Childcarers from a range of settings are learning how to introduce young children to the idea of diversity in the natural environment, wherever it is. Karen Faux reports
Adults never cease to be amazed by young children's powers of observation when it comes to the great outdoors. Now nursery teachers in Scotland are being given the opportunity to exploit this talent to the full through a series of interactive workshops run by Scottish Natural Heritage.
Entitled 'Wee Green Fingers: Biodiversity Gardening for Pre-School Children', the training sessions have childcarers hunting around outside for bugs and signs of other wildlife, and provide a wealth of ideas about how they can encourage children to discover the natural world.
The training is part of the Gardens for Life project, which aims to get people closer to nature through exploring their gardens. Impetus for the course has come from a growing awareness that nurseries should be more closely involved with the environment and with creating their own gardens. It is hoped that ultimately more of them will grow their own food.
Whether a setting is located in town or countryside, practitioners can still introduce children to the wonders of nature. Practical exercises in Wee Green Fingers are designed to direct children to evidence of wildlife and different species, such as droppings, signs of feeding, the presence of seeds and new growth, in even the most urban surroundings.
Currently the course accommodates 12 childcarers, ranging from nursery teachers to playgroup leaders and childminders. It begins with a talk covering the scientific definition of biodiversity. This underlines the importance of biodiversity for the earth's survival, and then goes on to explain what teachers can do personally to promote its well-being.
Trainer Susan Webster says that childcarers on the course have to be prepared to get their hands dirty. It's all about practical exercises which are designed to appeal to pre-schoolers.
'The course promotes hands-on sensory activities that focus on elements such as diversity, energy, adaption and cycles,' she says. 'Encouraging children to look that little bit further is really crucial to their development, and it can open up a whole new world.'
Leaves, for example, present lots of possibilities. Children are asked to choose a favourite leaf, which is placed in a multi-coloured bag. The object of the exercise is then for them to recognise their original leaf.
'By taking the leaves out one by one, it becomes a magical activity for them,' says Ms Webster. 'On the most basic level it shows that no two leaves on a tree are the same, and emphasises the natural diversity that is all around us.'
Feedback about the course has been extremely positive. 'The audience is different every time, and all participants bring their own experiences to bear,' says Ms Webster. 'We adapt our exercises to whether the childcarers are working in towns or the country, and even if a nursery is located in an urban environment they can still get out to their local park and apply the activities there.'
Beverley Birchwood, a support worker for Highland Pre-School Services, recently attended one of the courses and feels that practical play is an ideal way to enhance children's appreciation of nature.
'There were so many good ideas presented during the day's training,' she says. 'There was a lot of emphasis on compost and growing things, which really appeal to young children. Doing things that involve a fair amount of mess is always popular and it is this kind of excitement which helps to introduce them to the wonder of the world.'
During autumn Ms Birchwood encouraged children to collect and study natural objects for artwork and plant bulbs and seeds ready for the spring. 'It is all about getting them to think ahead and be aware of the cyclical nature of things,' she says.
Susan Webster believes it is never too early to encourage children to start thinking about biodiversity. 'It underpins so much of what they will be learning about at school when they are older, and it's great to get them thinking along these lines at an early age,' she says.