Hayden Gabriel - volunteer speaker

[Hayden Gabriel, volunteer speaker] 
So the volunteering role that I do as a speaker for the Woodland Trust has been really interesting because it's taken me into lots of different situations. 

My first was in a field – that was kind of difficult. It was an outdoor event. So, my second event was for a WI group in the South Hams. I spoke about the restoration of ancient forests. The eldest participant there was 95 years old. My next one was with a class of five-year-olds, so there's a lovely range which of course demands different materials. 

With the primary school children, it's lovely to engage them with literacy and their relationship with trees and exploring that. One of the things I've done as a volunteer speaker is write a story to take into school, and it's called Sophie’s Difficult Day. It’s a very simple story but has at its heart that awareness that our health and wellbeing is affected by the time we spend in the outdoors. 

[Sarah Locker, engaging communities manager] 
Hayden came to the speaker programme in August 2017 and she really embraced it with huge amounts of enthusiasm and commitment. 

She has so far spoken to three schools and three other community groups, and the schools in particular, she's really engaged with. She's produced lesson plans, promoted Green Tree School Awards, encouraged them to go out on a trip to Fingle Woods. 

As a volunteer speaker, Hayden talks about the importance and value of woods and trees and the work of the Woodland Trust. 

In school she tries to encourage the children to understand the importance and value of trees in a different way. So, she might use materials from Nature Detectives, she might present a story and she’s also helped them plant trees. 

Hayden, thank you so much for all that you do for the Woodland Trust.