Kim Polgreen
Wytham Wild Camp Easter 2023
Wytham Wild Camp Easter 2023

Glimpses of the past at Wytham Woods

The Phoenix Cinema was packed on Wednesday for the first showing of a rediscovered and soundtracked film by Hazel ffennell. The film was made in around 1924 by Hazel ffennell, who was the only child of Hope and Raymond ffennell. The ffennell family bought the Wytham Estate from the then Earl of Abingdon in 1920.

Hazel was clearly talented, witty, and wonderful community builder and educator. It is tragic that she died in her early 30’s. Following her death Raymond entrusted the estate to the University to care for its beauty and wildlife, and to use it for research, education and enjoyment by the local population. The Youth Educator in Residence role that Kim Polgreen holds, and OEA supports, helps to fulfil the terms of the bequest.

The film is clever and amusing, and for those who know Wytham well gives tantalising glimpses of views you recognise.

Oxfordshire Schools Sustainability Network event

We were back in the lovely East Lab of the School of Geography and Environment for another session with Patrick Kennedy-Williams from the Climate Psychologists, and a reporter from the BBC who was recording a piece for BBC Radio. Patrick led the participants through a fantastic session on communicating with other people about climate issues. The BBC reporter then interviewed three of the students about their thoughts on climate change. We are looking forward to hearing the piece!

Peruvian Group visit to Wytham Woods

Wychwood School in Oxford hosted a group of students from Peru and we had a the pleasure of showing them some of the secrets of Wytham Woods. About 40 students and their teachers came to Wytham and had a leisurely walk up the hill to the Chalet, led by long time Wytham researcher Stewart Thompson. They then had a wonderful carousel of activities with different researchers: an ecology walk with ecologist and educator Joe Boyle, a hands on science session on carbon capture by trees with plant ecologist Dr Keith Kirby, handling moths caught in the moth trap and looking at invertebrates under the microscope with entomologist Dr Liam Crowley, and a creative session discussing research in Peru with Peruvian scientist Melissa Felipe Cadillo. The weather was kind to us all after some cold wet days, and the students and teachers loved it all.

It was lovely to see them again at Wychwood School a few days later when we were there for a Green Careers Symposium.

With Joe Boyle, looking at the research tree canopy walkway

With Dr Liam Crowley discussing careers in entomology

Signposting Green Careers to your students: a teacher training session for OTSA

OTSA is the Oxfordshire Schools Teaching Schools Alliance. They host webinars and face to face teacher CPD events and we have been delivering a range of sustainability topics for them.

On December 11th, Kim ran a green careers session. Around 8 teachers and careers advisors attended. Key take home messages were that

  1. In the face of increasing climate anxiety signposting green careers can help students feel that their is a future role for them in protecting a liveable future.

  2. All future careers are likely to include some element of addressing climate impacts and solutions, so students can follow their interests and still get involved.

  3. There are many business and organisations in Oxfordshire working towards solutions who can offer inspiration to students.

For more information contact kim.polgreen@oxfordearthacademy.org

Oxfordshire Schools Sustainability Network event

The Oxfordshire Schools Sustainability Network is for teachers and students from different schools to gather to discuss sustainability issues.

On December 6th we ran the second OxSSN event of the 2023-4 academic year. This time we had a wonderful panel of journalists talking to the students about how to effectively communicate climate change issues to people. 25 students and 6 teachers attended.

The key take home message was to use story telling techniques, find ways to connect with your audience, and keep trying.

We were very grateful for the School of Geography and Environment for allowing us to use their fantastic facilities.

The next event will be at the end of January or beginning of February. To get on our mailing list for these events, email kim.polgreen@oxfordearthacademy.org.


Wytham Wild Camp for 7 - 11s Autumn 2023

Our autumn half term Wild Camp had a more energetic approach than the warm lazy summer days back in August. Manse, Russ, Julia and Charlie ran some active adventures in our Classroom with Leaves at the Mount, at the Chalet, and around the Woods. There was lots to see, including a lot of fungi!

Back at base camp

That’s the welcome tent sorted - nearly

That’s it now until Easter while the Woods slow down a prepare for spring.

Oxfordshire Schools Sustainability Network event

The Oxfordshire Schools Sustainability Network is for teachers and students from different schools to gather to discuss sustainability issues.

