Sustainable Rural Communities
Teaching Resource Sheets
Sustainable Rural Communities
Challenges engaging real-life learning
and critical thinking skills for Key Stage 2
Who, what, where,
when and why?
What are they doing?
How do I connect to
people and places?
What we buy and
where we buy it CAN
make a difference to
people and places!
Funded by the Ernest Cook Trust and the European Union
Led by Cumbria Development Education Centre
Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 1 Activity 2 - Toy Story
Toy Story
These toys were made by Rose and Edward. They live in a small village a long way from the nearest
town. There is no toy shop in their village and many of the children make their own toys to play
with. Edward and Rose had spent two days collecting the materials and making their toys.
Rose and Edward’s family are very poor and one day they heard their mother say that she did not
have much money. She was not going to be able to buy food for the family for much longer.
The next day they were playing with their toys outside their house when a man passed by. He saw
the children and said he liked their toys very much. He asked them if he could buy them. They were
surprised, but then they remembered what they had heard their mother saying. They had a quick
talk to each other and then agreed that the man could buy their toys. He gave them 50p, which
they gave to their mother that evening. Show 50p.
The man, whose name is Mr Triumph, knows a lady who has a stall in the market in the nearest
town. He knew she would buy the toys from him when he went there on his motorbike the next
day. When he met her he asked if she would buy the toys for £2. She said that was too much, but
agreed to £1.50. Show £1.50.
Mr Triumph says that the costs of running his motorcycle were going up every week and it’s getting
so old he will soon have to buy another one. Also, his daughter is sick and he has to buy medicines
for her. So ... he really needs the money.
The lady in the market, Mrs Stallholder, has a customer who comes once a week to buy things from
her and he takes them to a shop in the big city in his car. The next time he came to the market in
the town he saw the toys and offered her £2 for them. She said that was not enough and they
agreed on £2.50. Show £2.50.
Mrs Stallholder says she has a large family and her oldest boy needs a new football kit. The rent for
her stall in the market is also due and she can’t afford to sell the toys for less money.
The man with the car, whose name is Mr Rover, returned to the big city with the toys and some
other things he had bought. He went to a shop belonging to a lady he knew and he showed her the
toys. He asked her for £5 for the toys but she agreed to £4. Show £4.
Mr Rover says that people think his job is easy, buying things from markets in the villages and
selling them in the city. But sometimes nobody wants the things he buys and he loses money on
them ... and his car is getting old and the cost of keeping it on the road is going up all the time. Also,
his son needs some new clothes for school so the £4 is really needed.
Many people go into Ms Shoplady’s city shop and some of them are quite rich. One day Mr and Mrs
Tourist, some visitors from another country, came in and saw the toys. They thought they would
like to take them back to their country as presents for their niece and nephew. They bought the
toys for £10. Show £10
Ms Shoplady says that everyone thinks she must be rich because she has a shop in the city. But she
has a lot of bills to pay - for rent, for the local council, for electricity and for her daughter to go to
university. So ... she couldn't sell the toys for any less, even if she wanted to.
Back in the village Rose and Edward’s mother used the 50p to buy food, but soon the money was
finished. The children had a discussion and decided that they would make more toys before the
man visited the village again.
Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 1 Activity 2 Teaching Resource 2 - Toy Story
Rose and Edward
Mr Triumph
Our family is very poor and our
mother says that we don’t have
enough money to buy food. We like
the toys we have made and it’s
difficult for us to let them go but it is
good that someone will give us
money for them. So that we can
help our mother to get food.
The costs of running my old
motorcycle are going up every week
and it’s getting so old I will soon
have to buy another one. Also, my
daughter is very sick and I have to
go and buy some medicine for her
so I really need this money.
Mrs Stallholder
Mr Rover
I have a big family to feed and my
oldest son says he really needs a
new football kit. Also I have to pay
rent for this stall in the market
tomorrow and I can’t afford to sell
the toys for less money than this.
Sometimes I buy things in the town
market but nobody wants to buy
them in the city. My car is getting
old and the cost of keeping it on the
road is high. My son says he needs
new clothes for school so I really
need this money.
Mrs Shoplady
Mr and Mrs Tourist
People think I’m rich because I have
a shop in the big city. But I have to
spend so much money on rent for
the shop, council taxes and
electricity. I can’t sell these toys for
less even if I wanted to!
