We partner with schools and colleges serving young people of a wide variety of ages and needs.
We are experienced in working with both Primary and Secondary Schools, and with Further Education Colleges. We adapt our offer as needed for both mainstream provision and those with SEND specialisms.
Working closely with school staff, we aim to bring pupils and nature together for outdoor learning with both science and wider curriculum links.
In-school conservation programmes
Redesign your school site for nature and outdoor learning
Re-design your school site for nature and outdoor learning!
Working with staff and students and taking account of your needs and the existing school grounds, we design and plan features such as:
- Forest School circles
- Native hedgerows & arboretums
- Wildflower meadows
- Wildlife ponds
These are installed by us with practical support from pupils, staff, and parents, giving everyone a stake in the transformation.
Programmes could include:
- Planning and design of the school site for learning and wildlife.
- Installation with pupil & staff involvement.
- Ranger School sessions.
- Family engagement wildlife walks and much more.
Curriculum links
Redesigning your grounds for wildlife can open up many possibilities for outdoor learning, linking in to various curriculum strands. We have several staff with teaching backgrounds who can work with you to design your new outdoor resources with curriculum needs in mind, involving your students and staff at every stage.
Some of our long term partner schools are becoming ‘butterfly curriculum’ schools with each year group having a species of butterfly to get to know. Their outdoor space can be used to grow the foodplant required for their specific butterfly, bringing their science curriculum to life.
We can provide staff mentoring and INSET day training to build staff confidence in working withing the outdoor learning programme.
“A massive thank you for such an excellent INSET day. We are all super excited about our Butterfly Curriculum. I feel so lucky to be working with Chiltern Rangers.”
Conservation sessions on nature sites
Get ready to be surprised by which pupils shine in a new context!
Pupils come out of school to join us on one of the many important nature reserves that we manage.
These include our local urban woodlands, the precious Chiltern chalk grasslands (host to many rare species of wildflower and butterflies), or even the internationally rare habitat of the chalk streams which flow through our valleys.
They will learn about these beautiful local habitats, and join in practical conservation tasks to manage these special places for people and wildlife.
- Risk assessments
- Event plan
- Minibus shuttle to site if needed (space for up to 16 people, including staff and pupils)
Gains for you
- Exercise, fitness, and mental health benefits of being outdoors
- Increased confidence and resilience
- Science curriculum links
- Teamwork
- Learn new practical skills
- It’s great fun!
Gains for nature
- Nature gains through habitat management
- Increased biodiversity
- Rare species conservation
- A new generation learns to love nature and understand the need to care for it
Winter
Practical conservation sessions: winter
Chalk Grassland Scrub Bash
- Learn safe use of tools such as loppers, saws, tree poppers and rakes.
- Work as a team to cut and clear the trees and bushes which crowd out native flora. Allow wildflowers to flourish as food for bees and butterflies.
- Learn about the life cycles of rare chalk grassland butterflies.
Woodland Management
- Cut down and remove diseased trees and invasive species so that woodland can recover and regenerate.
- Learn to coppice hazel and understand its role in creating a mosaic of woodland habitats.
- Learn the skills of deadhedging, and other techniques to protect new growth from woodland animals.
Planting Sessions
- Winter is the time to plant trees and wildflowers.
- Learn to plant the right tree in the right place!
- Discover which wildflowers are needed for specific species of endangered butterflies.
Summer
Practical conservation sessions: summer
Summer Care & Maintenance
- Manage plant overgrowth to keep paths open for visitors.
- Weed and water newly planted trees, hedgerows and special wildflower patches.
- Learn about the habitats you are caring for, and the interactions between the plants and animals which live there.
The Big Rake Up!
- Learn about why we cut and clear our grassland wildflower meadows at the end of the summer.
- Work as a team to rake the cut materials, collect it in bags and drag to a designated site.
- Get the grassland ready for winter … and maybe visit again the following spring / summer to see the wildflowers and butterflies who have gained from your work.
Investigate
Habitat investigation
Chalk stream Investigation
- Learn about our internationally rare chalk stream habitat, the River Wye.
- Learn kick sampling to investigate the species living in the river.
- Hypothesis testing with river speed tests.
- See a river restoration project and learn how geographical tasks such as cross sections are used by professionals.
- Give back to the river through in-stream litter picking and clearing vegetation overgrowth.
Chalk Grassland Investigation
- Visit one of our chalk grassland sites, another internationally rare habitat.
- Walk the site with a Ranger, learning to identify key species as you go.
- Learn about chalkland butterfly species and their associated food plants.
- Conduct a sweep net investigation for close-up encounters with butterflies and other insects.
- Photographic investigation of species using school ipads etc.
“All of the kids have really enjoyed the days with you guys. And the adults too! We look forward to further sessions next year.”
“Huge thanks for today. The children came back loving the morning, they were buzzing about everything … especially the hot chocolate surprise!”
Staff and pricing
Please contact us for our current prices
Please contact us for our current prices:
Pricing is per Ranger per session with the number of Rangers needed dependent on task.
Curriculum & site design consultancy is priced separately as an hourly rate.
All our Rangers are DBS checked and First Aid trained. Follow the link for our Child Protection Policy
Watch
Hear it from the young people
Take a look at our video below to see how much young people of all ages value their experience with Chiltern Rangers.
Schools
Bring your school outdoors
Call 01494 474486 or email info@chilternrangers.co.uk to talk about a programme for your school.