Cyfarfod grwp MAG Dyfi - Dyfi FEI group meeting

Forest Education Initiative – Menter Addysg Goedwig

Date and Time: Thursday15ththNovember2012, 4:30pm

Location: Forestry Hub, Dyfi Eco Parc, Machynlleth, SY20 8AX

Present:

Ruth Owen – Dyfi FEI Chair

Richard Withers – Dyfi FEi Cluster Treasurer (Welsh Timber Forum)

Swyn Spencer - Dyfi FEI Cluster Secretary FCW

Cath Rigler - Cae Poeth

Kirsten Manley – Dyfi Woodlands

Jane Rigby - Cae Poeth

Annie Lloyd – Home Education Group

Robert Williams – Local Area Manager (LAM) FCW

Peter Rees Jones – Woodlands Manager FCW

Apologies:

Tom Deacon - Dyfi Woodlands

Menna Blake – Ysgol Glantwymyn

Nichole Read – Ysgol Bro Ddyfi

Jenny Dingle - Independent

Henni Tremlett - Independant

ITEM / Action / Who / When
Ruth Owen (Dyfi FEI Chair) welcomes all to the meeting.
Matters arising from previous minutes
Richard Withers – Dolgellau Memorial Woodland Project:
400 trees have been planted –contact Richard to assist in this community project:
Footprints in the Wood Project (run by Cath, Annie, Tom, and Jane?):
One session left to deliver.
Uploading Project Recourses:
There were problems with the website to upload project information, Kirsten, Cath, Swyn and Tom had tried but there were problems with uploading documents. Kirsten to show Cath how to upload documents.
Since the 15thNovember meeting Kirsten has been in contact with Calum Mackintosh the Website Designer for the FEI website – Kirsten could give the group an update in the next meeting on the solving of the problem of uploading the project information. She will let you know new login for using the website and details on the photo sizes to put on your documents. Swyn also has the new log in details.
All Wales FEI project information updates:
All members should receivea FEI monthly newsletter from Kate Jones Development Officer (supporting Karen Clarke on FEI Projects) via email.
All members should receive a FEI Annual Review through the post once a year.
Also Keep looking at the FEI website for other Wales and England FEI, and England FEN (Forest Education Network) project update, development, and copy of newsletters.
Ongoing Actions
Project co-coordinators to upload their own project recourses / Ongoing
Ongoing
Website problem
Explanation to members
Ongoing / All interested
Kirsten and Cath.
Kirsten / Swyn
All
All / Now
Done
Next Meeting
Ongoing
3. / Dyfi FEI Members Project Update
Cath Rigler’s current project’s include:
  • Transition Project:
After School Workshops with Year 4, 5, 6, and selected pupils from year 7 will be mentors.
  • Sunday ‘ForestSchool’
  • Skill Share Days
Annie Lloyd’s Project includes:
  • Writing a report on current project (Footprints in the Wood)
  • Set an Exhibition up in Machynlleth about the project: ‘Footprints in the Woods’.
  • From May – NovemberForestSchool project happening in Ty Gwyn for 12 weeks.
Dyfi Woodlands Project includes:
  • Kirsten Manley training Parents ‘Level One’ForestSchool.
  • Tom Deacon working on the ‘Footprints in the Woods’ project.
  • Tom and Adam working on ‘Aber Active Woods’ project at Gogerddan Woodland.
  • Kirsten delivered sessions at the 7th European Forest Pedagogics Conference in Scotland.The The sessions were on Woodlands and Biosphere and she has worked with 7 different schools on this project. Topics included those of the comparison between Coniferous and Deciduous woodlands, Tree Product, and Benefits of Sustainability.
For more news on the conference in Scotland see FEI website:

Jane Rigby’s Projects
Organising walks for adults for health and wellbeing.
Richard Withers
The Woodland Trust has approached Richard to find local groups interested to have free trees. Including Oak trees with guards.
Contact Richard if you want trees ASAP. Available for anyone who can make good use of them.
Peter Rees Jones mentioned that the Golf club may be interested in having some trees. / Thanks for the update.
To get in touch with Cath if interested.
/ Anyone who may be interested
Anyone interested to give good home to trees / Soon
ASAP
4. / FEI Partnership Fund
Match Funding:
See the following link to the FEI website:

Its about 100% Partnership funding available for 2013! – so no requirement to source match funding. See above link for more information on the FEI website. / Members to have a look at the link given. / All / By next meeting
5. / Update on June and October round, and suggestions for February round:
No update relevant for June and October round.
Project forFebruary Round: Kirsten: Biodiversity project with 4 Aims. More on this in the next meeting.
Important:Ensure draft of projects are sent to Karen Clarke and Kate Jones at least two weeks before the deadline date on 1st of Feb / An update on this project.
Anyone intending to apply for February round / Kirsten / Next meeting
6. / Cluster Group Calendar Development
In the last 13th September minutes a summary was given why the calendar would be a good idea, and initially the group had thought that a shared online calendar would be ideal, which meant that all members would need to set up a Google email account to be able to book a date to use the Ty Gwyn site. However due to limited feedback on the current calendar system Tom Deacon has since suggested another way to use this system. This simply means you do not have to have your own Google email accounts. Tom has created a new shared Google email which all members can have access to username and passwords in order to make a booking on the calendar. See below:
Email Address:
Password: foresteducation
This way will mean that all members can share Ty Gwyn dates using one shared Google email.
Ideas on the administration of the calendar can be discussed in the next meeting between all members. / Thanks Tom for thinking through this.
Action for all is to give feed back in future meetings regarding the use of Google calendar to use the Forge ‘Ty Gwyn’ site. / All members wishing to use Ty Gwyn / By next meeting
7. / 2012 Olympic Small Grant
Summary Given in last 13th September minutes. Also see the FEI website for summary of the events:

2013 Grant: ‘WoodlandManagement Small Grant’
Apply as soon as you can. The dates to deliver the sessions should be 4 – 10th March, 2013 this year. / Members to agree on the application of this small grant. / Dyfi FEI members / Done
Soon
8. / Updates on other FEI
The Constitution will be updated by Cath and copy printed and signed by Ruth and Richard at the next meeting. Six people agreed in the last meeting that the aims of the previous constitution were very limited and 12 years old, so needed to be updated. The new version has taken its aims from the FEI Annual Review 2012. / Cath to update
Ruth and Richard to sign / Soon / Done
9 / Any other Business
Update from Robert Williams (LAM) regarding Parking at Ty Gwyn and Ceinws Store Room:
Car Parking Ty Gwyn
A student from Machynlleth Bro Dyfi completed a Work Placement during Summer 2012 with the Local Area Manager team. It was a good opportunity for him to develop his Risk Assessment skills and Design ideas. The project is on a hold at the moment due to Dormice (Pathew y Coed) being active in the area. Nick Young FCW Conservation Officer must apply for a license in order to start work on the area. All depends on the breeding habits of the mice.
Ceinws Store Room
Land agent wants to knock the store rooms down, as the village hall in Ceinws also very old. They would like to develop a park for children, and keep one building for operational building including possibly a space for FEI. They could be knocked down in March/April 2013.
ForestSchool Course
For information there is a Forest School Practitioner Course in Newtown between the 25th February – March 1st, 2013, and practical days on the 17th and 18th April. For more information contact Carol Travers on 0300 068 0300. Or/and . / FCW to liaise about licences / Ongoing
10. / Date and time of next meeting
Other meetings (however check the events section on FEI website for confirmation/updates):
17th January – 4.30pm
21st March (AGM) – 4.30pm

End.