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We are doing a lovely piece of consultation and market research on the Irwell Sculpture Trail.
Soon to be relaunched, the Sculpture Trail runs from Salford Quays up to Bacup – approximately 30 miles along the River Irwell dotted with sculptures.
For our first day we were set up outside Salford Museum and Art Gallery on an incredibly hot day. Our stall, which has been lovingly designed for this piece of consultation, features bunting, pots of spring flowers, and a map of the trail.
We also set up an Easter kids activity on some picnic blankets – making Easter nests from hay and filled with chocolate eggs and a yellow chick.
Over the next couple of weeks we will be out at various locations along the Sculpture Trail to speak to people about the sculptures and find out how people find out about places – especially whether people like the idea of new technologies such as downloadable audio tours and QR codes.
Recently we organised and ran a Forest Schools Seminar on behalf of Red Rose Forest. 40 participants joined us on a warm March day to find out more about forest schools through listening to speakers, taking part in workshops, and having a go at hands-on activities.
For our team, the morning started at 7.30am, unloading our cars that were full of large branches, bags of leaves, tablecloths, and a lot of mismatched vintage crockery.
In a little under two hours, we transformed the church hall:
Complete with woodland scene, including a twiggy den…
Everyone was greeted, signed in, and given lots of hot tea and coffee and pancakes.
Susannah Podmore, the Forestry Commission’s Forest Education Initiative Coordinator gave the opening keynote speech. She spoke about forest schools and education, what they are, why they work, and what’s going on nationally.
Next, everyone split up into different workshops led by experienced forest schools practitioners. Workshops covered delivering forest schools in public woodland, the benefits of woodlands as a learning environment, forest education in schools, and forest education for the under 5’s.
Whilst the workshops were going on, Steve and Charlie packed up their cars with a picnic lunch, and headed off to Wythenshawe Park to set up for lunch.
The grass was covered with a large groundsheet, laid over with blankets, onto which the delicious picnic lunch was spread out.
Scrumptious sandwiches packed carefully into baskets, and tins of Spanish tortilla, stuffed vine leaves, and grilled aubergine topped with mozzarella – all made by Backs Deli.
Our picnic spot was encircled with strings of pretty bunting – a lovely welcome for our guests as they wandered across the park to eat their lunch. And what beautiful warm weather we had!
The lovely Anna, who filmed our Spaceshaper Promotion Event in February was on hand to film the day – we can’t wait to see the final film when it’s finished!
The afternoon workshops were all hands-on forest school activities – a chance for people to try out forest education first hand!
There was a workshop on delivering the curriculum in a wood:
Another on den making:
Lighting fires and cooking outdoors:
And using ropes to tie knots and build bridges:
If you are interested in attending future Forest Schools workshops or events, or if you’d like help planning an event, please contact us at hello@pathwaysconsultancy.co.uk.
Pathways 