W.I.L.D. News!
January 2026
24th January 2026
A huge W.I.L.D. thank you to everyone who joined us for an alfresco Burns Supper in the Community Field.
We enjoyed music performed by some of the talented Williamwood Ceilidh Band as well as Haggis making (and hurling), Cabor tossing and delicious vegan haggis, tatties and neeps around the fire.
Thanks to everyones generousity we've smashed our Crowdfunding target! You can dontate until January 31st.
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/connecting-community-land-space-nature
22nd January 2026
What do you do at forest school in the dark in Janaury?
Last week was busy with Squirrel appreciation, Popcorn appreciation and Haggis prepartion for our Burns Supper tomorrow. We play, tell stories around the fire, craft, create, climb and enjoy warm food togehter.
Havng the opportunity to play safely outdoors in the dark is the highlight of the year for many of the children who join us for afterschool sessions.
9th January 2026
At W.I.LD. we recognise the importance of relationships that offer collaboration, choice, empowerment, safety and trust as part of a trauma-informed approach.
Everyone at W.I.L.D. is training to be a Trauma Skilled Practioner through the National Trauma Transformation Programme. This will enhance our skills to connect, lead by compassion and be there for anyone who needs us. We have pledged to embedd trauma informed principles into our practice.
You can find out more here
https://www.traumatransformation.scot/about/pledged-support/page/9/#partners-scroll-target
30th December 2025
If you're looking for new challange in 2026, join us for winter coppicing at Carmunnock willow coppice.
''Coppicing is an ancient woodland management technique. Today, we use it at many of the places we care for to create a range of habitats for plants and wildlife , increasing the diversity of species that thrive in these areas.'' Woodland Trust
We will supply tools, instruction, tea and cake. All you need are good boots and appropriate clothing.
The coppicing season will end with a willow weaving afternoon with the wonderful @maxjohnson_basketry
Book here https://bookwhen.com/wildwoodlandlearning#focus=ev-s8q23-20260112100000
December 2025
14th December 2025
It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas
Thank you to all of our families, friends, supporters and community pals who joined us at the Netherlee & Stamperland Church Christmas Tree Festival, it was a fantastic afternoon.
The W.I.L.D. young makers showcased their creations and we raised £279 for the Community Connection Crowdfunder
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/connecting-community-land-space-nature
#nethandstamperlandchurch #communitysupportatchristmas #festivefamilyfundraiser
6th December 2025
We've been mainlining festive creativity, even in the hours of darkness
Join us on Saturday 13th December at our Festive Family Fundraiser to see what we've been making and enjoy a festive hour or so in the woods.
#warmwinterwishes
November 2025
23rd November 2025
Experience our October Trees and Tea walk from the comfort of your sofa.
In collabartion with Hospital Broadcasting Service , 'A Walk in the Woods' has been curated by W.I.L.D. manager Gill Sisson and features a forest bathing meditation from Vickie Dale, Happier By Nature.
Tune in to Hospital Broadcasting Service, Sunday 23rd November, 6pm. #NatureHealing
Recording will be available for 14 days HERE
22nd November 2025
Capturing a week in photos
This week you can see a fleeting moment from each of our W.I.L.D. forest school sessions.
To celebrate #WorldChildrensDay we discussed the rights of the child with young people who are home educated, flexischooled or attend #battlefieldprimary #langsideprimary #netherleeprimary and #auchinraithprimary.
