Junior Forester Award
Join thousands of children and young people in gaining an insight into Forestry through assisting in woodland management in schools and communities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What facilities do we need?
Access to some trees, preferably at least six different species. These do not need to be planted as a woodland, they can be around the school grounds, in a hedgerow or in the local community.
Who is it for?
Ages 4-14
Schools, community organisations or home educating families.
Do our staff need to undertake specific training to deliver this award?
The award has been designed to make outdoor learning accessible for all although it would be beneficial to have either the Outdoor Learning Practitioner or Forest School accreditation.
If a school chooses the tool use activities then the staff leading the group must be qualified to Forest School Leader Level 3 or other equivalent qualification which has assessed their safety with tools.
Do you have staff who will come and deliver the Junior Forester Award in our school?
One of our Education officers may be able to deliver the programme for you. To see if we are in your area go to our School Visits page.
What resources will we need?
A Junior Forester Award Handbook for the leader and a booklet for the appropriate pathway for each participant. These will be emailed to you once you have registered.
The participants will need to wear clothing that they can get muddy, ideally a full change of clothes from their school uniform, sturdy footwear and have waterproofs / sun protection depending on the weather.
Optional resources are mentioned along with each session plan but these can be adapted to suit what you have available, the age of your group and their interest in the activities.
Optional badges can be purchased from the RFS Store to present on successful completion.
Ready to register to take part?
We’d love to know if you’re taking part in the Junior Forester Award. Just follow the information in the relevant links above.
Can families do it?
The family handbook follows the same pattern as the school handbook but with activities that can be done in a garden or on a walk in the local community. It is ideal for home educating families or for children who are temporarily not attending school.
