Page 14 - August 2016 WN complete final version

wild5 days

For five days this spring schoolchildren in Oxford were invited to
connect with the wildlife around them. The children got hands on
with the activities that followed, as this snapshot reveals

It has never been more forest, beach or other activities carried out in school days children took part in
important to encourage natural environment in the grounds. activities to learn more about
children to go outdoors, past year. wildlife, help nature or to
discover their local places June’s Oxford Festival of simply enjoy exploring the
for wildlife and be amazed At your local Wildlife Trust Nature gave us another great outdoors.
by bugs, trees, flowers and we are encouraging more opportunity to engage the
animals. A report published children, and their teachers, city’s schoolchildren with their Participating schools have
by Natural England earlier to reconnect with the natural local wildlife. During the been busy going on school
this year found that more environment around them build-up to the Festival we ground safaris, creating homes
than one in nine children by visiting our four busy challenged every school in for bugs and getting creative
have not set foot in a park, environmental education Oxford to complete the ‘Five with natural art activities. One
centres and through outreach Days Wild Challenge’. For five school was even inspired to
bring nature into the kitchen
Inspire the next generation by making some delicious
lavender biscuits.
n Learn more about our environmental education centres and outreach education
programme at bbowt.org.uk/discover-learn All the schools that
completed the challenge
n Need to entertain the children during the summer holidays? Then bring them along to one put together a scrapbook
documenting their activities.
of our family focused events, including animal experience days, pond dipping sessions, These were then entered into a
tree trails and birds of prey days. Look inside your What’s On guide for ideas or visit competition, with the winning
bbowt.org.uk/whats-on for an up-to-date listing of events. class receiving an amazing

14 Wildlife news