Green Gown Awards 2021: Next Generation Learning and Skills - Cardiff Metropolitan Univer - Finalist

If you go down to the woods today, you’ll see what the buzz is about

We’ve re-imagined, regenerated an un-used ancient strip of Welsh Woodland, an old concrete patch, into our Outdoor Learning Centre (OLC).  Working with students, local children, schools as partners, reconnecting us all to nature, reviving spaces into stimulating arenas for learning / teaching, linking different theories and approaches to practice e.g. Forest School, Earth Education and Nature Pedagogy. Our OLC now comprises a log cabin, log circles, beehives, and gardens.

Working through regenerative and place responsive pedagogy, actively nurturing a sense of ‘communitas’, ‘cynefin’ and care for our environment through civic mission and city-wide campus ethos.  The OLC is used for free green workshops focused on greener living, connecting sustainable minded campus to learn together, share sustainable skills, ideas and meet others in the community. Workshops of Bee Keeping, Urban chickens, Sustainable Fashion, Wasteless Home, Bathroom, Kitchen, Soap Making, Natural dye making, Foraging Campus, Willow making and Eco Green washing.

Top 3 learnings:

1. The value of working beyond the lecture theatres and re-imagining and re-wilding learning landscapes.
2. Nurturing skills, maximising community learning in circular approaches in our ancient Welsh woodland and city-wide.
3. We have regenerated our un-used ancient strip of Welsh Woodland into lively reciprocal community engagement arenas.