What happened
A student pilot, who had accumulated 5 hours of solo flight time, was operating a glider after being towed to an altitude of 2500 feet above the ground. While searching for thermals, the aircraft's altitude fluctuated between 1700 and 2200 feet.
Upon descending to 1500 feet, the pilot initiated a return to the departure airport. During this transit, the pilot attempted to circle the aircraft in what was believed to be a thermal. However, the glider lost further altitude during this maneuver.
As the aircraft descended to 1100 feet, the pilot determined that the departure airport was no longer reachable. Consequently, the pilot searched for an appropriate landing site and elected to perform a landing in trees.