The 3 Village Woodlands Group
was born
out of increasing concern about the steady losses of
woodland to development. Its object is to acquire a piece
of land which will become Community Woodland accessible to
the public. The group will involve all age groups: children
at Trimley St. Martin School who will plant and nurture
many of the trees, their teachers and parents and everyone
else in the villages of Kirton, Falkenham and Trimley St.
Martin who would like to be involved. This is a long term
project to be handed on to future generations so the
involvement of our children is crucial.
The
group is affiliated to the Green Light Trust which
has facilitated 34 Community Woodlands in East Anglia in
the last 15 years. Their success has been built on 4 key
elements:
Children
– motivating children and young people to become
responsible custodians of the environment
Community Spirit – galvanizing community spirit through
long-term empowerment
Wildlife – building wildlife habitats to increase
bio-diversity
Global Kinship – forging environmental links with
communities overseas
What
about our 3 Village Woodlands Group project?
A
Steering Group has been formed. The officers elected for
the Steering Group.
Group
Chairman :
Stephen
Harvey
Vice
Chairman :
John
Pardy
Secretary
: Alison
Mellors
Treasurer
: David
Vickers
Schools
Link :
Jo
Matthews
The
Affiliation Agreement has been signed by Stephen Harvey for
the Group and Grenville Clarke for the Green Light Trust.
The Green Light Trust handed over a cheque for £300 to the
Treasurer.
The groups name has been decided “3 Village Woodlands
Group”.
Children
Local
children and young people will be encouraged to be involved
as fully as possible with active participation.
Community
All
sectors of the community will be encouraged to participate
and local expertise and skills will be used and shared
wherever possible.
Management
A
Steering Group (SG) will manage the project and all risk
associated with it in accordance with the Constitution.
Ownership
The SG
will manage the land, which is the subject of the project
for the benefit of present and future generations.
The SG will endeavour to secure ownership of the land or to
acquire legal rights therein for the community.
Woodland
Type
Only
native and naturalised trees and shrubs will be planted, to
enhance the traditional landscape and provide a rich haven
for wildlife.
Sustainability
The
project will strive to become fully sustainable:
•
Environmentally – by using safe traditional silviculture
practices, a ‘no chemical’ policy, environmentally friendly
materials and structures sympathetic to their surroundings.
• Socially – by making the project enjoyable, engendering
community spirit and making sure that knowledge and skills
are passed.
• Financially – by keeping administration simple, ensuring
that skills needed are developed within the community.
Global
Kinship
An
environmental link will be made with a community from
somewhere else in the world.
The
3 Village Woodlands Group
From Seed to Tree
programme?
It is an
opportunity for the children at Trimley St. Martin School
and others to contribute to the planting and management of
new woodland in communities that are working with Green
Light. It can begin with pupils of any age. It offers a
curriculum-linked programme of activities that take place
both inside and outside the school building. For older
students it offers an extra-curricular focus for groups
such as environmental
clubs or school councils. It is an annual programme of
activities that can repeat itself every year.
How
can it benefit Trimley St. Martin School?
By
supporting national curriculum work across all key stages.
By involving pupils in improving their local natural
environment & increasing biodiversity. By creating
strong links between the school & the community. By
educating for global citizenship through overseas links.
How
does it work?
You
choose how much involvement the school deems appropriate to
the school. This process takes place with an appointed
School Link person who will be Jo Matthews from The 3
Village Woodlands Group. A Green Light Trust leader will
work as mentor to the Teachers and the School Link during
the first year or two.
Global
Kinship?
The
environmental focus – the fundamental importance of the
natural world is a knowledge shared by all indigenous
peoples. From this woodland link it also provides a
powerful focus for communication beyond the divisions of
race, religion and politics. The 3 Village Woodlands Group
is exploring a possible link with Sri Lanka.
Community
benefits
Global
Kinship adds a whole new dimension of interest, vibrancy
and awareness to a local project and its wider community.
It can attract new members, provide life-long learning and
enrich project celebrations and events.
Educational
benefits
Global
Kinship provides a dynamic opportunity for Trimley St.
Martin School pupils at all Key Stages to study Citizenship
and Education for Sustainable Development through mutual
learning with a real-life partner. It also fulfils the
government’s guidelines for overseas partnering.
Global
benefits
It
provides an important force towards greater cross cultural
awareness, international understanding – and yes, world
peace.
What do we have to do in the future?
Search
for Land - Project Launch - Obtaining Funding - Spread the
News - Build a tree nursery - More volunteers of all ages -
Plant your Community Woodland - Maintain the woodland