I was very happy to be able to announce two new and connected initiatives at the Forest School Wales conference last Friday.

The first is a scheme to map FSA members onto an integrated Google map and database. This is quite clever because it means that you will be able to:

  • see where FSA members are geographically,
  • search for FSA membership by name and/or proximity
  • filter FSA membership according to a whole range of categories, such as their role, their Forest School experience and what kind of organisation they work in.

We hope that this will supports the FSA’s objective to promote networking within the Forest School community.

Each listed member will have their own profile page that can be linked to from emails or another website if they wish. Naturally, this is an ‘opt-in’ scheme’, but we encourage all our members to take part.

View the Searchable map of FSA members here.

The second initiative is called the ‘Forest School qualification verification scheme‘. The FSA has launched this scheme to verify members’ Forest School qualifications and to list/represent these members on a separate, publicly searchable database/map of qualified Forest School practitioners.

This is an extension of the members’ mapping process and is a membership service designed to allow qualified members to promote and market themselves through the FSA. Each verified member will be provided with a unique image that they can use in their work, including on promotional materials and websites (the Qualified Forest School Practitioner badge).

Forest School Leader badge Forest School Assistant badge Forest School helper badge

It also allows employers and the public to search for FSA verified FS practitioners. Each badge will contain a unique web address that identifies the members’ specific profile page on the database. Members can use this same address to link directly to their profile page from their own website, or the website of their employer (your employer must not continue to use this link if your employment with them ends). More information about the qualified practitioner verification scheme (members only) can be found through the link.

We believe this will help support principle 5 of good Forest School practice ‘Forest School is run by qualified Forest School practitioners who continuously maintain and develop their professional practice’.

Benefits

There are wider benefits to the Forest School community in having a UK-wide, comprehensive and inclusive database of qualified practitioners.

  •  It allows the public to identify qualified practitioners in their area and employers to identify suitably qualified people.
  • It helps to illustrate the depth and range of qualified Forest School practitioners, which makes it easier for the FSA to promote and represent the Forest School approach.

We hope that all members will take the time to participate in these schemes (where applicable).

Best wishes,

Gareth Davies

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