Not only home to five national tree collections and 2,500 botanical species from all over the world, Westonbirt, The National Arboretum is also a versatile learning space where children and families can connect with nature and learn about looking after local wildlife, tree conservation and how to take action themselves.
SoGlos speaks to learning officer Ellen Whitby about how Westonbirt's dedicated learning and participation team engages local communities to play their part in conserving trees for the future.
What do you do as learning officer at Westonbirt Arboretum?
I work within the learning and participation team, where I coordinate school visits and deliver curriculum-based programmes to school and home educated groups.
I am also involved in the planning and delivery of our family events programme, which is linked around a different theme each season, focusing on nature connection, learning through play, as well as discovery and challenge activities.
As well as this, I coordinate work placements for students, attend careers fairs, design and implement interactive family trails onsite and work with our lovely team of volunteers.
How do you teach young people about the importance of conserving trees?
Our team delivers a range of sessions for KS2, secondary, further education and higher education groups, exploring the science of plants, woodland management and climate change to natural arts, storytelling and tourism.
These programmes take place outside of the classroom which enables students to explore Westonbirt's global tree collection and discover more about the science of trees and forests.
One of our activities, for example, is aimed at older primary school children and focuses on current threats to trees, such as climate change, pests and diseases. Students put themselves into the role of a scientist or a woodland planner and problem solve as a group to find solutions.
For younger students we have a more playful, interactive approach, where we might ask them to design their own forest using natural materials, to ensure it is a forest for future generations and discuss what would make it a sustainable forest. Or we might play a game acting out the process of photosynthesis, to highlight the importance of trees for carbon capture.
We also run events for home educated children and sessions for groups with additional needs, where groups and families come to Westonbirt to take part in a learning programme. Many of these children are neurodiverse, which means we often tailor our programmes to suit their needs. This could mean incorporating more sensory activities or activities suitable for independent learning.
How does the arboretum raise awareness of the importance of supporting local wildlife and providing habitats for native species?
We offer free events onsite, aimed at families — especially those with children aged three to 11 — focusing on connecting with nature, learning through play, with some activities that are designed to enable mid-depth engagement and opportunities to feature our learning messages more strongly.
I’m looking forward to Westonbirt Arboretum’s spring Bioblitz on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 April! Families and individuals are invited to become a nature detective for the day, joining scientists, wildlife experts and fellow nature lovers to explore the arboretum, spotting and recording as many species as possible. From birds and bugs to botany and bryophytes, every discovery will help build a picture of the biodiversity at Westonbirt Arboretum.
There's more information about this on our website at forestryengland.uk/westonbirt/bioblitz.
Previous family events have focused on:
- Wildlife homes — Making hedgehog homes and looking under the microscopes at minibeasts living within deadwood (a very important and often overlooked habitat!)
- Wildlife walks — Creating insect hotels using natural materials and making things like bird feeders
- Trees for the future — Discussing current threats to native trees and how we can take action
- Woodland webs — Activities linked to the variety of living things and habitats at Westonbirt and how they are all connected, highlighting that an environment is healthier and more stable if it has a higher number of species and variety of habitats
Our events give families the opportunity to find out more about what native wildlife and trees we have at Westonbirt, the current threats they may be facing and how they can take action.
Are you currently working on any specific awareness projects to monitor biodiversity at Westonbirt?
Westonbirt is holding a Bioblitz event this spring! A Bioblitz is a collaborative event where we work together to find and identify as many species of plant, animals, fungi and other organisms as possible over a certain time period.
This event allows visitors to become a wildlife explorer for the day and discover what’s living at Westonbirt. Experienced naturalists will be running a series of guided survey walks to find and identify as many different species as possible, from birds to beetles and wildflowers to lichen! All data recorded will be documented and passed on to local and national databases that monitor our local wildlife.
This event brings together both expert naturalists and members of the public, allowing for everyone to learn together and share their love for nature. It's a great way of breaking down barriers to engagement with science and raising awareness of the role of biological recording, whilst casting the net wider to introduce new audiences. This will hopefully encourage more people to engage with nature and wildlife in a positive way!
What knowledge would you like people to take away after attending one of your learning events at Westonbirt?
I love seeing adults and children learning the importance and value of trees for wildlife and people. They come away feeling more connected with trees and I hope this will inspire more people to take action to care for trees and wildlife. Whether that’s sharing knowledge with friends, making your garden more biodiverse or building a bug house for your school. We want to engage a wide range of communities as everyone has a role to play to help conserve trees for the future.
How does Westonbirt Arboretum engage with the public about the importance of maintaining a diverse range of species?
We run seasonal interactive trails onsite, which follow different themes. Our previous family-friendly trail, ‘Tree Guardians’, explored how the arboretum cares for and protects its trees, how trees cope with climate change and how Westonbirt works with other experts to conserve trees and ensure a diverse range of species.
Our current trail focuses on biodiversity at Westonbirt, giving visitors the chance to explore the arboretum and highlighs the variety of life along the way, through a series of activities and information panels. It also encourages them to use the iNaturalist app, so that they can identify and record anything they find.
The trail emphasises the importance of maintaining a diverse range of species at Westonbirt and that everything in the environment is linked in some way. Fungi and trees work together through a special communication network, whilst wildflowers provide important breeding sites for many of our pollinators.
By continuing to care for the arboretum, Westonbirt’s team continue to
sustain this vital haven for a vast range of plant and animal life. Visitors
can join the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum
from as little as £30 per year, funding vital tree conservation and
biodiversity, while enjoying unlimited entry for less than the price of three
visits.
