Acorns to Oaks

We've had a great first two days of our Fender Forest School Level 3 training.

Yesterday was at the school and we finished with a Forest School tea party, fire lighting followed by making foraged blackberry jam, fire cooked scones and tea. We have tweaked the order of the training to reflect the heat of the rest of the week.

This afternoon we headed to the deep woods of Roydon Park where it was significantly cooler for tree identification, discussions of forest management and tarp installation with knots we learnt this morning.

I wish I could say the highlight was my insightful knowledge and delivery, but I suspect it was the cows we met.

Getting ready for our first Level 3 training course and back to Fender Forest School in September, we soon won't have to leave site for toilet breaks!

Andy and Ash have been working on the new composting toilet so no more staff trapsing off with the reception children and wondering where the others have got to.

The roof beams went onto the Fender Roundhouse today. We were joined by Jamie Ingle of Construction who is going to be helping us more in the near future. He brings some great experience and knowledge of sustainable, natural building and will be a valuable member of the team.

I've come down south to Lippits Hill in Epping Forest yesterday and randomly found a Blue Plaque for John Clare whose collected works are on my bedside table.

Clare was a Romantic poet from an agricultural labouring background who wrote extensively on nature and rural living and was an early environmentalists. He was in an asylum in Epping Forest for four years before escaping and walking to Northamptonshire, where he was again committed for the remainder of his life.

A Rhapsody by John Clare

Sweet solitude, what joy to be alone--
In wild, wood-shady dell to stay for hours.
Twould soften hearts if they were hard as stone
To see glad butterflies and smiling flowers.
Tis pleasant in these quiet lonely places,
Where not the voice of man our pleasure mars,
To see the little bees with coal black faces
Gathering sweets from little flowers like stars.

I have spent this morning almost in sweet solitude accept for my son, in a meadow surrounded by bees, butterflies, crickets and bird song, very appropriate being so close to where John Clare was.

Roundhouse posts up and ring beam on. Next stage will be the roof timbers on Tuesday.

Great to have in place for this afternoon's kick off meeting for August's Level 3 Forest School training. Still places available if anyone is interested.

Fender Year 6 started the roundhouse today, the first project of the Lottery bid. Laid out a decagon for the floor and used the 3.6m poles to mock up the reciprocal roof.

We are looking for someone to join our team for works like this. Get in touch if you are interested.

No children in the Fender Forest School today but lots of room for the wildlife. A key aim of the project is to increase the wildlife on the site and today we were blessed with a flight of swallows and house martins swooping to feed on the insects over our rich meadow. Video to follow