On October 12th, 15 students and 6 teachers gather at the Oxford University School of Geography and Environment for a fantastic session with the Oxford-based Climate Psychologists, Patrick and Megan. Their key take home message was to look after your own wellbeing now while working for a better future.

Students from Cheney School had been previously trained to run a “Climate Cafe”, a lovely activity in which people can share their thoughts and feelings about climate change in a safe space. These students ran a session for the other attending students. Everyone enjoyed it, and the teachers supporting them were moved by what the students had to say.

We were very grateful for the School of Geography and Environment for allowing us to use their fantastic facilities.

The next event will be on December 6th.

Sustainability Education Colloquium with the Oxford University Department of Education

This article appeared on the website of the Oxford University Education Deanery on 11th July 2023 and has been adapted for this website.

In July 2023, I was delighted to have the opportunity to work with Dr Travis Fuchs, and the Oxford Education Deanery, to host a Sustainability Education Colloquium, the first of the Deanery’s suite of teacher learning events for 2023. We convened a group of 25 educators, including 15 teachers from 11 local schools. On a warm Friday evening we met for discussions about climate change and the implications for schools, and a sustainable dinner at St Anne’s College, Oxford.

The following day the group reconvened at the Oxford University research woodland, Wytham Woods, just outside Oxford, where the group discussed why sustainability is so relevant for schools, focusing particularly on (1) the potential benefits of more nature exposure on student (and teacher) wellbeing, and (2) the potential of highlighting the huge growth of sustainability-focussed careers to teenagers, particularly those struggling with the enormity of the implications of the climate and nature crises on their futures.

Our expert witnesses were Professor Ilina Singh, Professor of Neuroscience and Society at the Department of Psychiatry at Oxford University, who shared her expertise on the impact of nature on the wellbeing of humans, and Tim Kruger, a carbon sequestration entrepreneur, and Niall McWilliams, Managing Director of Oxford United Football Club, who both spoke about the world of sustainable work opening up for young people and the importance of preparing them with the relevant knowledge and skills.

Biodiversity experts Dr Liam Crowley and Dr Dani Linton introduced the group to moths and bats respectively, discussing the opportunities for nature connection, and the worrying impacts of climate on biodiversity.

Dr Laura Molway and Dr Hamish Chalmers, co-directors of the Education Deanery, were delighted with the success of the event. “On a weekend that followed the hottest British June on record and five days of the hottest global temperatures ever, this colloquium was timely and starkly relevant.”

High Sheriff of Oxfordshire Award!

Wow! I was shocked to learn that I had been awarded a High Sheriff’s Award for my work at Wytham Woods. It is a huge honour and I feel so humbled that Charlotte Richer, a teacher at The Cherwell School that I have worked with on a number of projects took the time from her ridiculously busy work to put together the application. And then came to the ceremony. Thank you Charlotte! It’s always such a pleasure to work with you. Kim

This is what Charlotte wrote in the application!

Kim works with unfailing energy to share her expertise and enthusiasm about sustainability and the environment with young people. She volunteers her time to facilitate opportunities for young people across Oxfordshire, welcoming groups to Wytham Woods in her role as Youth Educator in Residence, fostering links between researchers and the community and bringing outdoor education into schools. Her purposeful drive and determination inspire others, with projects such as her school tree-planting making a tangible impact not just on the young people directly involved but the wider community too.

What makes Kim’s contribution so unique is the warmth, generosity of spirit and care she brings to every interaction: she inspires those around her to feel empowered to take the lead on issues that matter most to them by taking them seriously, listening thoughtfully and valuing every contribution. From her pastoral wellbeing trips for vulnerable young people to her Green Futures event to inspire students to consider sustainable careers, Kim’s vision and determination to bring community action from concept to realisation is second to none.

Kim inspires others to be their best, promoting new and innovative collaborations between schools and networks, such as her creation of a sustainable fashion project for North Oxford schools with Low Carbon Oxford. That she also finds time to volunteer her expertise to school leadership through a governor role in Oxfordshire state schools, as an advisor to the University and a volunteer with the UK Schools Sustainability Network is further testament to her indefatigable energy and drive.

And this is the lovely write up on the Wytham Woods website -

Wytham Wild Camp Easter 2023

Love the ‘back to basics’ break from hectic life for [my son]. Outdoor, no screen, lovely team around him. And for him to reconnect with friends he met previously. 

