Improve your knowledge, enhance your skills If you or your community group have a gap in your ‘green’ skills or knowledge, the answer may lie in attending a one or two day learning event provided through the Environmental and Community Leaders Training Programme (ECLTP). The ECLTP reflects the huge range of activities involved in environmental volunteering. Topics covered include practical conservation skills, group leadership, health and safety, volunteer management, wildlife identification techniques, and working with communities, including disadvantaged groups. The ECLTP is a multi-partner and diverse programme of green learning which merges key training opportunities provided by the Forum for Environmental Activity (FEVA), TCV Scotland and other organisations. The programme is supported by the Scottish Government and Scottish Natural Heritage.
Coming up
The training programme is constantly evolving to meet the diverse interests and needs of groups and individuals. The latest programme includes a number of new course topics, including:
Creating Basic Willow Structures in Schools
11 December, Edinburgh Traditional school playground equipment can be complemented by the addition of natural features made with willow. This course includes practical techniques for the creation of various willow structures such as domes and tunnels – always popular with younger pupils.
Keep up-to-date with the training programme plus other Community Network developments, funding opportunities for groups, and news of green events and resources, via our regular eBulletin, produced at the beginning of each month. Subscribe at www.tcv.org.uk/scotlandtraining
Winter Tree Identification 16 January, Edinburgh
buy one, get one half price
The courses listed above have a standard fee of £50. Book on one of these or any other £50 course running before the end of March 2013, and get another course at halfprice. Offer ends on 21 December. With extra support from the Scottish Government and SNH, some volunteer management courses are provided free of charge. Details of all forthcoming courses, plus booking details are available at www. tcv.org.uk/shop
Suits you? Are you bamboozled by which tree is which, especially in the depths of winter when all the deciduous trees have lost their leaves? This course will give you more confidence to know which tree you’re looking at. During the course of the day we’ll look at twigs, buds, bark and tree form to come up with the correct species (most of the time!). We’ll also look at a few evergreens, including common conifers.
Access to Woodlands and Anti-social Behaviour
29 January, Edinburgh Almost all woods have public access which is greatly welcomed by the majority of responsible users but can also attract some anti-social behaviour. For those involved in managing woodlands this course explores how to encourage positive access and discourage negative activities, whilst protecting the qualities the woods have to offer.
New members Welcome to the following groups and organisations which have joined the Community Network recently: Badenoch and Strathspey Conservation Group (Highland) Cousland Smiddy Trust (Midlothian) Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre (Edinburgh) Duddingston Village Conservation Society (Edinburgh) FEI Tayside Cluster Group (Big Tree Country FEI) Friends of Craighouse (Edinburgh)
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Christmas offer:
As well as the regular programme of training events, The Conservation Volunteers can organise training tailored to the particular needs and preferred locations of groups and organisations. If you have an idea for a training event for your own staff and/or volunteers, please contact Julia Duncan, Learning Manager, at j.duncan@tcv.org.uk or 07843 069559.
Sharing experience
In addition to the ongoing training programme TCV Scotland also organises a series of free ‘Sharing Good Practice’ meetings for people to come together and share their experience and knowledge about a particular environmental topic. Previous events have discussed ‘Involving Young People in Outdoor Activities’ and ‘Enhancing Mental Health through Greenspace’. The next Sharing Good Practice event will explore Social Media for Green Groups’ – details TBC.
Great Michael Gardens Association (Edinburgh) Greenhead Moss Community Group (Lanarkshire) Lochend Community High School (Glasgow) Meldrum Paths Group (Aberdeenshire) North Kelvin Meadow Campaign (Glasgow) Pheonix Futures Skills to Employment (Coatbridge) Portlethen Moss Conservation Group (Aberdeenshire) River Carron Fisheries Management Group (Stirlingshire) Springburn Academy (Glasgow) St Benedict’s Primary School (Glasgow) Westerhouse Nursery & Family Centre (Glasgow)
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