Nursery tots plant a mini-woodland

PUPILS at a Warrington day nursery have started creating a mini-woodland in their front garden.
Four-year-old tots from the Cheshire Day Nursery at Latchford were supervised by teachers and members of the Mersey Forest team as they planted willow and hazel trees in the area, which will be used to host Forest School sessions in future.
Forest School – a method of outdoor learning which helps children to reconnect with nature and learn about the natural environment – is already well-established at the nursery, but sessions are currently limited to the three mature trees in the garden.
The project is being coordinated by nursery staff and The Mersey Forest (www.merseyforest.org.uk) and the trees were funded by Big Tree Plant.
Susan Hemy, Early Years professional at Cheshire Day Nursery, said: “Forest School is an important part of our curriculum. The sessions help to improve children’s confidence,
interpersonal skills and knowledge of the natural world. The new trees will enhance our Forest
School area, enabling nursery staff to harvest den-building materials in future sessions.”
Jo Sayers, community development officer at The Mersey Forest, said: “It was great to see the kids getting involved with the planting day – they really enjoyed it and the new trees will greatly improve their Forest School area.”