IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE WOODS TODAY
What is your perception of woodland? Is it somewhere you can go to escape the stresses of modern life or is it somewhere to be avoided? Do you think it’s full of fluttering wood-fairies or home to a grumpy monster?! The Woodland Trust Scotland, part of the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity, is undertaking a project to identify young people’s views on their local woods and discover where these attitudes have come from.
Funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund Young Roots initiative, will enable the Trust to work with five West Lothian secondary schools, encourage the pupils to think about their local woodland and develop a film which will focus on the positive aspects of their natural heritage.
The work is part of the Trust’s Branching out West Lothian (BOWL) project which aims to encourage more people to get out and into their local woods, as well as inspiring a new audience to learn about the importance of woodland.
Those involved with the Young Roots initiative will work together to prepare their own script, star in and produce the films, which portray the natural environment in a positive light. The films will then be premiered at a local cinema later this year.
Kate Walters, Woodland Learning Project Officer, said: “This is a really exciting development which we hope will have a lasting impact on those involved, and enthuse other people to explore the local woodlands that are available in West Lothian.”
The project has received funding from Heritage Lottery Fund, Scottish Natural Heritage, the Scottish Executive, Forward Scotland through the Community Environmental Renewal Scheme and West Lothian Council.
end
Notes to editors
For media enquiries contact: Jacqui Morris on 01355 578777 , mobile 07979 706675 or the Woodland Trust Press Office on 01476 581121, e-mail media@woodland-trust.org.uk
The Woodland Trust: The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 members and supporters. The Trust has four key aims: i) No further loss of ancient woodland; ii) Restoring and improving the biodiversity of woods; iii) Increasing new native woodland; iv) Increasing people’s understanding and enjoyment of woodland.
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres).
In 1984, the Trust acquired its first wood in Scotland. Today the Trust owns 80 sites across Scotland covering 8,100 hectares. Further news can be accessed via www.woodland-trust.org.uk
