Over 50s mingled with teenagers as a woodland education event at the Carreglwyd Estate in Llanfaethlu bridged the generation gap at the weekend.
Pupils from three secondary schools on Anglesey joined members of three Age Well centres on the island for a day of woodland learning co-ordinated by Forestry Commission Wales Education Officer, Nicola Maysmor.
The event was organised for the fourth year running by the Forest Education Initiative (FEI) Ynys Môn Cluster Group – but this was the first time that two different age groups had been brought together to learn a variety of outdoor skills.
The children and the over 50s split up into four groups and rotated throughout the day around workshops on fire building and cooking marshmallows, woodland art, sustainable living skills and orienteering.
Nicola said, “The day was not only for the children to have fun and learn about the woodland, it was also to integrate two generations and to help raise teachers’ awareness of the opportunities woodland-based learning provides and how such activities can support and enhance the national curriculum.
“This is the fourth year that we have run these education days and they have proved immensely popular in encouraging more people to use woodlands as a resource for recreation, well-being and learning.”
The secondary school children were from Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi, Ysgol Uwchradd Bodedern and Ysgol Syr Thomas Jones.
The Anglesey Age Well initiative is a partnership project funded by the Big Lottery and strives to improve the quality of life for the over 50s by helping them to stay healthy and active in mind and body.
Partners include Anglesey Council, Bangor University, Betsi Cadwalader University Health Board and Age Concern Gwynedd a Mon.
There are three Age Well centres on the island, which are open four days a week offering activities, a drop-in facility, internet cafe and information sharing.
The “generation day” was followed by a second education day for primary school children from Ysgol Corn Hir, Ysgol Santes Fair, Ysgol Llanfawr and Ysgol Llangaffo.
The event culminated with a woodland festival and a sustainable living fair over the weekend with talks on countryside and wildlife issues and demonstrations on outdoor skills such as coracle making, willow weaving, wood turning – and making a giant man out of twigs and leaf litter.
