Forest Explorers

🌀💖 Project Idea: Forest Explorers!

🧠 What's the Project?

This project is all about exploring the incredible world of forests — from lush rainforests to ancient woodlands. You'll investigate the threats they face (like deforestation) and the hope offered by reforestation projects around the world. You might use real data, tell digital stories, or build interactive creations that inspire others to protect our planet's lungs.

💡 Project Ideas

🟢 Data Detectives

Use a dataset to explore deforestation and reforestation trends.
Create visualizations in Python or a spreadsheet to show how forests have changed over time.
Ask: Where are forests disappearing the fastest? Where are trees being planted? What does this mean for the planet?

🟢 Interactive Website or App

Build a forest awareness site using HTML/CSS/JS or a simple site builder.
Include links to similar webpages about environmental issues or Scratch projects.
Add links to real-life reforestation charities and tips for helping protect forests.

🟢 Forest Hero Game (Scratch or Python)

Make a game where the player protects a forest by planting trees, stopping fires, or removing litter.
Add levels showing different forest types in the backdrops (e.g., rainforest, coniferous, temperate).
Could be action-based or a calm sim game focused on balance and biodiversity.

🟢 Digital Art and Animations

Use digital tools like photo editors or animation apps to create posters or short animated videos about forest conservation.
Turn satellite forest maps into digital collages.

🟢 AI for Forests

Create a simple chatbot that teaches people facts about forests and how to help using ML4Kids.

💡 Skills & Techniques I Will Practise

Data handling: filtering, graphing, interpreting real-world data
Coding: Scratch or Python (games, simulations, chatbots)
Web skills: HTML, CSS, interactivity
Digital storytelling: animation, narration, design
AI basics: machine learning classifiers with image data
Environmental thinking: research, sustainability, systems thinking

🧰 Helpful Technique Cards

🎯 Links to the Real World

Learn about the role of forests in absorbing carbon and protecting wildlife.
Research and contact organisations which are helping forests and the animals living in them.
Look for ways to help trees, woods and animals in your own local area.

🌀 Really Shake It Up!

🔍🌍🎮🌲📈🧑‍💻🌱🎥 Try combining nature and tech in unexpected ways:

Make your own animal-camera-trap with a raspberry pi, camera and pir sensor.
Build a forest mood app that changes background and music based on country names input by users.
Reimagine a forest of the future using generative AI or artistic apps.
Collaborate with others to launch a mini help the environment website at school.

🌱 Local Connections: Why This Matters to Me

Think about this!

What items in our school and homes come from trees? (paper, furniture, fruit, books)
Do I use any products linked to deforestation (e.g. palm oil, beef, soy)?
Are there trees or wooded areas near me? Where are they? Which can I visit?
What animals live in or around local trees? How can we find out?
How can school life help protect forests? (e.g. buying paper from sustainable forests, tree planting)

📊 Data Collection & Analysis Ideas

🌳 In My Area

Count and map the number of trees around the school or on the walk home.
Record types of trees or estimate their age with simple methods.
Count birds, insects, or squirrels seen near trees - do some trees support more types of life? Are these trees more valuable than others?
Interview families: How often do we use paper? Where does our wood come from?
Run a tree survey: “What’s your favourite tree and why?”

Make graphs from local data (Excel, 2Graph, Python).
Create bar charts comparing areas with many or few trees.
Compare tree data from local green spaces - what types of tree are growing locally?

🦉 Explore Animals and Trees

Research UK (or local) animals that rely on trees: bats, owls, red squirrels, insects, bees, birds.
Build a Scratch project that follows an animal losing its tree home.
Write a Python quiz about animals and their tree habitats.
Use Sway to create a life-in-a-tree project.

🤖 Physical Computing Projects

Tool	Project Idea
micro\:bit	Code temperature and light sensors to compare conditions under a tree vs. in open space.
Raspberry Pi + Camera	Set up a camera trap which videos for a short time when it detects an animal.

🧰 More Tools You Could Use

Tool	What You Could Do
Scratch	Animate a forest being cut down and regrowing thanks to replanting.
Python + matplotlib	Plot real forest area data by country over time.
Excel	Log and analyse school-wide tree data collection.
2Graph / Mind Map tools	Show how trees connect to climate, animals, and daily life.
PowerPoint	Design campaigns, posters, or digital pledge boards.
Stop motion or animation tools	Show a seed growing into a tree and supporting life.
HTML and CSS	Make a local forest explorer site with tree facts and data.

💡 Extra Inspiring Project Ideas

🏡 1. My Life, My Trees

Create a visual journal (digital or physical) connecting parts of your life to forests — food, toys, books, tools. Analyse your own forest footprint!

🦜 2. Adopt a Tree

Pick a tree near home or school. Measure it, photograph it, watch it through the seasons. Share its story using video, art, and data.

📸 3. Tree Tales: Digital Art

Use digital collage, drawing, or AI art tools to show:

A tree’s year in seasons
A forest before and after people arrive
A mythical forest creature and its home

🎭 4. Virtual Forest Tour

Create a slideshow, Scratch animation or website - real or imagined. Include creatures, sounds, and dangers.

📬 5. Tech for Trees

Design a new invention that helps trees using physical computing or digital art: tree guardians, reforestation robots, seed drones!

📣 Campaign & Action Ideas

Organise a fund-raising event for a charity which works with forests or animals.
Host a "Digital Forest Day" where everyone brings one fact, one image, or one action to protect forests.
Email a local MP or council to support rewilding or tree planting.
Create and send digital “Thank You” cards after exploring who is helping trees and animals.

🌍 Real-World Links for Research

🦸 You Are the Changemakers

Through digital tools, your imagination, and teamwork, you can bring forests to life, explore their importance, and show others how to protect them.

Let the forests inspire your code, your art, your stories — and your actions. 🌱