Forest Bound - Activities and photo gallery

During Autumn 2022 we invited community groups through ELREC to attend forest walks. The walks were guided by artist, Tamsin Grainger and UKCEH researcher, Juan Pablo Lobo-Guerrero Villegas. We walked through forest paths and did activities aimed at giving people a chance to engage in sensory experiences of the forest, think about values associated to forest environments, and have a relaxed and enjoyable time.

The Black Wood of Rannoch is one of 21 ancient Caledonian pinewoods in Scotland of genetic conservation significance. These forests are dominated by mature Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris), many of them hundreds of years old. Fewer younger trees make for an uneven population structure, likely due to centuries of grazing and burning inhibiting regeneration.

Participants from Chinese, Polish and Syrian communities joined us for an autumn walk along the forest path and activities including measuring the girth of the largest trees, drawing interpretations of forest landscapes and sharing knowledge of mushrooms.

Within reachable distance of Edinburgh using public transport, Roslin Glen represented a counter-balance to the Black Wood, highlighting that forests do not just occur in remote places, but are also in close proximity.

Participants from Chinese and Polish communities joined us for walks along the different paths, bark rubbings, photography and storytelling sessions.

We revisited the forest walks through a workshop session at McDonald Road Library. Members of ELREC community groups were again invited to take part. The aim was to explore the shapes, colours, textures and details of the autumn forest through a series of visual arts media including collages, painting and drawing. Much of the material produced during this session will be curated and featured at the community group art exhibition. This was also a space to bring the sensory memories of the forest inside, including smells (essential oils) and textures (pressed leaves).

Cooperation and kinship surfaced as a key elements in conversations about forest conservation needs. This mirrored cooperative behaviour during the forest walks where members of different groups interacted and helped each other along muddy paths and through activities despite language barriers. Many also said the walks were a respite from the busyness of daily life and an unexpected way to socialise and meet people.

During the workshop participants showed curiosity to learn about the different forest layers, from the canopy to the subsoil. Activities focused on native species, identifying leaf morphology and learning names (sometimes in different languages if participants were previously aware of the species), and learning about different forest types in the UK, including plantations given their predominance in Scottish treescapes. Learnings from previous ELREC projects working with similar groups indicate that gaining knowledge of local environments has been particularly effective in engaging New Scots (people that have recently arrived in Scotland) and create a sense of belonging.

For general information about the project click here.