We are visitors from another
country. We think these toys are
wonderful. They are not too
expensive for us. We think our niece
and nephew will love them!
3
Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 1 Activity 3 - Sustainability Slogans
Source: A Survival Pack for Future Citizens (CDEC)
Something, for all,
for ever.
Keeping the world
going
(Peace Child
International)
(Anthea Stevenson,
Grizedale Forest)
To use the world’s
resources carefully, so
they don’t run out
Meeting our needs
without impacting
negatively on future
generations in the
world
(Colin Pearson, teacher
at Ormsgill Primary
School)
(Gina Mullarkey, CDEC)
4
To keep something
going infinitely
(John Sharples,
Headteacher at North
Walney Junior School)
Knowledge of how to
take care of things
(Mary Young, Oxfam)
Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 1 Activity 3 - Sustainability Slogans
Source: A Survival Pack for Future Citizens (CDEC)
Meeting the needs of
today and future
generations
(Department for
International
Development)
People in the world
who use resources
should use them
CAREFULLY
(Year 6 children,
Ormsgill Primary School)
Thinking carefully
about our actions to
ensure we look after
the world
(Gina Mullarkey, CDEC)
Use some of your
money on the things
we all need, not on the
things you want
(Year 6 children,
Ormsgill Primary School)
5
People who use
resources should use
them all at once
(Year 6 children,
Ormsgill Primary School)
Using the world’s
resources carefully
without damaging the
world
(Year 6 children,
Ormsgill Primary School)
Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 1 Activity 3 - Sustainability Slogans
Source: A Survival Pack for Future Citizens (CDEC)
Tipping waste into the
sea is good
Not sharing the
world’s resources
Sharing the world’s
resources carefully
(Year 6 children,
Ormsgill Primary School)
(Year 4 children, North
Walney Junior School)
(Year 4 children, North
Walney Junior School)
Using the world’s
resources wisely
Using up all of the
resources in the world
(Year 4 children, North
Walney Junior School)
(Year 4 children, North
Walney Junior School)
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It is not fair to take
everything for
yourself
(Year 3 / 4 pupils,
Ormsgill Primary School)
Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 1 Activity 3 - Sustainability Slogans
Source: A Survival Pack for Future Citizens (CDEC)
Meeting our needs
without hurting other
people
To think about
yourself and nobody
else
(Year 3 / 4 pupils,
Ormsgill Primary School)
(Year 3 / 4 pupils,
Ormsgill Primary School)
Throwing rubbish
around the world and
on the streets
(Year 3 pupils, George
Romney Junior School)
Keeping everyone’s life
safe forever
(Year 3 pupils, George
Romney Junior School)
7
To keep us safe but
not the world
(Year 3 pupils, George
Romney Junior School)
Meeting your own
needs and wants at all
costs
(Year 3 pupils, George
Romney Junior School)
Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 1 Activity 4 - Ten Tall Oak Trees
Ten tall oak trees
Ten tall oak trees
Standing in a line,
‘Warships’ cried king Henry,
Then there were nine.
Nine tall oak trees
Growing strong and straight,
‘Charcoal’ breathed the furnace,
Then there were eight.
Eight tall oak trees
Reaching towards heaven,
‘Sizzle’ spoke the lightening,
Then there were seven.
Seven tall oak trees
Branches leaves and sticks,
‘Firewood’ smiled the merchant,
Then there were six.
Six tall oak trees
Glad to be alive,
‘Barrels’ boomed the brewery,
Then there were five.
Five tall oak trees
Suddenly a roar,
‘Gangway’ screamed the bypass,
Then there were four.
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Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 1 Activity 4 - Ten Tall Oak Trees
Four tall oak trees
Sighing like the sea,
‘Floorboards’ beamed the builder,
Then there were Three.
Three tall oak trees
Groaning as trees do,
‘Unsafe’ claimed the council,
Then there were two.
Two tall oak trees
Spreading in the sun,
‘Progress’ snarled the bypass,
Then there was one.
One tall oak tree
Wishing it could run,
‘Nuisance’ grumped the farmer,
Then there was none.
No tall oak trees,
Search the fields in vain,
Only empty skylines,
And the cold, grey, rain.