Kim you are a legend!! [My daughter] absolutely loved today, she is soooo enjoying your class. It sounds amazing, we heard all about Liam! 

I just wanted to thank you, [my son] absolutely loved the camp today and is begging me to book him in for a summer camp if you are having one!

I was so happy they were immersed in nature and came back with so much to say about their day. Knowing they were with such knowledgeable people was a real plus and it’s clear from the photos this is an authentic camp, like no other.

I really enjoyed how the staff interacted and taught us different things. They were really approachable and enjoyed being asked questions. I particularly liked the camp cooking! My sister Lucy enjoyed the bug hunt, and bug bingo. We both loved Tinker (Kim’s dog).

It was lovely to welcome back so many of our summer Wild Camp crew to Wytham Woods, and to meet our new recruits, this time amongst daffodils and primroses of early spring.

The weather was extraordinarily kind to us, given how cold and wet it had been right up to the day before. We had lovely sunshine for our first two days, and enough action to keep us warm on day 3.

MONDAY was led by Manse Ahmed from Wilderness Pioneers. Manse is an amazing survivalist, in high demand for his skills. He runs some fantastic courses. Check out his website. Here he is showing the group edible plants, and pointing out badger tracks, as we rambled around the Woods on Monday morning.

Nettles, primroses and dog violets - yum!

Badger and deer tracks - cool!

Back at base camp the kids made themselves at home in and under trees, putting up their own tarpaulin shelters, clearly remembering Manse’s lessons from last summer.

While various battles ensued between encampments, they dipped in and out of the food prep activity, chopping and grating a mountain for veg to make our signature veg stew for afternoon tea. It was a great opportunity to learn how to safely use a knife, and the best techniques for peeling and chopping onions, garlic, carrots, sweet potato, mushrooms. The stew simmered away over the fire in Manse’s huge pot for a couple of hours and ended up deliciously soft and tasty. It was devoured by kids and staff alike!

The afternoon was wiled away in the sunshine, amongst the spring flowers. The games ebbed and flowed; we intervened with helpful ideas when tensions rose, or stepped in to divert them from danger, but mostly they managed themselves with us keeping a close eye on them, and Manse helping with den building. 5pm crept up on us without anyone noticing.

TUESDAY was bug day! It was led by Katie who works on education outreach for the Darwin Tree of Life Project (DToL) in the Department of Biology at Oxford University. Katie works with Dr Liam Crowley, an amazing entomologist who is the invertebrate expert on the Wytham DToL project, and a brilliant educator himself. Liam spent the day with us, sharing his enthusiasm and expertise.

Katie had set up three moth traps the evening before - seeing and holding moths is a fantastic way to introduce people (of any age) to wildlife. The kids loved them, wearing them on their arms and faces!

The other fabulous activities that Katie organised were looking at invertebrates under the microscopes up in the lab which everyone enjoyed, bug bingo with Liam’s gory and fascinating factoids about all the insects featured, and a long ramble through the Woods with bug nets, which this time featured a mud slide!

Playing bug bingo while wearing some moths.

The results of the bug walk

Playing Bug Bingo with Liam

Playing in the straw under the parachute

And hanging out under the trees

WEDNESDAY was led by school teacher and bushcraft expert Charlie Montier who runs Oxford Adventure School - check out his lovely paddle boarding adventures. We started the day with a walk up the hill to warm up, and a fantastic shelter building lesson, complete with Charlie’s jungle stories about swarming ants and jaguars!

Back at base, Charlie taught the group how to light a fire using a steel and cotton wool, and keep it going until it is established. This was a fantastic life lesson in tenacity, team work, learning from failure, and the joy of success. Success meant the chance to cook some bread on a stick, and warm a frankfurter and cheese over your fire, as well as the glow of achievement after a long struggle!

After a late lunch and expeditions to the loo and for more water, Charlie taught the group to whittle safely, and to use tools safely. This was clearly so empowering. The whittling circle also got involved in some deep political discussions - I was impressed!

Whittling and chatting

They loved it all - it was hard to drag them away at 4.45! But team work prevailed and we were packed up and back in the car park with happy parents at 5pm.

Many thanks to our amazing team, Katie, Manse, Zoe, Liam and Charlie, for all their amazing work and inspiration.

