Tataki-Zomé たたき染め from Japanese tataki, hammering, and zomé, dying, is a way of printing leaves and flowers onto fabric or paper that is traditional in Japan. Instead of using paint or dye, the colours of the plant are used.

In the UK this technique is often called Hapa Zome or simply "leaf bashing". For years, it bugged me that when I Googled “Hapa Zome”, I only ever found images and articles from people in the UK and never any in Japan. As a Japanese tradition, I expected to find something - anything - by a Japanese person.

A challenge that people often face when completing their forest school training, and beyond, is finding a site to run their sessions. If you work in a school, it’s relatively easy but what if you don’t? Where can you find wild spaces and what facilities do you need? This blog answers these questions and offers practical advice on where to look.

If the traditional, stereotypical model of classroom education is ‘telling’ the learner about facts and ideas, then outdoor education is more about ‘showing’. Take that one step further and forest school is all about ‘guiding’ the learner through ideas, skills and concepts that appeal to them.