Poem by Richard Edwards
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Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 2 Activity 1 - Describe urban and rural Cumbria
Words to describe urban Cumbria
Words to describe rural Cumbria
Urban Cumbria looks like
Rural Cumbria looks like
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Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 2 Activity 1 Urban and Rural Cumbria
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Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 2 Activity 2 - Know - Want to know - Learned
Topic: People Who Work in Rural Cumbria
Know
 Farmers in Cumbria
Want to Know
 What type of farmer?
Learned
 Sheep farmer at Low
Furness
 Basket Maker at
 What type of basket
 Helen is a willow basket









Coniston
maker?
12
maker. Her baskets are
made from willow
Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 2 Activity 2 - A letter asking for information
A letter to find out about people who work in rural
Cumbria
Don’t forget the address!
Date:
Who are you writing to?
Dear
What information would you like to ask for?
I am writing to ask if you…..
Anything else you want to say… please write any useful information in a letter!
Finally ….
Who is this letter from?
From ….
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Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 2 Activity 2 - Rural Trades Survey
Farming Survey
Farm type
Farmer
Arable
Cereal
Horticultural
Vegetable Grower
Tally
Fruit Grower
Flower Grower
Pastoral (Livestock)
Livestock Farmer
Dairy Farmer
Beef Farmer
Sheep Farmer
Chicken Farmer
Mixed
Farmer
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Number
Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 2 Activity 2 - Rural Trades Survey
Rural Crafts Survey
Type of Rural Craft
Craftperson
Woodland Crafts
Charcoal Burner
Tally
Chair Bodger
(Chair Maker)
Fence Maker
Basket Maker
Bowl Turner
Broom Maker
Stone / Clay Crafts
Dry Stone Waller
Slater
Stone Mason
Potter
Textile Crafts
Wool Spinner
Felt Maker
Lace Maker
Metal Crafts
Blacksmith
Farrier
Other crafts
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Number
Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 2 Activity 3 - Rural community links
Sheep
Farmer
Dry Stone
Waller
Dairy
Farmer
Local Shop
Keeper
Weaver
Tourist
Teacher
Forest
Worker
Cheese
Maker
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Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 2 Activity 3 - Rural community links
Felt Maker
Bus driver
Basket
Maker
Vegetable
Grower
Market
Trader
Artist
Hotel Cook
National
Park Ranger
Lorry Driver
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Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 2 Activity 3 - Rural community links
Fence
Maker
Mechanic
Doctor
Nurse
Hostel
Warden
Wool
Spinner
Postal
Worker
Police
Officer
Child
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Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 2 Activity 3 - Rural community links
Vet
Child
Butcher
Baker
Hotel
Cleaner
Wood
Merchant
Builder
Scientist
?
19
Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 2 Activity 3 - Rural community links
Butterfly
Bird
Flower
Bee
Woodland
River
Acorn
Squirrel
?
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Sustainable Rural
Communities
Topic 3Topic
Activity
Sustainable
Rural
Communities
3 1 A Day in the life
Hello, my name is Lorna, I am an
apprentice basket maker and „swiller‟.
A swiller is a person that makes oak
swill baskets.
Before plastic and metal became
readily available, baskets and
containers had to be made out of
wood and other natural materials
using old traditional crafts.
The swill was the speciality of the
Furness fells. It was used for any
task that required goods to be moved
in industry and around the farm.
Many were needed and a lot of local
people made their living as swillers.
Swills were used for sowing seeds,
picking potatoes, moving coal onto
ships and carrying bobbins and
cottons to the mill.
These days‟ swills are mainly sold as
firewood and laundry baskets or for
holding and displaying fruit and
vegetables.
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Sustainable Rural
Communities
Topic 3Topic
Activity
Sustainable
Rural
Communities
3 1 A Day in the life
Owen Jones is the last professional
swiller in the United Kingdom and the
world.
Owen lives at High Nibthwaite at the
South of Coniston Water in Cumbria.
I am Owen‟s apprentice, and he is
teaching me to make swill baskets so
I can carry on this traditional craft so
that it is not lost forever.
Swills are made by weaving lots of
thin strips of oak around a rim or
„bool‟ made from hazel.
Oak trees used to make swills must
be straight, 10cm to 15cm accross
and 2.5m to 3m long. They must not
have any knots or branches.
The oak comes from coppiced
woodlands. This is a traditional type
of woodland management whereby
stems of oak trees are cut low to the
ground every 20-30 years. It grows
back again making this practice very
sustainable.
