Forest School has had to take place at the children’s school for the last few weeks sue to a transport issue, so we’ve had to pack up a car and go to them. Although the school has an area we can use, the sessions have felt very different. The space has felt significantly less wild, and it’s been harder to keep boundaries in place with some of the children, but we’ve done our best to be creative. We’ve taken bits of the Weather Station for the groups to work on, including cutting and decorating wooden cookies to show different seasons and weathers and re-purposing old bottles into windsocks. I’ve enjoyed putting my craft skills to work and preparing materials for this project in advance.

During the school visits I’ve been given the chance to develop my communication and leadership skills. I’ve had a go at introducing the traditional Ramsey Heights starter activity - known as the “yes/no game” – which involves asking the children whether they think different animals live in The Great Fen. I got quite anxious when I was actually stood up there in front of the class and needed a bit of a reassuring nod from colleagues to get me started – but once I got going it was fine and I’ve had feedback that there is no right or wrong way, so next time I just need to be bold! Both school visits during the last 2 weeks have been reception classes – on their first ever school trips! The children have been very quiet on arrival, but found their voices once we’ve got started with activities and all gone home saying how much they like school trips!

Around the edges of Forest School and school visits I’ve been able to pick up a few odd jobs to help colleagues out, such as painting some wooden eggs for a sensory bird egg resource pack and updates the reserve information boards. Although small, these kind of tasks are noticed if they don’t happen. The nature of the team at Ramsey Heights is a really inclusive one where everyone does their best to help one another out - and it’s been rewarding to be part of this team culture. 

So as I come to the end of this internship I am sad to be leaving the Ramsey Heights team just as I’ve really settled in to the swing of working with them. But I’m also excited for the next chapter as I’m going to be staying in the Wildlife Trust BCN and joining the Cambridgeshire Wider Countryside Team as a Volunteer Officer! I’m planning to keep my foot in the door at the Great Fen assisting with the Youth Rangers and Young People’s Forum so it’s not totally goodbye to the team either!