Introduction to Learning about Forests (LEAF)

Welcome to our guide on what our LEAF program is all about.

LEAF is a programme for the Foundation for Environmental Education, just like our Eco-Schools programme. LEAF, or Learning about Forests, is all about using nature as a classroom.

There are three aims of our LEAF programme which you must cover to achieve an award.

The first aim is connecting to nature. LEAF encourages you to connect with the incredible natural world on your doorstep. You could get up close to wildlife, make artworks from natural materials, or just sit and take in the natural world with all your senses.

The second aim is learning outdoors. Spending more time learning outdoors is a key component of LEAF. You can learn about every subject outdoors, and it can be a lot of fun as well as good for you.

The third aim is improving knowledge and learning about forests. Forests are extremely important parts of the natural world. As part of LEAF, we encourage you to learn all about the types of forests that interest you. This can include woodlands, the world of a single tree, underwater forests of kelp and seagrass, and the micro forests of moss and lichen.

To complete the LEAF Award, you follow the Forest Cycle. The Forest Cycle has six steps.

First, you form a Forest Committee to be the leaders of your LEAF work. Then, complete an Awareness Survey to see how connected your setting is to nature. Your Awareness Survey will help you write your Action Plan, which includes what you want to achieve during your LEAF Award and how you will achieve it. You need three actions minimum to qualify for a LEAF Award.

Next, you put your plan into action, informing and involving your whole setting and local community as you go. You then need to create a Forest Code to help you convey a message you want to share from your LEAF journey.

At the end of your LEAF journey, you will repeat your Awareness Survey and reflect on your Action Plan to check the progress you have made. You then submit your application and hopefully receive your LEAF Award. Completing the life cycle takes one school year.

To help you focus your LEAF work, you need to choose at least one of our eight LEAF Themes. We have some great resources to help you learn more about your chosen Theme.

Here are some ideas of the kind of things you could do as part of your LEAF Award. You could work with your local community to create nature-inspired artworks. Spend time learning about underwater forests. Plant trees. Create planters in your school grounds to help support insects.

Campaign to your local council to manage your grounds to better support wildlife by not using weed killers and pesticides or leaving grass to grow long. You can track the changing seasons in your local area, and you can even find out about how healthy your soil is by planting some plants in the spring.

We hope you've been inspired to take part in LEAF. Thank you for listening.