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Sustainable Rural
Communities
Topic 3Topic
Activity
Sustainable
Rural
Communities
3 1 A Day in the life
There is a lot of work that needs to
go into preparing the materials to
make a swill basket.
The first day is spent in the woods
felling the tress, cutting them to
length and transporting them back to
the workshop.
On the second day, the oak is then
split, which we call „cleft‟ into 4 or 6
parts we call „billets‟ with a tool called
a „froe‟.
The oak billets are boiled for 4 hours
in a large cast-iron boiler with a fire
underneath, and then left overnight in
the boiler.
At 6am on the morning of the third
day, the fire has to be stoked again to
boil the water for another day of
preparation. On this day the boiled
oak billets are soft and can be „riven‟
– this is tearing the boiling hot billets
of oak in half again and again until
they are almost the correct thickness
for weaving.
The riven oak is then prepared so
that it can be weaved into a swill.
This is called „dressing‟ the oak.
Dressing involves two different
processes.
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Sustainable Rural
Communities
Topic 3Topic
Activity
Sustainable
Rural
Communities
3 1 A Day in the life
First, the ribs of the basket called
„spelks‟, and pronounced spells, are
dressed with a „drawknife‟ on a
swillers „mare‟. The drawknife is a
very sharp two-handed blade, and
the mare is a wooden foot-operated
clamp.
After the „spelks‟ have been made,
longer pieces called „taws‟ are made
to weave over and under the spelks.
The taws are dressed by pulling them
between your knee and a knife to
take off any rough parts and shape
them.
The „bool‟ forms the top rim of the
basket. This is made a hazel rod,
which is steamed for 20 minutes and
then bent into an oval shape.
When the spelks and taws have been
dressed and the bool formed it is time
to start to weave the swill.
This is a day in my life as an
apprentice swiller...
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Sustainable Rural
Communities
Topic 3Topic
Activity
Sustainable
Rural
Communities
3 1 A Day in the life
My day starts at 6.30am. I don‟t like
mornings so it‟s hard to get up in the
dark in winter but in summer I‟m
usually woken by the sun and our
noisy cockerel. I have a wash and
clean my teeth, have breakfast and a
cup of tea and get my tools ready for
the day.
I will have put thin pieces of oak we
call spelks and taws in the river to
soak the night before. I weight them
down with rocks so they do not get
washed away.
As oak is a very tough wood, soaking
it keeps it pliable and makes it
possible to weave in and out to make
a basket.
When I get it out of the river I wrap it
in an old blanket so that it stays
damp all day while I use it. Then I set
off to Owen‟s house to weave with
him.
I‟m still learning so I need Owen‟s
help and advice. Swills have a set
pattern to follow which is quite
complex. Spelks are fixed to the rim
or bool to form ribs of the swill. Taws
are then weaved in and out of the
spelks to form the basket. Owen has
learnt lots of useful tips over the
years. He shows me these and it
makes the weaving process a lot
easier master.
Owen can make 3 baskets in a day, I
can make 1 in a day if I work really
hard.
25
Ta w
Spelk
B ool
Sustainable Rural
Communities
Topic 3Topic
Activity
Sustainable
Rural
Communities
3 1 A Day in the life
A swiller has to rely on people buying
his or her baskets to earn a living.
Felling the trees and preparing the
materials is all unpaid in the hope
that the final product will sell. This
relies on people valuing this
traditional craft and the beauty of the
baskets.
Although alternatives might seem
cheaper, a swill can be easily
repaired and can last a lifetime.
Owen attends many craft shows and
demonstrates swill making many
weekends in a year to promote his
craft and to advertise and sell his
products.
Without craftspeople like Owen, this
tradition would be forgotten and lost
forever.
Woodlands need lots of management
from one year to the next so that they
keep healthy and produce good
quality wood for crafts like swill
making. This type of woodland
management is also good for a whole
range of animals, birds, butterflies,
flowers and ferns.
I think I am very lucky being an
apprentice swiller. Not only do I get
to keep a local traditional craft from
dying out, I am also helping to
sustain some wonderful woodland
and all the creatures that live there.
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Sustainable Rural
Communities
Topic 3Topic
Activity
Sustainable
Rural
Communities
3 1 A Day in the life
Using the information from the „Day
in the life of Lorna an apprentice
Swiller‟, think about the following
questions:
1.
