green day

Set in 400 acres of woodland and farmland the Centre is a great place to find out about the world around us.  The woods are primary woodland - that means there's been trees here forever - well, at least since the last ice age receded.  There's wild birds from blackbirds and robins to lesser spotted, greater spotted and green woodpeckers, nuthatches, wood pigeons, treecreepers, finches, blue, great, longtailed and coal tits, even buzzards.  Down on the river there's curlew and whimbrel, sandpipers, kingfishers, turnstones, gulls and terns, heron, willow warblers and yes, egrets, we have a few.  We even had an adopted bird this summer - a blackbird called Dumpling, raised by Ken (one of our staff) and Pam, who would eat out of your hand - or rest on your shoulder during ropes course sessions.  Early in the the year snowdrops, bluebells, wood anenomes and primroses let us know spring is on the way; later on its time for collecting blackberries, crab apples, sloes, elderberries and fungi.  A fox has moved in recently, but doesn't seem to have upset the wild rabbits who visit.  We saw three deer by the river this morning. You get the picture?  No whipporwills though.

So, come along to the QE2 Activity Centre and spend a day learning about the birds, the trees, the flowers, the animals, the woodland, the farmland and the river bank while pond dipping, bird box making, foraging, collecting, crabbing, bird hiding (?), orienteering, map making, fire making, outdoor cooking, shelter building, art creating, tree hugging (oh go on), learning (ouch) and having fun.

back