YOU ARE VIEWING ARTICLE - ID:20121211038

Title: Doncaster Council Staff Share Outdoor Skills Author: DMBC  ID & Publication: 20121211038 ~ The-Villager.co.uk  Area: Doncaster  Subject: Community News

Countryside Rangers have passed on some of their knowledge to 50 volunteers from across the UK.

The volunteers, from Kingswood Outdoor Education and Activity Centres, spent the day with three of Doncaster Council’s countryside rangers.

The company provides learning through experience for young people and has an education and adventure centre at Dearne Valley.

The day gave them a chance to help support Doncaster Council woodlands and countryside team members’ work and learn new skills.

Councillor Cynthia Ransome, Cabinet Member for Communities; Street Scene; Environmental Protection; Waste and Recycling, said: ‘Our woodlands and countryside team members have a wealth of knowledge and this visit highlights the demand for their traditional countryside skills. We really value the work that volunteers do and hope they get a lot out of working with us.’

The visitors learnt about hedge laying and coppicing, a traditional method of woodland management which takes advantage of the fact that many trees make new growth from the stump or roots if cut down.

Educational manager (Environmental & Culture) at Kingswood Dearne Valley Simon Birbeck said: ‘We are interested in volunteering as a means of giving something back to the local community. We are also looking at ways of sustaining our environment and teaching our staff about sustainability within woodlands. We wanted to teach our staff how they can sustain our centres and the habitats that we have. This was a chance to volunteer and look at how Doncaster Council manages woodlands, the importance of sustainability in terms of habitat and how hedge laying and coppicing is vital to that. We believe in experiential learning (learning by doing).This was learning by doing so it fits in with our way of working.’

Throughout the year, Doncaster Council runs a series of varied events exploring Doncaster's countryside, wildlife and heritage.

Hover over each picture for a description, or click to load larger image.