Where does Owen the last
professional Swiller live?
2.
What is an apprentice?
3.
Why are there not as many
swillers today as there were in times
past?
4.
What trees are felled to make
swills – can you identify any of these
in your school ground?
5.
Why does Lorna need to keep
the spelks and taws wet?
6.
How long does it take Lorna to
make a swill - ?
7.
Why will Lorna need to sell the
swills she makes?
8.
What are the alternatives to
buying an oak swill basket?
9.
Does it matter if the local
traditional craft of making swills dies
out?
10. How does the making of swills
help rural communities to be
sustainable?
27
Sustainable Rural
Communities
Topic 3Topic
Activity
Sustainable
Rural
Communities
3 1 A Day in the life
Hello, my name is Rachel, I‟m an
apprentice fruit and vegetable grower
at a farm called Low Stanger near
Cockermouth in Cumbria.
At Low Stanger farm we grow over
80 varieties of apples (there are 6000
varieties in the world!). I help to look
after the apple trees, so that they
grow healthily and produce tasty
apples to eat.
It is autumn as I am writing this, and
this is what I do in a day…
I get up and eat a healthy breakfast
which will give me lots of nutrition
and energy for the day ahead. I put
my wellies on and go outside…
We have already harvested the
apples in the late summer and
autumn. Here they are, stored in
boxes inside one of our farm
buildings. We store each variety in a
separate box. Some of the names
you might recognise, like Granny
Smith and Bramley.
We also have local varieties of
apples which you can‟t usually buy in
the supermarket. Such as
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Sustainable Rural
Communities
Topic 3Topic
Activity
Sustainable
Rural
Communities
3 1 A Day in the life
Cockermouth Codling, Egremont
Russet, Keswick Codling, Carlisle
Codling and Galloway Pippin. These
apples grow well in the climate of
Cumbria. It is good to have a big
diversity of apple varieties, because
different varieties will do better than
others in different years, depending
on the weather. This way the risk of a
poor harvest is spread.
The different apples that we grow are
all different shapes, sizes and
colours. More importantly they all
taste very different.
People come to the farm to buy the
apples. I weigh the variety and
amount of apples that people have
requested. The people who buy
apples from us all like different sorts
of apples, some like sweet and some
like sour. It is good to sell the apples
to people locally, so that people know
where their food comes from and
know that they are contributing to the
local economy. This also helps to
reduce carbon emissions, and is a
sustainable way of producing food
After this, I prune the apple trees. We
use a tool called “secateurs” to do
this. By pruning the trees we can
encourage them to grow into a shape
that we want, which will give all the
apples on the tree plenty of space
and light to grow.
I then cut the grass around the trees,
this makes it easier to walk in the
orchard and helps to keep it healthy. I
put straw around the base of the
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Sustainable Rural
Communities
Topic 3Topic
Activity
Sustainable
Rural
Communities
3 1 A Day in the life
trees, to stop any weeds from
growing near the tree, because these
would use up water and nutrients that
we want to give to the tree.
We don‟t use any artificial pesticides
and herbicides, because we want the
soil to be full of worms, small insects
and micro-organisms which all keep
the soil and trees healthy. This is also
better for birds who like to eat the
insects, and we love to have birds
and other wildlife on the farm.
The apple trees will live for several
years, but they won‟t live forever. So I
now think about growing some new
apple trees, which will replace any
old ones.
To grow a new apple tree, I take a
twig from the apple tree variety that I
want to grow, and a „root stock‟ from
another tree that will determine what
size the tree will be.
I then „graft‟ them together, by cutting
each of them with a sharp knife so
that they will fit together. Then I wrap
tape around to make sure the twig
stays attached to the root stock. This
will allow them to grow together and
become a complete tree.
After I have grafted several trees, I
plant them into pots. These will grow
into new trees and we will plant them
into the field next year.
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Sustainable Rural
Communities
Topic 3Topic
Activity
Sustainable
Rural
Communities
3 1 A Day in the life
Now I plant some trees that we
grafted last year. These will take
about 5 years to grow big enough to
produce some apples.
It is wonderful to plant a tree and
think of the new life and of course the
tasty apples it will produce! So it is a
great way to end my day.
