Senior Juniper Hall Tutor, Nicola Keightley, explained how the recent funding from the Friends of Juniper Hall has enhanced the offer for the Field Centre’s students. The wildlife pond, live mammal traps and the outdoor classroom stretch tent have become integral to the teaching, enabling the tutors to deliver curriculum needs such as food chains, habitat health, pollution and conservation as well as tallying and statistics. From traditional geography and biology, the Field Studies Council courses have evolved towards more of a rounded experience encompassing bushcraft, shelter-building, firelighting and mindfulness while introducing the critical themes of sustainability in the face of climate change. Students come to the inspiring realisation that they can make things for themselves as they hold warming mugs of wild tea from the herb garden and toffee apple slices they’ve heated over the camp fire they built and lit, beside their collaboratively-constructed shelters. Nicola’s enthusiasm is palpable when describing how these activities instill a love and respect for nature, a personal resilience and a sense of awe; children come away from their stay changed by the experience.
How the Friends of Juniper Hall have helped!
