Farrington Gurney Primary School began working with EcoWild a year ago – a Community Interest Company with a Non-Executive Director, who is a former teacher and current Early Years consultant for Bath and North East Somerset.

This year, EcoWild have started a new auracy project called ‘The Story Tree’. This was inspired by the discovery, during the summer term’s ‘hedgerow safaris’ of an Oak that is approximately 400-years-old.

The project has offered the chance to engage children with eco-history and our place in the landscape, which can help pupils relate to the wider environment and support the social, spiritual and moral awareness from connecting with ourselves and the natural world.

Children firstly heard a 150 year-old reading from a Native American chief, played a ‘web of life’ game, before discussing climate change and the prediction of the increase in severe weather events. They then went on to a hurricane-emergency-rescue scenario that they have been developing and involves lots of cooperation, teamwork, creative thinking, action and drama.

Some sat and whittled instead and others made a rope swing, which was more like a balance challenge as it was pretty wobbly! But the children were delighted with all of it. This was a great ending to our current series of sessions with Class 4 at Farrington Gurney Primary.