Stage 2 Geography and Outdoor Ed camp at Forktree

It was a pleasure to welcome Forktree regulars Blackwood High School back to site again this term for an two-day Stage 2 Geography and Outdoor Ed camp rich with hands-on experiential learning.

Students learned about impacts of humans on our environment including biodiversity loss and soil degradation, strategies to reduce ecological footprints and improve sustainability of ecosystems, and heard a range of perspectives on a variety of habitat restoration techniques. And, as ever at The Forktree Project, students explored the crucial role of the circular economy and the importance of systems thinking. Many thanks to Andrew Fairney from Seeding Natives for sharing his significant expertise on direct seeding techniques with the students.

Getting stuck in with weeding, rubble sorting, pricking out of seedlings in the nursery, harvesting seed in the Rare Seed Orchard followed by kicking back at the campsite in the evening in front of the sunset and under the stars - an experience-rich, purposeful and immersive learning experience that, we are convinced, cements learning about the importance of looking after biodiversity so much more powerfully than keeping learning solely in the classroom. We look forward to seeing the impact of your visit on your Stage 2 assignments, BHS students!

Many thanks to teachers and curriculum leaders Dan Smith and Laura Conley from Blackwood High - great to work with you as ever to create meaningful learning experiences for your students.