Inclusion – Outdoor Learning in the the Outer Hebrides

Resources – John Muir Award

Various resources arrive in our in-tray, here in our hidden office, some of them we think are worth sharing. So occasionally we will put up short posts on things we think are worth a look at.

We received an email from the John Muir Trust about their Literacy and Nature Resource Guide. It is a file with some good links out to other sites and files, what we think useful to teaching staff here in the Outer Hebrides, is the John Muir Award and the CfE document which has details of how the John Muir Award can be linked to the Curriculum for Excellence.

There is their promotional film explaining the Trust and the Award:

If you would like to use the John Muir Award please contact the Isi or Tim and we can help you to set it up and deliver it.

Follow up with Stornoway Playgroup

As autumn has turned Stornoway Playgroup wanted to go and explore the Castle Grounds again. The story of our first journey can be seen here.

The journey this time took us up passed the water wheel over the golf course, with the great view of the town, into the broad leaf woodland, towards the college and the Caste where we found some shelters another group had been building. Then back past the Castle under the horse chestnut trees (Aesculus hippocastanum) to look for conkers. Finishing upstairs in the Sawmill café for a snack and a drink, which is always a treat.

Conkers collected from the Castle Gorunds

Although the conkers they found were small they were perfect for little hands. The different berries and fruits on the trees and bushes allowed us to talk about how the plants were able to spread their fruit and get other trees to grow, to touch on how things in nature are interconnected. We found and tasted blackberries and played with sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) ‘helicopters’.

Collected Autumn Colours

The next trip the Playgroup are going to take into the Grounds is to the water wheel building, when they are going to walk out and use the space as a place to ‘story time’ before walking back.

Sailing with the Scaladale Centre

Over the last three years the outdoor team have been working closely with the Scaladale Centre to deliver high quality outdoor learning in the Outer Hebrides. Part of this has been RYA level 1,2 and 3 dinghy sailing courses for young people. Sailing of the pontoons in Maraig which Marine Harvest are generous in letting us use, we use the Scaladale’s Bahai sailing boats, some of the young people who we have trained are now coming back to instruct on the courses.

Sailing in Maraig Sailing in Loch Seaforth

Even if your legs don’t work you can still sail

Inclusive Sailing

And it doesn’t matter what the weather

Torrential Rain

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