--------------------------------------------------
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Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 3 Activity 1
Using the information from the „Day in the life of Rachel an apprentice fruit and
vegetable grower‟, think about the following questions:
1.
Where is the farm?
2.
How many varieties of apple are grown at Low Stanger farm?
3.
What is an apprentice?
4.
Can you name three or more LOCAL varieties of apple
5.
Why does Rachel put straw around the base of the apple trees?
6.
Why doesn‟t Rachel use any artificial pesticides and herbicides?
7.
Why does Rachel need to replant trees?
8.
Why is it good for local people to buy locally produced apples?
9.
What would happen to Rachel if people didn‟t buy the apples she
produces at Low Stanger farm?
10.
How does growing apples help rural communities to be sustainable?
32
Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 3 Activity 1
Hello, my name is Sam, I am an
apprentice Coppice Worker and I
work in lots of different woodlands all
around the south of Cumbria.
Hundreds of years ago charcoal and
other coppice wood products such as
oak fences, willow panels, besom
brooms, garden rakes, walking sticks
and baskets would have been made
all over the Lake District and
throughout the country.
The tradition of learning these crafts
would have been passed down from
one generation to the next
generation.
But, as the use of metal and plastic
products replaced those made of
natural material there was less
demand for natural wood products
and there were not many jobs for
coppice workers.
Today there are very few coppice
workers left, but coppice wood
products are slowly making a comeback and this means there is more
work for people like me. As an
apprentice, I will learn and help
continue this traditional craft.
Being an apprentice coppice worker,
I get to do many different jobs
throughout the year. My main work
during summer months is making
charcoal. I also make stick furniture,
cleft (split) oak fences and firewood.
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Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 3 Activity 1
Charcoal is made from oak, ash and
other native hardwood trees, which
grow locally. In the traditional
woodland management style of
'coppicing' these are cut down low to
the ground leaving stumps which are
called „stools‟. Sunlight can now
reach the woodland floor and
woodland flowers will be able to grow
and provide nectar for butterflies and
other insects.
The cut stumps are left to produce
new shoots. These grow into new
trees that will be ready to coppice
again in seven year‟s time. This
provides a continuous and renewable
supply of wood.
This is what I do in a day when I am
making charcoal in the summer…
I wake up at 7:30, make my packed
lunch and a flask of tea. My job is
physical and hard work. I do some
stretching and warm up exercises so
I do not cause my body any damage
during the day. I usually have my
breakfast and a cup of tea before my
boss Ian picks me up at 8:45. Today
he is early and I take my tea with me.
We drive to Ian‟s barn in
Windermere. At the barn we load up
the Landrover with the equipment we
need for the day‟s work. We have
some charcoal, which needs to be
put into bags. For this, we are going
to re-use some old plastic animal
feed bags we got from a local farmer.
We then drive to the wood.
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Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 3 Activity 1
Today we are working in a local
woodland. It is an old coppice
woodland at Dalton Craggs near
Burton in Kendal. We have set the
kilns up to make the charcoal on the
edge of the woodland. The local
farmer also lets his cows graze here.
Sometimes they come to see what
we are doing.
When we get to the woodland, we
start by taking out charcoal from the
kilns. This charcoal was made from
wood burnt in the kiln two days ago.
This has now cooled down and I use
a shovel to put the charcoal onto a
big metal grid called a grader. This is
like a big sieve and sorts the charcoal
into the right size to put into the old
animal feed bags.
Grading and bagging charcoal is hard
work and I am covered in black dust
from head to toe.
After we have put the charcoal in
bags we have ourselves our packed
lunch and a brew of tea. During this
time, we often hear and see wild
woodland animals. Today I heard a
cuckoo calling in the trees nearby.
After lunch we begin filling the kilns
back up with small bits of cut wood
we call logs. The logs were cut from
trees we coppiced last year.
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Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 3 Activity 1
A good size for logs for the kilns is
about a 30cm long and up to 15 cm
across.
When we fill the kilns with logs, we
need to build a tunnel underneath so
there is space left for us to put a stick
that is similar to a giant match into
the middle to light a fire inside the
kiln.
When the logs begin to burn and fire
comes out the top we place a big lid
on top of the kiln and chimneys onto
the holes in the side. We then fill any
gaps with sand and dirt to seal the
kiln and stop too much oxygen
getting inside to feed the fire. This
helps control the fire and will make
sure that the logs burn to make
charcoal. If the fire gets too much
oxygen and rages out of control all
the logs will burn away we will just be
left with ash.
