Whatever the weather, there is plenty to be enjoyed during the half term week (24-28 October) – it’s a great time of year to get out and explore the autumnal colours, kick the leaves and look for conkers! Plus, and the Trust have a bookable programme of events planned to help celebrate all this and more across the region. These include free sessions looking at mighty Oaks at Panshanger Park and planting acorns to nurture the trees of tomorrow, as well as exploring Autumn with scavenger hunts, spotter sheets and making Autumn-themed crafts. For those of a crafty nature, an in-person ‘Wildlife Mosaics for Children’ workshop, an online mindful doodling course ‘Learn to Draw Nature Zentangles’, and a family-orientated Autumn Smartphone Safari can all be booked for a fee.
The Trust has also published seven ideas to cover the half term break for free or low-cost activities on its website with step-by-step guides and resources. These include visiting the Trust’s wildlife garden in St Albans and meeting its newest resident, ‘Willoughby’, a giant willow hedgehog, finding out about hedgehogs and how to protect them, making a bird feeder or a bug mansion, and considering how to help wildlife and the planet by making Halloween plastic-free.
The Trust’s Engagement Manager, Heidi Carruthers said:
“We really hope that the Trust’s younger audiences will connect with nature this half term and enjoy all the benefits that a date with nature can bring. It’s so easy to step outside your front door and enjoy the natural world – even in an urban environment, you’ll be surprised by what you can find.
Heidi continues:
“Getting outside can help top up Vitamin D and boost immunity ahead of children going back to school and the hectic run-up to Christmas. It’s also good for physical fitness and mental wellbeing too. Plus, learning about the wildlife and the habitats that it thrives in helps to install an appreciation of nature from an early age and encourages young people to take responsibility and protect nature.
“It’s a sad fact that over the last 50 years, nearly one fifth of species locally face the threat of extinction. The good news is that by getting young people involved we can help to protect our wild spaces and reverse this trend. With action, the children of today will see a better tomorrow for our local habitats and enjoy seeing wildlife populations grow.”
Over half term, the Trust is also encouraging families and individuals to take part in the Big Wild Walk, asking nature-lovers to take on a challenge of walking 30km over one day, three days or a week, with a special Hedgehog Challenge for younger children to complete 3km.
To find out more about the Trust’s ideas for October half term activities and make sure to book your place at events.