A ‘wild’ day out

06.06.2019

On Wednesday June 5, Year 3 set off to explore the wildlife at The Earth Trust at Little Wittenham in Oxfordshire.

The girls took part in many different activities related to ponds, woodland and meadow environments. They swept the pond with nets, collecting unsuspecting creatures in their trays. They examined them using magnifying jars and identified them using keys. They found lots of different nymphs, snails, worms and Water Boatmen, but no newts to be seen. They also made clay and flower models of creatures they had found and left them in hidden spots around the site to brighten up other children’s visits to the centre. The girls then took to the woods and fields in pursuit of other creatures. They used tree shaker nets to examine caterpillars and other tree-dwelling bugs, and found mini-beasts and some Smooth Newts hiding under logs. Beneath the sunny skies, the girls ran through the meadows of the Wittenham Clumps with their butterfly nets, catching butterflies and moths, before releasing them back into the wild.

The girls demonstrated great curiosity and enthusiasm through their outdoor learning and returned to school with a greater knowledge of UK habitats and many stories of wonderful captures to tell!