutions - Research existing tree policies in
stories, research, survey, campaign, and write letters to your local council or regional/national government, as
local media and politicians. well as how trees and forests have changed over time in
the area. Then research natural climate solutions. Lastly
suggest changes to those policies.
What Resources?
Online campaigns - Find local,
 Online access with a mobile phone or tablet, and national or international online
able to download apps, take photos etc. campaigns for planting and
 Photos and videos that you already have stored protecting trees and forests. See
on your computer. what support you can give them.
 A bit of time while at home looking out of the Complete any online petition that
window, walking locally and staring at a screen. you could support. Use social media
to link others to these campaigns.
What to do?
Trees at risk - Check if any local
Be challenged to do something about and for trees and threatened or ancient trees need special protection.
forests without leaving the comfort of your own room. Then photograph them, record their measurements,
location etc. Lastly let the local forestry officer know
Share these with your friends, local groups, media or about them and add them to any national databases eg.
even politicians. www.vetree.eu

Photos - Adopt a tree and take photos throughout the Online call - Set up or join a Zoom or Whatsapp call with
year like here. Identify and research it. Try making a friends on trees and forests.
video or staged photos from a fixed position.
Promotion - Design placards, posters and presentations
Books - Get lost in a forest of tree books. Publish a list of for any future volunteering or practical group activity
good books about trees and forests that you have read – such as tree planting.
fact of fiction.
Plan - Plan your next practical activities with others in
Artwork - Be creative with artwork on or about trees and your local group or set up a group.
forests. eg. Design labels to hang on trees eg. I am your
breath of fresh air. Make decorations, knitted fabric to What benefits?
celebrate a special tree like here.
These challenges can help you:
Phone - Make your phone more tree-friendly. Add
 Learn more about trees and forests, as well as
favourite tree photos as wallpaper to your phone. Make
other life including your own.
Ecosia your new search engine and plant trees with your
 Encourage and persuade others to value trees
searches - for free!
and forests.
 Identify and monitor nearby trees.
Videos - Watch any of the Youtube videos that interest  Change local and national government tree
you from our Y4Trees Channel here on campaigning, policies and practice about fossil fuels and
volunteering, working, learning, planting, monitoring, climate change, especially if backed up by some
and celebrating. form of direct, passive action.
 Help people understand that the right tree
Apps - Load some of these apps listed on the Y4Trees site should be planted in the right place at the right
here onto your mobile phone ready for when your local time – where, what species, how many?
groups meet again. Load apps that will help you identify,
measure, map and record trees, and even raise funds for
What learning?
their protection and planting.
There are many practical, technical, digital and
Citizen science – Have a look at some of these citizen
communication skills that you can learn from these
science projects, and contribute to any that interest you.
online challenges.
Try the Globe Observer: trees and clouds app by NASA to
You might even find that it changes your own behaviour
contribute useful scientific data.
and values - Be open to that!
21 Planting trees with seedballs Tree species with highly palatable seeds have little
prospect of germination because animals may eat the
seed before it has germinated unless it is pelletised.
Using seedballs (or treebombs) to grow trees improves Also, small and light seeds are more likely to drift in the
germination rates and empowers large scale planting by wind, so they are harder to target during the drop.
making the tree planting process more cost effective and Seedballs, however, may fall into crevices and are then
less labour intensive. Seedballs do not need planting in more likely to get covered with soil, thereby enhancing
the traditional sense. The clay and soil protects the seed their chances of survival.
until it is ready to germinate. Charcoal is added to the
mix to aid germination and deter predators.
What benefit?
Seedballs can disperse tree seed quickly and easily,
especially in rough, rocky or hilly areas. On a large scale
seedballs can be distributed by helicopter or aeroplane.
It a fun and interesting activity both indoors and
outdoors.

They can reforest areas of cleared woodland in a playful

but educational way.

What resources?
Buckets, sieves and strainers to collect and clean the
tree seed
Mixed and cleaned native tree seeds
Charcoal powder – to coat the seedball
Clay
Compost What learning?
Water
Slingshots or drones (optional)
Social – Teamwork to plan, produce and disperse the
seedballs.
What to do? Educational – Learning about different tree seeds and
their germination.
 Identify local tree species and research the best
time and method to collect and prepare their
seed. What links?
 Collect native tree seeds from an area near
where the seedballs will be thrown.
 If the tree seed is a berry or soft fruit, clean and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seed_ball
separate the hard seed in a bucket of water. www.treebombs.co.uk
 Mix clay, compost, water and tree seeds to make Tree seed bomb video
round seedballs. Use the proportion of 1 seed to
5 clay.
 Cover the seedball in charcoal powder to deter
pests and diseases.
 Make sure there is no wood ash in the powder as
this is highly caustic.
 Use hands, slingshots or drones to throw the
seedballs.

Double the number of seeds in a seedball are needed for

germination compared to direct sown.
 
22 Supporting the forest school Mathematics - Use language to compare
quantities and to describe shape and size.
approach  Knowledge and understanding - Investigate
objects and materials by using all of their senses
Do you want to help nursery and primary school teachers as appropriate.
introduce the forest school approach to their class?  Creativity - Respond to a story and a variety of
Support the teacher in helping young children or shelter shapes to create their own using simple
teenagers with emotional difficulties learn about materials.
themselves, others and the environment in a woodland or  Physical activity - Move with confidence and
forest setting. imagination.

What for? What examples?

Learn and work as a support volunteer helping teachers A small social enterprise based on the forest school
introduce the forest school approach so young children approach
can learn in a forest setting. Review of the Forest School approach
Key features of the forest school approach: Guidance on Working with children and schools
 The use of a woodland setting The Forest School Association
 A high adult to pupil ratio
 Learning can be linked to the national curriculum
 The freedom to explore using multiple senses
 Regular contact

What resources?
 Minimal equipment needed other than
waterproof clothing and gloves.
 The school will provide all the tools, equipment
and classroom resources that are needed.
 The woodland or forest provides most of the
resource.

What to do?
Find a local primary or nursery school that wants support
with Forest School activities.
As a volunteer over 18 years old get accredited to work
with children eg. know safeguarding policy.
Work alongside the teacher to regularly walk to
woodland or forest area, inside school grounds or nearby.
Find out about getting accredited as a Forest School
practitioner.

What benefits?
This experience can provide a way into:
 Becoming an accredited Forest School
practitioner.
 Training as a primary school teacher.
 Education jobs at a field study or nature centre,
National Park etc.
 Setting up a social enterprise on education, trees
and forests.

What learning?
Examples of learning for the child:
 Personal and social education- Be confident to
try new activities; understand what is right and
wrong and why; consider the consequences of
their actions for themselves.
 Communicating and language - Sustain attentive
listening; extend their vocabulary, and explore
the meanings and sounds of new words. Express
and communicate their ideas.