Share

Wonderful Willow: A strategy to give schools a cheap and easy resource to support learning, wellbeing and a healthier environment

Joanne Hills praises the wonders of willow, and discusses the many benefits of working with willow for our young people in schools.

Something that is cheap, readily accessible and, with minor maintenance, lasts a lifetime. Sounds good?

But what if, in addition, this material also lowered anxiety and other mental health problems, improved physical health, improved cooperation, developed resilience, problem-solving and other learning skills and had multiple links to learning curricula for both subject knowledge and skills? It sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? However, recently we have been helping two schools get the benefits of just such a miracle substance.

What can it be?

It’s willow!

Children making a willow arch

Children discovering the wonders of willow 

Willow is an easy to grow native tree species. It’s hardy, unfussy, needn’t take up much space, looks pretty and has been used for multiple practical purposes since prehistoric times.

There are many different species of willow but the best species for planting in school settings are the smaller types that produce long, bendy shoots. Osier willow, also called basket willow (Salix viminalis) is one of the very best. The long, flexible shoots are bendy and can be easily sculpted into features such as living fences, willow tunnels, or willow domes. As the name suggests, the shoots are also great for willow weaving and can be used to make baskets and a wide range of craft products. Osier willow is often associated with damp soils but is a tolerant tree and will grow well in a variety of conditions. It provides food and shelter for wildlife and its fresh, green leaves are pretty in spring and summer, whilst some varieties have coloured shoots that liven up dark winter days. Maintaining the willow is very easy. If used for sculptures, domes etc. new shoots may need to be woven into the structure and surplus shoots trimmed. If you are growing willow for willow weaving, the shoots are traditionally cut between November and March when the sap is withdrawn. Willow is really easy to plant; it’s as straightforward as pushing a willow stick into the ground. This then roots and shoots and is very quick-growing.

A group of children in a group underneath their handmade willow archway

Teamwork

The Education Team at Lancashire Wildlife Trust recently saw a wonderful example of the power of willow when we worked with two primary schools in Fleetwood. Larkholme Primary School asked us to help them with planting new willow. Whole classes of children worked together to plant a living fence of willow and a willow tunnel to play in. In addition, individual children all made their own craft items from willow shoots, with willow snails being particularly popular.

The day at Larkholme was such a success that another local school, Flakefleet Primary School, got to hear of it and also asked us to come and organise a Willow Day for them. Flakefleet Primary already had willow growing in their grounds but it had got a bit out of control and they wanted help to tidy it up and to learn how better to maintain and use it. The school’s motto is ‘Dare to Dream’ and the children said they dreamt of doing all sorts of useful and fun things with their willow. They worked hard together and, as well as tidying the existing willow, they created a tall willow tunnel over one of their playground paths. We also showed them how to weave willow and each child created their own craft item.

A group of children in a group underneath their handmade willow archway

Proud of a completed willow archway

The Willow Days were a lot of fun but they also showed the schools how to use their lasting resource. Their willow will help these schools in various ways.

The increasing mental health problems of children and young people is sadly now a common topic in the media. Sometimes it seems an insurmountable problem but the research shows that there are some easy strategies that make a positive difference. Two key strategies are increasing engagement with nature and increasing physical exercise. Willow can play its part in these. It’s an easy way to increase the interest of outdoor spaces, enhancing them for children to run around and play in or creating quiet spaces where they can relax and enjoy the benefits of being outdoors. The effects are summed up well by the words of a year six child in another school we worked with recently, “It’s so good to be out here. All the stress just goes away.”

Completed willow walkway

Completed willow walkway

The willow will also help the schools support teamwork and a wide range of learning skills by being suitable for a variety of practical projects. Even better, it’s a renewable resource: you can literally grow your own materials every year. Willow can help with developing these skills through activities such as den or shelter building, creating mini tepees for magical settings or tallest tower problem solving challenges. 

These sorts of activities have immense value in their own right but there is also the option for schools to link them to the children’s curricular learning. In a recent project we did with a school in Wigan, we were asked to run activities linked to the children’s history topic of the Stone Age. Willow was a great help. The children were able to engage much better with their learning and were much better motivated through practical activities such as learning some basic willow weaving skills which they used to do things like making model wattle and daub houses, simple trays and decorative items.

So, give it a go! Willow is fantastic. If you want to find out more about how we can help you in your setting, you can contact our Education Team by emailing eduadmin@lancswt.org.uk.

Find out more about our outreach visits here:

Education outreach visits | The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside (lancswt.org.uk)

Cutting willow

Cutting down to size; Training on tool use put into action

Primary aged pupils socialising whilst weaving willow

Socialising whilst weaving willow

Primary aged pupils socialising whilst weaving willow

Creative success!

Primary aged pupils socialising whilst weaving willow

Boosting self esteem

Related blog posts