Community Projects

We LOVE our community projects and both our directors have a long history working in the voluntary sector, it’s where we come from and where our heart is. We specialise in setting up youth-led projects and co-design these with our partners. Here’s a list of the things we are up to at the moment:

Woodland Craft and Enterprise Course

Free Course!

10 days at Whitmuir to kick start the year.

Join us to learn how to harvest and create products from natural materials. Gain the Forest and Outdoor Learning Award level 4 (SCQF 4), a globally recognised qualification and a route to employment in the outdoor education sector. You will learn how to use tools, tie knots, craft and understand the natural world and how it can improve your mental health and well-being. There will also be opportunities to sell your products and support to do this. Who knows it could kick start a new business or career path for you.

The course will be delivered by Big Wild Life with years of experience training Forest School Leaders and working with people who experience poor mental health, who are neurodiverse or have experience with addictions. Our trainers are neurodiverse and welcoming, and I'm sure we will have a lot of fun together.

The course is free and funded by the Scottish Borders Council as part of the Multiply programme. There will be free delicious Whitmuir lunch and help with transport. It is open to adults 19 + who live in the Scottish Borders and who are not confident in numeracy.

Course Dates and details

10 am - 2 pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays on the following dates.

January 31st

February - 1st, 7th, 8th, 14th, 15th, 21st, 22nd, 28th, 29th

To book or for more information email Donna Strachan

at Donna@bigwildlife.uk.

Growing Families - supporting Wild Kidz

Wild Kidz is a free youth project based in Loanhead and led by 8-14 year olds. Big Wild Life supported young people to set up, develop and direct this project. It is currently funded by Young Start Community Fund and hosted by Growing Families. We now run the outdoor sessions and also support P7 transition projects where learners get to achieve their Forest and Outdoor Learning Award level 2 (SCQF 2). We support the group to develop and improve Burghlee Park in Loanhead in partnership with Friends of Burghlee Park and Midlothian Council. These sessions are free and you can book or find out more through the Growing Families website.

One Dalkeith - Transition Projects and Junior Rangers

Working with One Dalkeith, Dalkeith’s award winning development trust, has been a big success and we were able to deliver the Junior Rangers project when there was very little for young people to do during the pandemic. We also ran the P7 transition project in partnership with Newbattle Abbey College. 12 participants became the youngest people in the world to get this qualification, check out the video above to learn more.

Art Club - Junior Rangers, outdoor days and FOLA Qualifications

Working with award winning youth-led project, Art Club, has been an incredible experience. We support them to run their own outdoor days and to execute all their amazing ideas. These include tree planting days, school holiday activities and the Junior Rangers project was born here. Check out our Junior Rangers below.

Forest and Outdoor Learning Awards (FOLA)

We are an approved assessment centre for the Forest and Outdoor Learning Awards and help to deliver this qualification with Queen Margaret University so that new teachers can learn how to take children outdoors. Check out this video about their wee forest project that we have been involved in, we feature towards the end.

We work with Newbattle Abbey College (the awarding body of the FOLA awards) who are offering FOLA 4 to high school students across Midlothian and the Forest School Training Collaborative with their leadership courses.

By increasing opportunities for people to be, make, learn, work and lead in the forest we create a culture that not only want to protect our wild spaces but have the skills and knowledge to look after them and create more. We LOVE our job!