The rewards of outdoor learning volunteering
Earth Trust’s education programme offers immersive, real-world learning experiences that foster meaningful connections between young people and the natural world, through our curriculum-linked Earth School workshops and holiday-time Earth Explorer activities.
We are incredibly lucky to have a cohort of dedicated education volunteers that support our learning programme, 20 wonderful people who enable us to welcome an ever-growing number of school visits. Pauline Upstone is one of our inspiring Education Support volunteers. We caught up with her to hear how she’s found being part of the education team…
How did you become involved with Earth Trust?
Living locally I knew of Earth Trust, and I‘d often come across one of the volunteer work parties when out walking. They seemed an interesting and friendly group, and I thought I would like to do something like that when I retired.
So I started volunteering with the charity at the end of the summer in 2021, joining the Friday Land Management group and helping with a few visitor events now and then too.
In April 2024, I began volunteering with the Education team, putting my practical experience from my career in adoption services to good use. Initially it was just twice a month on a Tuesday, usually when classes from a primary school visited Earth School. It was really enjoyable and I soon began to do most weeks.
It’s quite a varied role and I find it rewarding because the children are interested and excited to be here – one school group even arrived all wearing Stone Age outfits for their history of the Clumps workshop!
What is a typical day like as an Education Support volunteer?
Usually, we greet the children when they arrive, and wave goodbye to the tired and sometimes muddy youngsters at the end of their visit. I think this is important for them to feel welcomed and safe in what is a new place, and a new experience for many of them.
On most days there is a walk in the morning and our education tutors Sarah and Kirsty will teach the children about the landscape around Earth Trust Centre – the farmland and meadows, woodlands and hills. I’ve been learning too, about the history of the area, the geology of the Clumps and even the names of several breeds of sheep in the fields!
The education team have such great ideas to share information with the children and engage them in the activities, it’s all really interactive. Some of the children are already quite knowledgeable, but sometimes their answers are more entertaining than accurate. In the afternoons there are various activities which the volunteers share in running.
I have discovered how to teach the children to light fires, grind wheat and drop spin in our Human History workshops, or identify insects and explain what an ecosystem is in our Brilliant Biodiversity workshops.
Our volunteers are helping us to bring science into the real world, making it fun and relatable, complementing the theory in the classroom.”
Stuart Ritchie, Education Manager
Do you notice any changes in the children on their visit?
There is a big difference between children who have clearly already had some experience of being outdoors, being with animals, growing things or simply walking, and the children for whom their visit to us and being in nature is a more novel experience.
It is wonderful when the quieter or less confident children succeed in a task or find something out for themselves, that is always really rewarding. Some of the older children have additional needs and it is great to see some of them overcome a lack of confidence to be able to join in.
What have the highlights of your first year been?
Having recently retired I missed being part of a team, and so it is good to work with the teachers and other volunteers. I enjoy being involved, but not in charge anymore!
The highlights for the children often involve food, such as cooking flatbread on the open fire as Anglo Saxons might have done in times past.
Another highlight for me has been bottle feeding newborn lambs with a small group of older children in our Spring Seasons session.
Would you have any advice for people thinking of getting involved with the education team?
This opportunity should be kept quiet, or everyone would want to do it! Seriously, Sarah, Fiona, Kirsty and Stuart are so good at making this fun and allowing volunteers to grow into the role. If you enjoy helping children learn about, and connect with nature, then I would definitely recommend it to everyone.
Ways to get involved
Our Education team works with local schools, young people and families who visit us during term time and through the school holidays and our education support volunteers help us to set up session materials and work with the young people to complete learning activities. There are four really rewarding roles to choose from where you can combine your passion for sharing learning through nature with your love of the outdoors:
Earth Skills – a regular, weekly half day commitment supporting our work with young people who find the traditional academic environment challenging.
Earth School – this can be regular or ad hoc, and is supporting our full day school workshops (9.30am-2.30pm).
Earth School SEMH – a regular role with our half or full day workshops for children and young people with social, emotional and mental health support needs.
Earth Explorers – supporting our school holiday play sessions for little ones aged 2-6 and our adventure days for 6-12 year olds.
Take a look at the volunteer roles for more information and get in touch at any time if you have any questions, [email protected].