RFS launches new Welsh Junior Forester Award
At this year’s Royal Welsh Show, the Royal Forestry Society (RFS) is proud to release the Welsh edition of its popular Junior Forester Award, thanks to the generous support of Natural Resources Wales.
Since its launch in 2019, 100,000 children and young people have participated in the RFS Junior Forester Award across England and Scotland. The introduction of the Welsh Junior Forester Award will expand the programme across Wales with activities and resources that meet the specific needs of the Curriculum for Wales.
Available in both Cymraeg (Welsh) and English, the six-session programme is designed with flexibility to suit all ages from 4-14. It gives children the skills and knowledge to care for the trees in their school grounds and in the wider community.
Having reached tens of thousands of young people, the programme is playing a vital role in nurturing the next generation of foresters and inspiring their passion for trees.
The new Welsh edition includes:
- An explanation of how each section relates to the Curriculum for Wales
- Links to NRW resources to take your pupil’s learning further
- Ideas for places to visit and Welsh projects to get involved in
Becky Wilkinson, author of the JFA said: “Over the past 6 years, it has been wonderful to see how much children have benefitted from the Junior Forester Award and enjoyed taking responsibility for the trees in their community.”
Lyndsey Rawlinson, Natural Resources Wales’ Head of Land Stewardship added: “As managers of the Welsh Government Woodland Estate covering 126,000 hectares we welcome this award which helps children and young people gain an insight into forestry.
“Trees play an essential role in delivering our well-being objectives to help nature and people thrive and children are key to helping deliver this for future generations.”
The Junior Forester Award can be used by schools, community organisations or families who want to get their kids or pupils engaged in their natural surroundings. All that is needed is access to a small number of trees, a free downloadable Junior Forester Award Handbook for the leader and a booklet for each child. Downloadable certificates are provided for free by the RFS and optional badges are available for purchase on the RFS Online Shop.