Article 24 of the UNCRC states that children have the right to the highest attainable standard of health, including access to healthcare, clean water, nutritious food, and a clean, safe environment. #UpholdChildrensRights
14th November 2025
🧡🤝🌎 W.I.L.D. celebrated #WorldKindnessDay this week. 🧡🤝🌎
🌛 By daylight or moonlight, showing kindness is easy, especially if a touch of creativity is added. 🌜
🔥📓We made soapstone pendants to give as gifts, shared acts of kindness through making a kindness quilt and shared food and stories around the fire. 🔥📓
October 2025
31st October 2025
🎃 Halloween or Samhain? 👻
🍂🌱 Whichever you prefer to mark, both signify the beginning of Autumn. The light is lessening but the colourful autumnal leaves give us the hope we need to maintain hope of spring returning. 🍂🌱
🔦 Bring on the dark nights of playing in the woodland, head torches are go 🔦
24th October 2025
It's been a varied and interesting week at W.I.L.D. We've been pumpkin making, finding and eating with some lovely smoked paprika pumpkin seeds cooked on the fire. 🎃
🎨 We also welcomed Frank of Artisan Artworks who delivered a workshop inviting the children to give him inspirational ideas of what they would like to see painted onto the containers in the Community Field. 🎨
There was no shortage of inspiration, talent and enthusiasm. 💚
20th October 2025
Moving Day - We have a new home for all of our kit! It was an exciting weekend for W.I.L.D. We moved all of our kit, crafts, tarps, tents and toilets into our new home in the Community Field in Linn Park.
In true W.I.L.D. style celebrations took the form of time around the fire playing kerplunk with a tasty twist. Susan made sure everyone was a winner
We're on the look out for off cuts of insulation, corrigated plastic and any other suggestions of how to insulate a container.
16th October 2025
Autumn is probably our favourite season Last week at Autumn Camp we explored, gathered, made, played, cooked and ate.
The delights on the fire inclued chickpea curry, baked apples and S'mores. Pumpkins were created and mushrooms hunted for.
Look our for our next camp in Spring 2026.
4th October 2025
This weekend we'll be staying inside with all the Giant House Spiders (Eratigena atrica) that have come out of hiding to find mates. Spiders are essential for the maintenance of healthy ecosystems as well as keeping our homes insect free! According to the Woodland Trust ''it's estimated that across the world, spiders eat between 400 and 800 million tons of insects and other invertebrates a year.''
More spider facts and info below:
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/blog/guest/living-spiders
September 2025
19th Sept 2025
We've been looking into all things fishy this week as The Big River Watch starts today
Our forest school groups and Trees & Tea adult group recorded their sitings on the White Cart, these included a Kingfisher, dipper, duck. mayfly, grey wagtail, heron and an otter print.
You can get involved at The Rivers Trust, download the app and explore the river.
https://theriverstrust.org/take-action/the-big-river-watch
12th Sept 2025
The sun shone, the rain descended and those spades got busy in the ground.
Thank you to all the volunteers who come along to help preparre the foundations for our Container 2.0 in the Community Field, we couldn't have done it without you.
As always, Love Linn Park were at the centre of activity offering out advice, direction and shortbread. #wesaluteyou
30th August 2025
W.I.L.D. Autumn Update 🌸🌞🌱 See the W.I.L.D. Autumn news Update HERE 🌸🌞🌱
August 2025
24th August
🧡👌🌱 The W.I.L.D. team have been true to our mission this weekend, out and about connecting communities with nature 🧡👌🌱🙌 Thanks to both Cathcart, Merrylee and Muirend Community Council and Love Linn Park for inviting us along to their events. 🙌We loved collecting seeds to plant, making nature art with seasonal foraged goodies and enjoying a fire cooked curry with all the families we met along the way.
