Walks, Talks and Education

Pond Dipping

Water is an exciting habitat, there is a huge diversity of pond life. The children will be amazed to see what they can catch with a net in our dipping pond; stickleback fish, water boatmen, dragonfly nymphs, water scorpions, whirligig beetles and lots more. 

 

After a demonstration by the Ranger, the children will work in groups, taking it in turns to dip with a net and put the creatures in a tray. Towards the end of the session the Ranger will help identify what’s been caught and look at how the animals are adapted to their watery environment and investigate their food chains and lifecycles.

 

Location:  Cosmeston Lakes Country Park / Glamorgan Heritage Coast  Porthkerry Country Park

Activity Time: 1 hour

Maximum group size: 30

Bug Hunting

During the spring and summer minibeasts can be found everywhere, children will be amazed at the diversity they will discover. Some they might find fascinating, others scary.

 

This is a hand on investigation into minibeasts and where they live. Using nets, pots and shaker sheets the children will be able to discover what’s jumping, crawling and flying around the park. They will be able to classify creatures into groups, find out how they’re part of a bigger food chain within woodlands and meadow habitats. 

   

Location:  Cosmeston Lakes Country Park / Glamorgan Heritage Coast / Porthkerry Country Park

Activity Time: 1 hour

Maximum group size: 30

Discovering Habitats / Animal Homes

We are lucky to have many different habitats and associated wildlife. During this session the children will learn what a habitat is and investigate the interaction of plants and animals and the ways in which animals are adapted to their habitat.

 

Location:  Cosmeston Lakes Country Park / Glamorgan Heritage Coast / Porthkerry Country Park

Activity Time: 1 hour

Maximum group size: 30

Past and Present Land Use

The land use activity involves a walk around the east lake with the ranger, who will tell the children all about the history of the country park. 

The children will be encouraged to use visual identification of the landscape and describe its shape and form. 

 

Location:  Cosmeston Lakes Country Park

Activity Time: 1 hour

Maximum group size: 30

Nature Walk

The nature walk and talk activity involves a walk around the east lake. The ranger will start the session with a quick overview on the history of the country park. 

 

The walk is very relaxed and there is always plenty to be seen. The ranger will tell the children all about the wildlife, and also give some information about plants, trees and habitats.

 

Location:  Cosmeston Lakes Country Park /  Glamorgan Heritage Coast /  Porthkerry Country Park

Activity Time: 1 hour

Maximum group size: 30 

Den Building/ Survival Shelters

This session is a team building activity, where the children are encouraged to work as a small team to build a survival shelter into which the whole team can fit. The session takes place in the woods and each team is provided with basic equipment and guidance.

 

The children will discover what you need to survive and are encouraged to use their imagination to make life in the woods more comfortable!

 

Location: Porthkerry Country Park / Glamorgan Heritage Coast / Cosmeston Lakes Country Park                                                                 

Activity Time: 1 hour

Forest School Sessions

We have a dedicated Forest School site which is available for groups of any age to use. You are able to book the forest school site for use with your own qualified leaders. 

 

We offer a ‘Wild Woods’ session for schools which provides a one off activity session based on the principles and ethos of Forest Schools, and enables children to experience a range of Forest School activities like den building, mud painting, making animal homes and trails.

 

Location: Glamorgan Heritage Coast / Porthkerry Country Park

Activity Time: 2 hours

Beach Art 

The pebbly beach and foreshore at Porthkerry make a fantastic location for children to investigate patterns, colours and shapes, the children take a look at what outdoor artists like Andy Goldswothy have done. They are then given the opportunity to be inspired by the natural environment to create a masterpiece of their own.

                                                                                

Location: Glamorgan Heritage Coast / Porthkerry Country Park

Activity Time: 1 hour

Strandline Safari

The session will search the strandline and investigate the natural and unnatural items found there. The children will group these into trash (Man made rubbish) or ‘Treasure’ (Natural Items) and then take a look at how long various materials take to degrade and what their impacts are on our marine wildlife. 

 

This activity can take place at any time of year and is usually possible at all times of the year, except very high tide. Please note that the beach is pebbly, and steeply sloping in places.          

 

Location: Glamorgan Heritage Coast / Porthkerry Country Park

Activity time: 1 hour

Rock Pool Explorer 

These exciting, active education sessions will give pupils the chance to explore rock pool life hands-on and up-close. Children will enjoy scrambling over rocks and pebbles to discover the amazing underwater world of anemones, starfish, eels and crabs! Our experienced rangers will lead pupils on an environmental adventure exploring biodiversity in action.

 

This activity can only take place at low tide. Please note that the beach is pebbly, and steeply sloping in places.

 

Location:  Porthkerry Country Park /  Glamorgan Heritage Coast

Activity time: 1 hour

Orienteering

There are 3 orienteering routes to choose from depending on how adventurous you are... they are perfect for learning map reading skills.

 

The children have to use the map to find red and white posts located on the country park. This activity is self led for schools to explore separately without the need for a ranger. The routes can be completed individually or in groups, and can be non-competitive or a timed competition. 

 

Location:  Porthkerry Country Park /  Cosmeston Lakes Country Park