A tree-mendous year of outdoor learning in the Lee Valley

Lee Valley Regional Park Authority’s Learning and Engagement team delivered 135 outdoor learning sessions over the 2024 summer and autumn terms, inspiring a love of nature for children and adults in London, Essex and Hertfordshire.

From rivers and lakes or team building discovery days to forest schools and sessions about plants, habitats, sustainability and the stone age, Lee Valley Regional Park provides a wide range of opportunities for schools and wellbeing led organisations to take classroom learning outside.

Through its Community Access Fund, the Authority has covered the cost of transport for dozens of school visits, helping make the park and its world class facilities accessible to more people, providing support for schools from less affluent areas.

A new partnership with Waltham Forest Borough Council, has seen our Learning and Engagement team begin to deliver free Sustainability in Action days in and around the award-winning Lee Valley Ice Centre in Leyton. The £30 million site is the most sustainable ice centre in the UK, powered by 300+ solar panels, numerous ecological and environmental benefits such as bat and gabion boxes that provide habitats for wildlife and a system that allows ice melt to feed local ponds.

“The incredible design aspects that support nature and the environment at this regenerated site provide a perfect opportunity to show the positive impacts that clever and thoughtful design and engineering can have on the environment,” said Kelly-Sue Axford, Senior Learning and Engagement Officer, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority. “Through this programme, children will see this impact first hand in their local community.”

For the second year running the team have partnered NHS Broxbourne Mental Health Support - Warriors of Wellbeingwho conducted a successful summer of Forest School Discovery Days in River Lee Country Park, providing young people with opportunities to be in nature. Evaluation of the programme showed the days helped improve confidence, communication and problem-solving skills and build resilience. Organisers highly praised the days, saying they “Allow the children to explore the outdoors in a creative way”.

This year the Learning and Engagement team have developed and delivered a series of activities for Haven House Children’s Hospice in Woodford Green, Essex. Natural objects were used by children in a variety of art and sensory activities. Through Haven House Buddies, siblings of children being cared for by the hospice took part in activities including stream dipping, minibeasts hunts, fire lighting and natural art.

Water safety assemblies continued to play an important role in communicating the dangers of swimming in cold water lakes throughout 2024. Delivered by the Robbie Lea Water Safety Partnership, representatives from Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, Hertfordshire Constabulary and Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service provided informative sessions to secondary schools in Hertfordshire. The Robbie Lea Water Safety Partnership was set up following the tragic death of Robbie Jordan Lea, a young man from Cheshunt who tragically drowned in 2017 after getting into difficulty swimming in a lake in River Lee Country Park. Over the last seven years Robbie’s legacy has seen over 10,000 children engaged in water safety.

Thousands of school children have taken part in a wide variety of outdoor learning activities and safety information sessions provided by our Learning and Engagement team in Lee Valley Regional Park this year – discovering new experiences, exploring nature, learning about safety, building resilience and having fun!