The logs will burn in the kiln for a
whole day and night. Every few hours
we need to change the chimneys
round to make sure the wood burns
evenly inside. We also need to make
sure sparks do not set the woodland
on fire. This means we need to camp
out for the night in the woods.
I camp out in a tent, but in the past
charcoal burners, working in
Backbarrow in Cumbria lived in
wigwam shaped huts they built in the
woodland. The huts were made by
placing „grass turfs‟ on a frame made
from long wooden poles.
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Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 3 Activity 1
The next morning when the kilns
have finished burning the wood into
charcoal, the smoke turns a different
colour. This is because the moisture
has all been burnt from the wood and
it is now charcoal. Now we take down
the chimneys and re-seal the lids to
put out the fire inside. All the wood in
the kilns is now charcoal and we
leave the kilns for a couple of days to
cool.
Then we start the whole process
again... starting with emptying the
kilns and grading.
The charcoal is then put into special
bags and sold to local shops.
Some people buy it to cook food on
their barbecues and other people use
it to put on their soil to help their
plants grow.
I love to be outside in woodland
working hard at my job. When I work
as a coppice worker I am not only out
IN nature I am PART of nature. I help
the cycles of life carry on and give
back as much as I take from this
planet. This is important to help
sustain the world we live in.
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Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 3 Activity 1
Using the information from the „A day
in the life of Sam an apprentice
coppice worker‟, think about the
following questions:
1.
Where is the woodland Sam is
working?
2.
What is an apprentice?
3.
What other things do coppice
workers do apart from making
charcoal?
4.
Why are there not as many
coppice workers today as there were
in times past?
5.
What trees are cut into logs to
make charcoal – can you identify any
of these in your school ground?
6.
Why does Sam need to make a
tunnel under the logs in the charcoal
kiln?
7.
Why is it important for Sam to
camp out in the woods at night when
he is burning charcoal?
8.
Can you give any reasons for
buying locally produced charcoal?
9.
What would happen to Sam if
people didn‟t buy charcoal he
makes?
10. How does making charcoal
help rural communities to be
sustainable?
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Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 3 Activity 3- Rural news sheet
Owen Jones receives a huge order to export
tens of thousands of swill baskets to China!
Lots of new apprentices will be
needed learn to make the swill
baskets.
But, a big company in Manchester
has suggested that a machine could
make them. They would cost less to
produce creating more profit!
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Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 4 Activity 1- It’s not fair - Role cards
40
Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 4 Activity 1 - It’s just not fair - Produce pictures
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Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 4 Activity 1 - It’s just not fair - Produce pictures
42
Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 4 Activity 1 - It’s just not fair - Produce pictures
43
Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 4 Activity 1 It’s just not fair - Money
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Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 4 Activity 1 It’s just not fair - Money
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Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 4 Activity 1 It’s just not fair - Money
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Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 4 Activity 3 - Ideas Sheet
How to support the Local and Fair Campaign
Idea 1
Advantages
Disadvantages
Idea 2
Advantages
Disadvantages
Idea 3
Advantages
Disadvantages
After discussion of all ideas, I think that…
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Sustainable Rural Communities Topic 4 Activity 3 - Local and Fair
Fairtrade and the Lake District
Becoming a Fairtrade Zone – what does it mean?
We believe that a sustainable future for rural crafts, food and farming depends on buying local
produce whenever we can, and choosing Fairtrade for non-local products.
That’s why we’ve made a commitment to support both local craftspeople and farmers as well as
Fairtrade producers in developing countries.
We are seeking to establish the Lake District National Park as a Fairtrade Zone.
We aim to:

encourage more people to buy local and Fairtrade produce

get more local and Fairtrade products into more retail and catering outlets
Why are we doing this?
Fair price – Certain future
We are committed to sustainable development. By supporting Fairtrade, we are also supporting
sustainable development globally.
Buying local reduces food miles which minimises the impact on the environment and supports the
local economy.
Buying local products from the National Park and Cumbria is of key importance to ensure our local
economy and local producers benefit over the long term.
We see supporting Fairtrade and local produce as complementary commitments.
Fairtrade products are generally from tropical countries. Buying Fairtrade does not conflict with
buying local products.
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