Manse, Zoe and Katie.

Charlie.

Me.

We are now planning another camp for Spring Half Term and for the summer holidays. Email me on kim.polgreen@admin.ox.ac.uk if you’d like to get on the mailing list for those.

First book group of 2023 at Wytham Woods

Another lovely walk and talk at Wytham. We covered loads of books and ideas. Not much else to say really. Next one is March 12th - on Eventbrite on the Wytham Woods account. This was our list for today - added to the main list.

Peter Ackroyd - chapter Sacred River

Lucy Jones - Losing Eden

Sue Stuart-Smith - The Well Gardened Mind

Wing in the Willows (as an adult)

Rewilding - Isabella Tree

Fledging - Hannah Boyrnw-Taylor (raises a finch, then a swift)

Regenesis - George Monbiot

HE Bates - Through the Woods

Thunderstone - Nancy Campbell

Archibald Lampman (Canadian poet) - January Morning

Book group members at Wytham Woods

Planting hedges at The Cherwell School

On Wednesday I spent the day at The Cherwell School with a group of wonderful Y13 students who were ducking in and out of other commitments such as Oxbridge interviews, to lead a day of hedge plantings with the Y7s. It was fascinating to see the Y13s chatting away with Y7s - something they probably don’t normally have the opportunity to do. I’m sure that both groups benefited hugely from understanding a bit more about the other.

Everyone hard at work

Year 7 carefully cleaning the spades - without even being asked.

Our wonderful St Edward’s student team came to help as part of their volunteering project

Imagine what it will be like in a few years when the fence has been obscured and the spiral guards have been removed.

Revising in the Woods

Cheney students help with planting the ffennell avenue

Our brilliant Cheney School year 11 work experience group: they walked for miles, planted trees, got soaked in the rain, reviewed the new installations at the Museum of Natural History, helped out with a project at another schools, and learned about bird research, all in 4 days. And what’s more they were polite, fun, willing to engage, happy to learn and generally typically wonderful teenagers. Thanks guys! Really enjoyed your company.

If you want to do work experience at Wytham, please email kim.polgreen@admin.ox.ac.uk and we will see if we can help you. We take groups of students - from 6 - 8 at once. The hours are 10am - 2pm (sometimes 2.30pm), Monday to Thursday. We find that these hours are plenty, given that students have to travel to and from the Woods, and it can be tiring with quite a lot of walking, and some physical work.

A Wonderful Wytham Women’s Weekend

We had a wonderful Wytham Women’s Weekend at Wytham Woods! The sun shone, and the trees were in glorious autumn colours. We walked and talked and cooked and ate and did some art.

“I treasure my memories of this weekend: the trees, the way time unfolded around us, how the woods themselves took us in and wrapped us away from the outside world.”
— Miranda
“Lovely relaxing experience with like-minded woman, in the wonderful surroundings of Wytham Woods.”
— Donna
“It was a real treat to spend the weekend with a group of like-minded women in a beautiful setting. A great mix of activities (I especially enjoyed cooking together on Saturday evening) which still left time to chill or chat. Thank you Kim!”
— Leonie

Printing workshop

Lovely feedback from our work experience students

When you get a lovely surprise thank you email from a group of students, it’s a very good feeling that you are getting something right.

“Dearest Kim,

Thank you for the opportunities you gave us for the MAD week, we thoroughly enjoyed each day. The experience was amazing, and we all agree we would do it again in a heartbeat, as the time we spent with both you and Tinker was awesome, educational, and above all fun.

I know that we love Tinker and were very vocal about it during the week, but it also extends to you, thank you so much for being a such an incredible guide, the snacks and the food were delicious, and the activities we did were calm and relaxing especially under the Forrest setting. 

The staff and scientists there were super nice, and it was great opportunity to meet them, and it has persuaded some of us to look for a career similar to the ones at Wytham Woods.

We particularly enjoyed the session at the end of Tuesday with the microscopes, Infra-red, and 3D scanners. Playing around with the new technology was incredible and a welcome change to our school’s tech which only works once a blue moon. We hope your research goes amazingly in the future and thank you so much for everything.

From 

Lara, Flo, Archie, Stefan, and Elliott

P.S were really sorry we couldn’t get this to you sooner, our school emails were having problems and wouldn’t send anything since we broke up from school.”

