Ysgol Bryn Collen lead the way with markers for woods

Children at Ysgol Bryn Collen have helped to design 24 new way markers to be installed at Pen y Coed woods, as part of a competition organised by Coed Cadw, the Woodland Trust in Wales.

Site Manager Rebecca Wood chose all 24 winning designs. These will now be installed on the red route path through Pen y Coed woods, in time for the summer holidays. In addition, a free ‘spotter sheet’ will be made available to all at the Llangollen Information Centre.

With support from the People’s PostCode Lottery, the school has also been gifted with 15 new swatch guide books for the children to use, helping them to identify native trees, birds and insects found at Pen y Coed woods and around the UK.

Rebecca Wood from Coed Cadw said, “Pen y Coed’s red circular walk leads from the fields on the avenue round the top of the wood, and thanks to the children, there are now two sets of discs to spot on the way markers, with great designs that have been inspired by the wildlife they have seen in the woods.”

Year 4 teacher, Charlotte Parkinson, from Ysgol Bryn Collen said “The children love visiting the forest, and the whole school does so regularly. We take our learning from the classroom out to the forest and use whatever natural materials/surroundings are available to enhance learning.

"The children have been enthused to design way markers for the forest, which for a lot of them, is on their doorstep. They are so excited and keen to get into the woods to search for their design.”

Llangollen Library staff are thrilled that the spotter sheets will now be available to the local community.

They said, “The spotter sheets are an excellent activity for families to do over the summer, and links to our summer reading challenge, Wild World Heroes, which aims to inspire a summer of reading which will inspire children to look after the planet.”

To find out more about Coed Cadw, please visit: www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/about-us/where-we-work/wales.