In July, we launched our Woodland Adventurers Forest School for primary school-aged children. Taking place on the first Saturday of each month from 10am to 11.30am, the sessions are jam-packed with nature-themed crafts and conservation activities.

So far, we’ve made wooden rafts, button jellyfish (or were they aliens?), apple bird feeders, spider webs and spiders. We’ve been bug detectives, hunting for and identifying insects; observed the butterfly life cycle up close with Butterfly Conservation Kent; and even managed to squeeze in some litter picking.

As the session started on Saturday, watching our young Adventurers enthusiastically running across the meadow to get cracking made us all smile and makes it all so worthwhile.

We’re creating future guardians of the Commons and superheroes who will help protect our countryside. We welcome all Adventurers to our free sessions. For further information and to book your free ticket via Eventbrite, follow the event links here: Events

The last few months have been incredibly stressful as we were constantly on high alert for wildfires. Across the country, many areas of woodland, heathland, farms and meadows have suffered extreme damage by fire and we have the added worry of being so close to so many homes and the centre of town. Most concerningly, we are being warned that next year could be even hotter! Wild fire mitigation measures and drought management are now firmly in all of our future planning. A final thank you to everyone who helped water our tree saplings and shrubs during the long heatwave and summer drought, it really was gruelling for much of the vegetation and for Ranger Dan and his team of volunteers out working hard in it!