It’s been a very exciting few months for Nature Wild and Forest School at Cams Lane, with so much progress to share!

July–August:
Our site development began in late July, with the arrival of goats for conservation grazing to help manage the area naturally. All of the brambles were cleared and with the help of Bury Council we removed a large amount of waste, making the site much safer and more accessible.

September:
In September, new fencing was installed, improving safety and giving the area a much more welcoming feel. We also received generous donations — woodchip from local tree surgeons, loose parts for play from Kier Construction and tyres from a local mechanic. We received so much support from the local residents, Scotson Fold Farm and even local horse riders who helped us move and spread the woodchip!

October:
October brought two exciting milestones. We officially became Ofsted registered, which means we can now offer sessions to preschool groups. We also received funding from Bury VCFA to support our growing initiative and the Radcliffe Rotary Club kindly donated planters to help us teach children about growing their own food — from seed to plate.

November:
In November, we held a lovely staff meeting with Cams Lane, where we toasted marshmallows with the class teachers and planned another session for staff to immerse themselves in the Forest School approach. Local tree surgeons came again to help us secure our parachute tarp ready for the sessions to begin. We also received a delivery of trees from the Woodland Trust, which we’ll be planting with the children soon, along with compost provided by R4GM.

We are also thrilled to share that we’ve been nominated for an award from the Lady Allen of Hurtwood Trust, which includes a study tour to Denmark in the spring — a fantastic opportunity to see Forest Schools in their original setting and bring new inspiration back to our own site.

Next steps:
We’ll soon be building a proper mud kitchen, welcoming Bury Wildlife Officers for educational sessions and planning a festive open day to celebrate the Forest School.

A huge thank you to all our parents, carers and community partners for their ongoing donations, encouragement and support.

The children have now enjoyed their first session on site and it was wonderful to see their excitement and curiosity as they explored the space for the very first time. We can’t wait to see how they continue to grow in confidence, develop new skills and build a deeper connection with nature as their Forest School journey continues.