Pupils Discover Wonders of Willow
Dechmont Infant School pupils have been getting busy in the garden being very creative and having tremendous fun
at the same time. With hats, scarfs and sometimes two jackets the lower school children have braved the frosty
mornings to get outdoors and begin maintaining their living willow tunnel. Working in pairs the children passed the
willow in and out weaving the summer growth back into the tunnel, cutting off any unruly stems. They then took
the stems and mad some fantastic wreaths to take home for Christmas. The benefits of outdoor learning, such as
increased concentration, have been highlighted by the Scottish government with the Curriculum of Excellence
providing the opportunity for creative use of the outdoors. The willow initiative started in August 2013 when the
Rural Connect team travelled round West Lothian with their Wonderful Wild Wednesday roadshow;
www.facebook.com/RuralConnectProject/photos_albums. It became clear that the children had a natural interest in
this material, with some children spending four hours weaving.
The schools resource and CPD (Continuing
Professional Development) training will provide teachers with the knowledge required to offer unique experiences
to the pupils and will receive enough willow to get started with their coppice for free. Outdoor learning also
provides the opportunity for children who struggle within the classroom environment to show their skills and
abilities to work as a team. Bernice Keegan from Rural Connect has begun working with ten Primary schools across
West Lothian to introduce teachers and pupils to the ancient heritage skill of willow weaving and the growing of
willow coppices. Willow has been used throughout our history. Traps where commonly used along river edges to
catch eels in order to feed the monasteries and open baskets where used during the potato harvest. Bernice said
“Willow is a fantastic resource for schools and can be linked to a wide range of subjects from art to science. Our
Willow resource will provide important information and activity ideas for both indoor and outdoor learning. The
willow team at Dedridge Primary which includes a range of children aged between five and 12 recently received a
Stellar Award for all there hard work building their living tunnel. Nursery children at Lethum also built a mini tunnel in
there school garden which the children help to look after and love to play in. Willow tunnels and domes are not only
for playing in; these can also be used as outdoor classrooms, providing a safe area for the children to learn. My aim is
to get schools to plant a living structure and a coppice which will provide the school with a free natural resource
which will grow and develop with the children”.
The willow initiative is part of a series of rural resources that are
being developed through the Rural Connect Project, a two year county wide programme, which is funded by West
Lothian Leader and Scottish Heritage Lottery funding.
For more information on the wonders of willow go to: -
http://www.ruralconnectwestlothian.co.uk/with-willow.html