22nd August
🌺🌏🟠 A Mandala is a ''symbolic picture of the universe'' 🌺🌏🟠
We've been mindfully creating this week, giving time for focus, reflection and to just be .The result... We can't confirm that ordinary minds were transformed into enlightened ones but there was a collective feeling of abiding gratitude.🧡
July 2025
20th July 2025
🏖🪼🩵 Thank you to all the W.I.L.D. families who joined us for our annual beach day at Dunure yesterday 🏖🪼🩵🦀🧲
Our Beach School Leader Fee was on it with crustacean facts whilst Susan led the metal detecting crew and Fiona joined the geologists in search of agates. The result was that there are more crabs and agates than gold on Dunure beach 🦀🧲🏊♀️
We even managed a dip after the bbq. A perfect day! 🏊♀️
19th July 2025
🎯🌞🧡 This year we're running 5 weeks of summer camp as well as 2 weeks of ASN summer camp in partnership with East Renfrewshire Council.🎯🌞 🧡
**All sessions are now full**
Last week we embraced the rain, learned new skills, made new friends, enjoyed more wild raspberry jam and celebrated a special birthday of our Forest School Leader Linda. ⭐️🎂
👉 If you would like to join our mailing list to find out about sessions - email: wildwoodlandlearning@gmail.com or go to Contact us
6th July 2025
✨🐝🎯 It's been a week of double good news for us. ✨🐝🎯🏹🔥
Summer Camp has been filled with creativity, energy and fun from making bows and arrows to cooking (Linda's famous) Linn Park raspberry jam around the fire. We're looking forward to more of the same over the next 4 weeks. 🏹
🔥AND.......🧡 WE HAVE A CONTAINER🧡 Thanks to the hard work of Love Linn Park we now have a storage and little indoor area complete with generator and toilet.🌱 Exciting times ahead🌱
June 2025
13th June 2025
💚🐛🥲 You know it's getting to the end of term when you look back at the week and a tear rolls down your face. 🌟🌸
This week has been filled with awesome experiences for the children @ W.I.L.D. Experiences made possible by the incredible forest school leaders providing the means and giving their time to make them happen. 🌟🌸🏆
From racing potatoes to mini potions and stop motion animation to a natural hair salon. We've had a lot of fun.🏆
9th June 2025
Thanks to everyone who joined us for the BioBlitz organsied by the dedicated nature enthusiasts @ Love Linn Park.
This was a community science event to record species of trees, insects and wildflowers in specific areas within Linn Park LNR. We were lucky enough to record, red tail and buff tail bumble bees, peacock butterlfy caterpillars and incredible intricate wren nests.
6th June 2025
The W.I.L.D. team welcomed Val Charlton, wild flower expert and enthusiast along to Trees and Tea today. They discovered species such as cranesbill, wood aven, sanicle, speedwell, lesser stitchwort, orchid, lady's mantle, wild roses, guilder rose, elderflower and enchanters nightshade. They learned about the folklore and medicinal uses of the flowers whilst enjoying elderflower, rose and lemon cake, washed down with elderflower cordial. Pretty decent morning...
May 2025
23rd May 2025
Every month at W.I.L.D. we choose an article from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to focus on. This month as we begin a second year of working with the amazing
Sup-ER-kids we are focusing on Article 23 (children with a disability) A child with a disability has the right to live a full and decent life with dignity and, as far as possible, independence and to play an active part in the community.
9th May 2025
It's no surprise that bluebells are heralded as a magical flower. Our Trees and Tea walk took us to a sea of bluebells in Netherton Braes/Cart and Kittoch SSSI. It's so special it has Site of Special Scientific Interest status! The senses were loaded with the unitque scent and dazzling colour of the flowers, the bluebell fairies must be the happiest of them all. The ephemeral nature of bluebells makes them all the more special.
Our next Trees and Tea is on June 6th, come along to find out all about wildflowers in Linn Park.https://www.wildwoodlandlearning.co.uk/
2nd May 2025
A week at W.I.L.D.... Our final week with Carmyle PS, they used the skills and knowledge learned over 6 weeks to achieved the Scottish Junior Forester Award.
We loved your energy, enthusiasm and hope you continue to enjoy your wooodland.
Forest school folks worked together to make rafts of all shapes and sizes and enjoyed the sunshine on the river and the teen group had a visit to the bird of prey centre in Balloch
April 2025
18th April 2025
Sun, rain and lots of fun was the theme of Easter Camp this year. The woodland was grateful for rain and it didn't stop the amazingly resislient kids who joined us for a great week in Love Linn Park.
We did so much stuff from coppicing to crafting, foraging to free play.
Everyone learned new skills, made new friends and the W.I.L.D. team are ready for a wee sit down.
We loved it as much as the kids!
7th April 2025
W.I.L.D. Spring Update 🌸🌞🌱 See the W.I.L.D. spring news Update HERE 🌸🌞🌱