Fingle Goes Back to School

Outdoor learning and our connections with nature are becoming increasingly important today as we tackle issues of ecological decline and climate change, coupled with the additional challenges that the Covid 19 pandemic has presented. Fingle Woods has always been a place where people have come together to learn about woodland conservation, except, this year has put a stop to that … but not entirely. The Woodland Trust is keen to make links with local schools but, amid the chaos that has characterised 2020, has found a way to help out Lydford Primary School on the western side of Dartmoor.Logs felled during the restoration works this year have been processed by local timber supplier Jim White for a rustic wooden Forest School shelter. Jim’s team peeled the bark off a batch of Douglas fir sawlogs and stacked them at Fingle for outdoor educator, Rob Taylor, to collect with his trailer. In his spare time, Rob tutors some outdoor learning classes and working together with the Forest School teacher at Lydford, designed the structure of the shelter to meet local planning requirements. With the help of his son, he hauled the heavyweight timbers to Lydford and began the construction, starting with digging eight post holes by hand – the old-fashioned way!The village school sits in a beautiful setting with a panorama along the west of the moor and the shelter provides an inspiring view while shielding the children from the Dartmoor weather. In time, the children and the staff will create some forest school style side panels to keep out the wind and rain.The timber was donated by the Woodland Trust and the rest of the costs were covered by a fund-raising effort by parents and local people in the Friends of Lydford School. It is the kind of structure that captures the essence of learning in a natural environment while offering protection to young naturalists for many years to come.by Matt Parkins