Wytham Wild Camp for 9ish to 11ish year olds

Wow! Manse and I are exhausted!!! 16 kids per day for 5 days is a lot! But well worth it. The children were creative, funny, curious, tenacious, cooperative, kind and just all round brilliant. And we’ve had some lovely feedback from parents -

“Thank so much for organising this and giving the kids such a wonderful time. Emil and Noah loved it.  Hope you keep doing this!”

“Thank you so much for putting on this truly wonderful experience. I'm very envious of the children! Laurence and Frankie learned so much.” 

“Thanks for the lovely pictures! Mimi had a great time and might well be up for doing it again. Hope you will now be able to enjoy a well-earned rest...”

“What a wonderful blog - thank you so much. Our boys had such a brilliant time - you can see how you captured their interest in the lovely photos. They would love to come back!”

“Thank you so much for this message and wonderful illustrated report of the week! It was such a special week and we feel really privileged to have been a part of it. Thank you for making it such a stimulating and interesting adventure.  Ambrose has referred to it a number of times since and we are sure it will stay with him for a long while and of course many of the skills, forever.”

Young botanist

The beginning of the week seems a long time ago now. This is what we did -

On Monday we walked just a short way into the Woods, but quickly found ourselves in a secret hideout, complete with camp fire pit. The kids loved the secluded, safe feel. That morning was all about food and cooking. We got them chopping veg for a veggie stew (with a bit of first aid training for good measure!) which they they wolfed for afternoon tea with lots of grated cheese and slices of bread to dunk. While waiting for it to cook we went for a long ramble through the Woods where they learned to identify some edible plants, the names of trees and plants, and made an obstacle course from the hay bales behind the Chalet, before returning to “camp”.

Mint!

A watched pot….

Tinker tidying up dropped cheese

Tuesday was navigation and shelter building day. Manse taught the group some basic navigation skills using the Wytham map and some compasses. The kids then used their skills to navigate us round cool paths in the Great Wood. Following the example of Raymond ffennell who first brought children to the Woods for restorative fun in the 1920s, we instigated quiet time after lunch which worked brilliantly. The afternoon involved building dens, putting up shelters, and fire lighting with flint and steel.

On Wednesday we set off on an expedition all the way across the Woods. It took us all day. We spent ages at the lovely area of beech trees at the top of the hill, playing around the large den that previous children have created, Manse and I hovering close by as they climbed the accommodating beech trees, calling out any behaviour that worried us, annoying those who fancied their climbing skills more than we did! We finally moved on, practicing navigation skills, over the brow of the hill, plunging into the cool, verdant, deep woodland on the far side. We stopped for lunch at my favourite clearing, finding crickets and eating blackberries, and then wandered on, via the pond to spot dragon flies, onto Sunday’s Hill. After a couple of hours of wild games, we finally trudged home via Manse’s strategically placed water station, and a last play at the den at the Dell, before saying hello to the sheep and heading back down the hill to the car park.

The BEST blackberries - in a secret location

Who wants to run around when you can relax in Manse’s hammock?

Thursday was very exciting as we were joined by Dr Liam Crowley, one of the world’s best entomologists, and fantastic teacher. Liam showed the group all sorts of ways to find bugs, and told us all about them.

Sieving leaf litter onto a sheet

We are going to catch a big one….

On Friday Liam had set a moth trap for us so we spent ages looking at them all, potting them up, and identifying them. The kids then drew them as accurately as possible to see if Liam could recognise them from their drawings - the drawings and Liam were very good! After another ramble through Great Wood where we found many more invertebrates, we collected twigs from the piles made during recent tree felling, to make bug houses to take home. We found time for more tree ID, taught this time by the children who had been with us at the start of the week, some leaf rubbings, and some games.

Bug houses, and at least one luxury hotel.

It was such a pleasure to see the children engaged in what they were seeing and learning. I also love those moments when I interact with one who is being a bit over the top, or needing a bit of TLC, looking into uncertain faces, and finding a way to restore certainty and a sense of calm. We have that privilege on a small summer camp that bigger groups (and school teachers) can’t achieve. Kids are fantastic in small numbers! All education should be like this.

Many thanks to all the lovely parents who we met dropping off and picking up who appreciated what we created for their children. We really enjoyed meeting you.

Please note that our courses do not carry any formal accreditation