Second Class had a wonderful time at Forest School this week, exploring the world of the mighty oak. On the way to our base, we stopped at a pedunculate oak and played the “I wonder” game with acorns, leaves, and galls. The children quickly spotted that this oak was pedunculate because of its long-stalked acorns. They discovered artichoke galls, knopper galls, and marble galls, collecting the marble galls to make ink later.

At base camp, everyone helped to put up the awning. Some children really enjoy working with their hands and the awning gave us space to create even in the rain. The children love wet weather and one group ran to the top of the hill just so they could slide down on their knees! Meanwhile, putting up the rope swing turned into a fun throwing competition as they tried to get the rope over a high branch, and of course, the joy of swinging was enjoyed by all. As the children explored and played they kept returning to tell us about every oak tree they had found nearby.

Under the awning, we read a letter from Grandmother Tree and a special message from the oak itself. The oak reminded us that just like families, oaks come in all ages, young saplings, middle-aged trees, and wise old giants. Some oaks in Ireland once lived to be over 1,000 years old, and these trees are amazing because they can support over 2,300 different species of animals and plants. This year is a mast year, meaning the trees are producing extra acorns to feed jays and small mammals. The animals will hide more than they can eat, helping new oaks to grow. The children were encouraged to gather acorns to plant because, as the oak said, “The best time to plant a forest was yesterday. The second-best time is today.”