AQA Introduction to Wilding Course

Through our pilot project Wilder St Albans, we identified a knowledge gap across a number of crucial sectors that undermined our ambition of achieving 30% of land managed for nature’s recovery by 2030.

This knowledge gap is in areas of environmentally-friendly land management; why we need to be making more space for wildlife, how can we better manage what we have already, what good practice looks like and how can we identify priority actions with the resources that we have.

We developed a one-day training programme, registered with the examining body AQA as an AQA Unit Award, to go some of the way to meet this knowledge gap. This course may be suitable for:

• Grounds Maintenance Contractors/Operatives
• Grounds Maintenance Contract Managers
• Local Authority Officers – Parks and Green Spaces Teams, Tree Officers, Planning Officers
• Councillors
• Other landholders

There are two main aims for the one-day programme:

• That more people understand the principles underpinning conservation management and maintenance and they are better able to implement management that helps nature.
• That people can write their own conservation management plans and prioritise actions that will have the greatest impact.

All those attending the training get a Level 1 Award just by being there on the day and playing an active role. If some attendees would like to take it a step further, they can complete a short amount of written work (no more than 2 sides of A4) and submit this to Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust to be awarded the Level 2.

Learning outcomes for both levels can be viewed here:

https://www.aqa.org.uk/programmes/unit-award-scheme/unit-details?unit=117636

https://www.aqa.org.uk/programmes/unit-award-scheme/unit-details?unit=117637

We are able to modify these units and create bespoke units that better suit the needs of the learners, so please get in touch to discuss your training needs.

Outline costs

One-day Wilding Training programme – from £1,000 + VAT

• Up to 20 participants per day
• Includes Trust training team and course materials
• Does not include costs of venue, refreshments.
• This course is best delivered between April – September

Additional cost for AQA certificates - £24 per learner

If you wish to undertake the training as an individual, please get in touch for costs and upcoming dates.

To enquire about booking the course, email wildersupport@hmwt.org

To date we have delivered this training with:

• St Albans City and District Council
• North Herts District Council
• Watford District Council
• Welwyn and Hatfield District Council
• Herts Full Stop (manage grounds maintenance contracts for around half of Hertfordshire schools).