Next Generation Nature

Zoe Boulton 

Wilder Learning Officer 

Have you ever watched a child completely absorbed in building a den out of sticks or inspecting a beetle with wide-eyed curiosity? That’s the magic of Forest School — where nature becomes the classroom, and learning feels like an adventure.

It is well known that the great outdoors provides many benefits for us all, especially for the next generation. The woodland environment offers not only fresh air, a range of physical activity and space to explore but also a serenity that allows imaginations to grow, challenges to be surmounted, newfound skills to be honed and interests to be nourished.

One trainee from our Forest School Leader course invited us to join a session at her local woodland, Tilgate Park in Crawley. Jo, a SEN LSA (Special Needs Learning Support Assistant) and Forest School lead for two local schools, believes that the holistic development that encompasses the whole child is important and that outdoor learning connects children to nature, allowing them to pursue their own learning pathway: 'The amount that they have grown since being in the forest is phenomenal! The passion they have being outside is amazing to see.'

Forest School is not just “playing outside.” It is a carefully thought-out approach to child-led learning that supports social, physical, creative, emotional, spiritual and cognitive development. It encourages confidence, creativity, problem-solving, and resilience — skills that matter just as much as reading and maths.

Forest School empowers those passionate about learning to gain meaningful results with their cohorts, developing a sense of community and engagement between pupils that may not necessarily interact in the traditional school environment.

Forest School Training with Sussex Wildlife Trust (Level 1 to 3) is available across Sussex at a range of locations. Open to all: teachers, youth workers, parents, community leaders can train and make a real impact. The training encompasses a range of skills and practises and an understanding and connection with the natural world, enabling leaders to successfully lead regular sessions with confidence, shaping futures – one muddy face at a time.