Teaching kits

Pick and Plant

Objectives:

• Understand the different aspects of forest management through a fun approach,
• Thinking about future tree species in the face of climate change.

Theme: Tree planting, production, biodiversity, climate change, bioclimatic region

Level: from 14 years old.

Produced: Royal Forestry Society of Belgium and Ressources Naturelles Développement, as part of Regiowood II (European project for the forests of the Greater Region).

Borrow the game:

Are you a teacher or activity leader? Would you like to use Pick and Plant in your activities? You can borrow the game Pick and Plant. You can also take a workshop to get to grips with the game.

• Loan conditions: contact form
• Pick and Plant hands-on workshop: training dates available in the agenda or at the request for a group.

Description:

Pick and Plant is a board game that invites you to discover the issues surrounding our woods and forests and to cultivate their diversity! By planting as many promising species as possible in the right places, while maintaining a balance between wood production and environmental protection, players can help to perpetuate the richness of Wallonia's forests. But to do so, they have to use their wits, their strategy and rise to a host of challenges. The title of best forester is up for grabs!

About the development of Pioche et Plante...

Regiowood II is a cross-border initiative involving a dozen partners from Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg. Its aim is to respond to current forestry issues by strengthening the sustainable management of private forests for the benefit of the Greater Region and its natural heritage.

Working alongside operational and methodological partners from Belgium, Germany, France and Luxembourg, the project has developed a wide range of initiatives and tools to compile knowledge on forest management and thus strengthen sustainable management in private forests, for the benefit of the entire Greater Region and its natural heritage.

Among the tools developed, RFSB and RND have updated a board game dating back to 1999, incorporating research findings and other current environmental aspects.

The Man and the Forest

Objectives:

Raising awareness of the professions, players and users of the forest and its management

Theme: forests, trees, ecosystems, forest management, wood, climate change, energy

Level : 10-12 years

Production: CARAH asbl (Cellule Forêt Nature Environnement), Hout Info Bois asbl, Royal Forestry Society of Belgium, with the educational support and co-designer of Empreintes asbl and with the support of the European Regional Development Fund (Interreg Va - Forêt Pro Bos).

Description:

The first part of the kit is theoretical, providing a basic understanding of forest management and its importance in producing a sustainable resource. The second part contains 15 activities that can be carried out in the forest or indoors, and require very little equipment. This kit is the ideal tool for teachers and playground leaders.

What's so special about this kit? It can be linked to the Forest Fun application and to four educational trails throughout the Interreg region.

With the support of the European Regional Development Fund

Wooden key

Objectives:

• Raising awareness of the forest environment with just a few basic concepts,
• A fun, hands-on approach to the "forest" ecosystem and its many roles.

Theme: forests, food webs, trees, silviculture, threats and solutions for forests

Level: 6 to 13 years

Production: Forêt Wallonne asbl and Royal Forestry Society of Belgium, with the kind assistance of Joëlle Coenraerts for sheet 11, as part of agreements co-financed by the Walloon Region (DGRNE - DNF) and the European Union (Objective 5 B).

Description:

La Clé des Bois is a collection of 18 educational sheets designed to introduce children to the science of the forest environment, based on simple concepts. It includes a variety of activities: indoors or outdoors, alone, in pairs or in groups, with different approaches (competition, cooperation, reflection, creativity). Each sheet contains a series of theoretical resources and a variety of illustrative drawings.

Wood'Kit

 Objectives:

• Educating people about the multifunctional role of the forest,
• An introduction to the complexity of the aquatic system of rivers,
• Information and procedures for organising a youth movement camp in Wallonia.

Theme: human/nature interactions, biotope, well-being in nature

Level: 5 to 18 years

Produced: Empreintes asbl, with the support of the 5 French-speaking youth movements, the Royal Forestry Society of Belgium and PEFC Belgium.

Description:

Wood'kit is an essential brochure for youth workers wishing to work in forests and rivers. The tool contains 30 activity sheets designed to be read in different ways depending on the needs of the leader. There are 4 main themes: understanding, respecting, feeling and experiencing. Depending on the time of the camp, activities are suggested for running a nature activity, playing in the woods or preparing for the camp itself.

As well as the activity sheets, the brochure comes with a series of resources for exploring the concepts covered in greater depth: ticks, (un)setting up the camp, glossary, hammering, forest users, etc.

The forester's notebook

 Objectives:

• Identify a tree by looking at its leaves

Theme: human/nature interactions, identification

Level: 8 to 14 years

Produced by: Institut d'Eco-Pédagogie.

Description:

Enable children to identify the different species of tree themselves by observing the leaves.

The tree

Objectives:

• Discover all aspects of tree life.

Theme: Trees, photosynthesis, identification, measurement, uses, ecosystems, water retention

Level: 9 to 14 years

Produced: CPECN/CRIE de Mariemont, distributed by DGRNE - Service SensiCom (Walloon Region).

Description:

The Tree is an educational pack that looks at trees and various directly related concepts, as well as plants and soil. It includes 17 activities. Two documents are available for each activity. An educational worksheet for pupils, designed to be attractive and concise. The front of the sheet is designed to convey a strong, clear message. The reverse side is devoted to actions, games, investigations, work or reflections that children can carry out on their own or in groups, with or without the help of the teacher or a facilitator. A ‘teacher’ document takes a more exhaustive approach to the theme, answering questions, suggesting working methods and providing additional information and ideas.

Biodiversity in forest

BirdLife Switzerland has launched the ‘Biodiversity in Forests’ campaign. It was launched in 2011 during the International Year of the Forest. The aim of the campaign is to work with foresters, forest owners and public authorities to promote missing elements in the forest and thereby increase biodiversity.