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* This or the first activity should be undertaken before carrying out your choice of the remainder of the activities.
Suggested Method:
Explain that the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 means that everyone in Scotland has the right to be on most land and inland water for recreation, education and for going from place to place, provided they act responsibly. Discuss the types of people who use the outdoors for work and for recreation. What might happen if these people do not act responsibly?
Show the group the set of 5 story cards that show irresponsible use of the outdoors. Ask them to spot all the irresponsible behaviour illustrated and discuss any consequences to wildlife, the environment, people who work in the outdoors and people who go out to enjoy the outdoors. Is there a need for a code of behaviour to tell people how to behave in the outdoors? Brainstorm with the group what this might include.
Tell the children that there is a code and it is called the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. It is based on 3 key principles: Respect the interests of other people, Care for the environment and Take responsibility for your own actions. It applies to both recreational users and land managers. Ask for examples from your discussion that illustrate each of the key principles.
Focussing on the first story card, discuss what the group should do in order to behave responsibly. Place the card showing the responsible behaviour beside this card and ask the group to check that the characters are now behaving responsibly. Repeat with the other 4 cards in the sequence.
If time allows, continue by showing the poster. Ask the children to work in small groups to find all the people who are acting responsibly and those acting irresponsibly. Discuss the issues, using the poster notes to help. Ensure that the children understand that access rights and responsibilities are not always clear cut - access rights depend, for example, on the state of the ground, land management activities, whether you have a dog with you, how large a group you are with and how you are travelling.
Again, you could ask for examples of responsible behaviours from the poster that illustrate each of the 3 key principles. You may like to play the game.
Finish by asking if the group thinks the Code is a good thing for them, and why? Do they feel that the Code is a good thing for landowners, and why?