It's been a wonderful month for the Moments with Trees project. We have been working with groups of children and young people on many exciting tree-related activities. We have filmed children talking about trees for Tree Tube, taught children about the trees they have adopted in the Park, made special scavenging sticks, pounded leaves onto fabric to make flags and worked with a group from the National Citizen Service (NCS) to carryout a tree species survey of the whole of Lynch Wood. And not forgetting the mass walk from the city centre to Ferry Meadows, where we enjoyed a pretty walk and talked about trees. We have also been planning future events, activities and volunteer opportunities.
Events - Past and Future
Past Event - Adopt a Tree
Children came to the Park to adopt their very own tree. They learnt facts about trees, including how to measure the height and age of their tree. They pressed leaves and received a certificate of adoption. It was wonderful to see children excited to adopt a tree. One family even went to picnic under their tree afterwards. We hope their love of trees continues and they return to watch their tree grow with them! If you are in the Park, look out for little wooden disks hidden in the trees - these are the children's name markers.
Past Event - Tree Tube
We were lucky to have some charismatic children attend our Tree Tube event, where they used resources to identify trees. Children had to find an envelope, with a question on the front, hidden in trees. They studied the tree to answer the question and then opened the envelope to reveal the facts, which children confidently presented to camera. The clips will form part of the Moments with Trees film collection that will be shown via our Nene Park Trust YouTube channel. The launch of these films will be announced on Twitter (@moments_w_trees) and through this newsletter.
Past Event - Scavenging Sticks and Leaf Pounding
Children came to have fun with sticks! They enjoyed hunting for tree produce (seeds, leaves, twigs) in the woodland, while learning about trees along the way. Once they had found all the items, they used them to create natural decorative sticks and mobiles. They also used a stick for a flag pole and pounded a leaf onto material to create a leaf print flag. It was great to see little ones looking so closely at nature and I am sure they will continue to use sticks in play for a while!
Past Event - The Big Tree Hunt (Walk)
Twenty-two walkers and two pooches joined us on a sunny Sunday morning to walk the picturesque 3.7 miles from the city centre to Ferry Meadows finding and talking about beautiful trees along the way. When walkers arrived at Ferry Meadows, they received well deserved refreshments and were treated to local poet, Keely Mills, reading some of her fantastic tree-themed poems in a woodland. We also ran a competition, where children (or adults) could find the best tree eye on the route to win a prize... They found many!
If you would like to walk this walk independently, you can download the leaflet, which includes a map and lists the trees to find, from the Moments with Trees page on our website:
Future Events
Tree Detectives - Self-guided Tree Trail
Would you like to find some of the oldest and most notable trees in the Park? Visit the Information Centre at Ferry Meadows and collect a Tree Detectives leaflet and pencil and then follow the map to find the trees. Once you find the trees on the route marked with ribbon, use the clues in tree poems to work out which tree it is. You can check your answers when you return to the Information Centre to collect a prize. We would really appreciate your feedback on the trail, as we will be creating more for next year!
Moments with Trees - Foraging
Saturday 21st October (10:30am-12:30pm)
Come on a woodland walk and find out about the power of trees... which berries, nuts and leaves are safe to eat? How can they be used? Which berries and leaves must be avoided? The event may involve walking off the Park's footpaths. Please dress for the outdoors. For ages 10 upwards. Meeting at the Discovery Den.
Tree Hunt and Broomsticks
Various dates and locations around Nene Park:
Tuesday 24th October (Orton Mere)
Wednesday 25th October (Thorpe Meadows)
Thursday 26 October (Woodston Reach)
Saturday 28 October (Bluebell Wood)
All events: 10:30am-12:30pm
The witch has lost all of her belongings in the trees in four different locations around Nene Park. Find the trees, find the items and she'll reward you with your very own broom stick to fly away on. Children will make their broom stick from wood resources in the Park. Please dress for the outdoors and footwear suitable for a woodland walk. For ages 7 upwards.
Meeting point for 24th - Badger play area, Ferry Meadows
Meeting point for 25th - Thorpe Meadows car park
Meeting point for 26th - Orton Mere car park
Meeting point for 28th - Milton Ferry Bridge, Ferry Meadows
All Moments with Trees events are free thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund. If you would like to book on any of these events, please sign up via the Nene Park Trust website. Alternatively call Hannah on 07919 591040 or 01733 234193.
Volunteering
National Citizen Service (NCS)
We were very fortunate to have a group of 30 young people from the NCS attend the Park for four days to complete a tree species survey of Lynch Wood. They worked hard and their confidence in tree identification grew over their time with us. Many of the young people reported enjoying time in the woods and I think they have found some great places to relax together under the trees of Lynch Wood. We didn't want them to be counting trees for four solid days, so we arranged for Renny Antonelli, from the Green Backyard, to attend and teach the group how to weave with willow. Renny was taught this ancient skill by Len Wilcox, who used to farm the osier beds in the Park to make willow baskets. The group made many items, including bracelets, crowns, bees, butterflies, dragonflies, fish, star wands and even a duck and sword! It was great to see them pick up the skills so quickly and use their creativity to make some very interesting items. We feel every young person should have a go at these skills and learn about our natural heritage. If you would like to see some of their finished items, visit Lynch Wood and look up in the trees... See what you can find!
Our respected team of Volunteers
Our regular group of Volunteers have put the final tree markers in the ground for the Native Tree Trail! Between them and a few corporate volunteer groups they have prepared and dug in 32 tree markers! Find them around Roman Point and the Mound - Soon to have plates added with tree name (common and scientific) and accompanying literature at the Information Centre and Gift Shop. Launch will be announced on Twitter (@moments_w_trees).
Big thanks to all our Volunteers.
Volunteer Opportunities
Would you like to volunteer for Moments with Trees at Nene Park?
We have dates for future volunteer tree planting parties! Parties will be planting specimen trees at three gateway locations in Woodston Reach, Thorpe Meadows and Goldie Bridge. They will also create tricks with trees trails at three locations, which will involve pruning and manipulating trees to create tunnels and arches for visitors to interact with and enjoy. We hope these trees will thrive for a long time and be used and admired by visitors for many, many years! If you are interested in attending any of the volunteer sessions, contact Hannah at hannah.keeley@neneparktrust.org.uk or 07919 591040 or 01733 234193 for dates and further information.
As well as the tree planting parties, we have other positions: Project Officer Support, if you like planning, organising and attending events; History Researcher, if you have a desire to find things out - Who planted the these elm trees and why?
You can follow Moments with Trees on Twitter for daily tree tweets @moments_w_trees
If you would like to receive this newsletter direct to your inbox, contact Hannah on the contact details above.
It would be wonderful if you could spare 5 minutes to complete a short online survey. Please visit the Nene Park Trust website and click on the Moments with Trees page, which you can find along the slider, and follow the link to the survey.
Credits:
Created with images by stux - "tv youtube hf 1" • Ella Mullins - "Winter berries" • Doug Kline - "Wizarding World of Harry Potter - the Three Broomsticks"